Di Dumbs It Down

Ok, get George Costanza in the pool out of your head and bear with me. Shrinkage in the curly community is completely different! An in our case, it's a good thing. Shrinkage means that curls hair appears shorter when it's curly as opposed to when it's wet, or stretched out (like when you straighten it). Natrually curly hair looks shorter than it actually is when it's stretched out. Shrinkage = Healthy Hair When your hair absorbs water and dries, your hair will curl, or shrink, into its natural hair pattern. Wet hair appears stretched, because water weighs down the curls. When the water dries, the hair is lighter and bounces up or "shrinks," resulting in shorter looking hair. What Does it Look Like? Shrinkage can be an issue amongst curlies with kinky and/or coily hair (4A, 4B, 4C curls.) 4C natural hair is the most tightly coiled. Wavy hair can also experience shrinkage, though it is less noticeable. But it is a sure sign that your hair is healthy. ...

The difference between wet plopping and regular plopping is with wet plopping, you plop your wet hair on top of your head in a shower cap instead of a cotton t-shirt, leggings, or micro fiber towel. Why wet plop? It encourages hair hydration It defines curls It reduces frizz ... and more. How do I do it? After you wash and condition, apply your leave in, curl cream and/or stylers to soaking wet hair with praying hands and rope each clump Squish out excess water with your hands Dip your clumps into a shower cap Wrap a towel around your head and the shower cap to keep water from dripping all over you, OR just keep a towel around your shoulders, OR wrap a headband around the shower cap Plop for 10-20 minutes Remove the shower cap, remove excess moisture by squishing with your hands, a microfiber towel or a cotton tshirt (some prefer to regular plop at this stage) I learned about this method from @powerdomi on Instagram - she is the queen of hydration for wavy hair,...

Oh, the elusive Curl Type... so complicated, as there are so many ways of explaining. It's truly confusing, but we do our best. And in the end, it does not matter which curl type you have. Just keep them healthy, no matter the texture. Warning This can be very confusing to learn about, as there seem to be discrepancies between the curly experts and the websites. Basically Curls are divided into three families: Wavy - Type 2 Curly - Type 3 Kinky-Curly - Type 4 Straight hair (with no hope for a curl) is Type 1. Still looking for the original source Each curl family is divided into three categories: A, B and C. A is always on the looser end, and C is on the curlier end.  So, we have: Wavy: 2A, 2B,2C Curly: 3A, 3B, 3C Kinky-Curly: 4A, 4B, 4C Credit: Adunni Organics This doesn't mean that Wavy isn't curly! "Wavy" just distinguishes one type of curl from another on the curl spectrum. Wavy curls resemble an S rather than a coi...

One powerful technique to optimize your curls is the Bowl Method. Discovered by @powerdomi on Instagram (follow her NOW if you aren't already), it takes Squish to Condish/STC to the next level. The Bowl Method is Squish to Condish's Sister After you wash and condition, add your leave-in conditioner (either one that is marketed as a leave-in, or a dollop of your favourite regular conditioner) to soaking wet hair. But this time, keep a large bowl handy. Apply the conditioner with praying hands, then squish it in. Catch all of the water and conditioner into the bowl.  Dip your clumps into the water and squish the water back into your hair. Add your styling products with praying hands and squish the excess water, conditioner and product back into the bowl.  Redip and resquish.  Benefits A fantastic way to create hydrated, juicy clumps No product is wasted, as you're reusing your products Saves water Adds product evenly Who to follow for more informati...

You may have seen the acronym "STC" floating around the curly community, and not have any idea what it means. It stands for Squish to Condish . It is a MUST for helping your curls retain water - thus, moisture and hydration. So what does it mean? Squish your hair as you rinse out your conditioner, so the conditioner seeps into, soaks and saturates your hair. Why should I STC? We tend to rely on our conditioner to hydrate our hair and our curls. But, you can use an entire bottle and get poor results if you don't use water effectively. You want to get as much conditioner as you want / your hair needs into your hair, so that it stays hydrated and you get luscious clumps. Water is what hydrates our hair! Conditioner is the tool to lock it in. When do you STC? After you wash and condition your hair. Steps 1. Wash your hair. Rinse. 2. Condition and detangle. Rinse. 3. Keep your head down so that your soaking wet hair hangs upside down. 4. Apply more conditi...

A clump happens when your individual hairs and curls form and flow together into one big curl. They look like thick, juicy ropes. There are many benefits to creating clumps, especially for Type 2 (Wavy) and Type 3 (Curly) curls. Clumps give you thicker curls, and less frizz. Clumped curls look healthier and shinier. Plus, it stays more still while drying. Unclumpped curls can look stringy or frizzy. Think angel hair pasta versus fusili. How to Create Clumps After you have washed and conditioned your hair, keep it flipped over your head. Make sure it's soaking wet. Use your fingers, a wide toothed comb, a Curl Keeper Flexy Brush or a Denman Brush to separate your hair into sections (I aim for 5-10) While your hair is still wet, put your product (gel/cream/mousse) in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together and coat each clump from root to tip. Kind of like milking a cow. Squeeze and squish each clump (we will talk about these techniques in future ...