DORÉ

In the world of hair, there are two types of people – those who don’t have to think about their hair, and those that do. I fall in the later category and therefore I am always on the look out for tips and tricks to make my hair a little more manageable. We put the call out to our readers (and some of our favorite heads of hair we’ve featured on the site!) for their best tips and I’m thrilled to share some of our favorites below.

“As a young girl, my hair was considered difficult and undesirable. However, over time I have allowed myself to embrace my natural kinks and curls. Cleansing my hair is a ceremonial event. During the two to three hour process, I appreciate the gentle care and attention that is needed to create something that represents my strength and beauty. I wash my hair with a cleansing conditioner but I also make my own shampoo with African Black Soap and various oils mixed together. I then proceed to deep condition with a thick creamy conditioner and detangle my hair with my fingers very carefully so as not to snag my ends. I then sit under a hooded dryer for 45 minutes. After this process, I rinse out the conditioner and put in a leave-in conditioner, a hair cream and seal it with a mixture of various oils (almond, avocado, grape seed, black castor, olive, jojoba, or sesame) along with essential oils (rosemary, cypress, tea tree, lavender, or rose) that I make myself. I don’t use all of the oils at once but whatever combo of oils I have on hand.”

“I braid my hair at night after I shower when it’s still damp. While most people take the braid out in the morning, the real trick is to leave the loose and slightly messy braid in tact for the entire following day. Then take it out and wear it wavy on the third day. The waves last longer and have so much more volume! It’s super low maintenance too! ”

“I have frizzy hair but if I put a beanie on for ten minutes after I blow it dry, it’s silky all day!”

“I have curly hair. Not only is it curly, but it has a mind of its own and does everything in its power to return to its natural state. Every night I sleep with my hair in a bun on top of my head (complete with a neon scrunchie) because it’s the only thing that helps to keep my hair from sticking straight off my head come morning. I have wasted countless hours trying to hide my natural hair from the world with these steps: Wash. Wait 20 minutes for it to half-way air dry. Dry with a blow dryer for 20 more minutes. Run over hair with straightener with an additional 20 minutes or till I find it “fit” to expose to the world (often this last part must wait till the next day because I’m already exhausted from the three earlier parts of the process).”

“My hair care routine is pretty simple and straight forward. I have never colored my hair. I get trims every 6 months. I use moroccan oil hydrating shampoo and conditioner and I actually wash my hair every day mostly (unless I am in Costa Rica or somewhere where I am in the water all the time and it isn’t necessary to wash daily – I kinda let my hair do its thing until its a dread lock then I handle business). I use a wet-brush after the shower and let my hair air dry – even in NYC winters.”

“I love when my curls and fro are a bit bouncier and not as flat, which can happen after I take out twists or braids. To help with this, I keep the hot shower on for a few minutes in the morning and let the bathroom steam up and then pick my roots a bit. It allows for my hair to loosen and to remain full.”
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“My hair trick is to utilize your diffuser to get full curls. Also having a pick that you can get in any beauty store will help separate curls and give them volume just flip your head over and go over the roots and slightly throughout pointing the pick downwards. I sleep with a hydrating deep conditioning mask overnight from devacurl that leaves my curls so soft when I wake up in the morning.”

“My hair is long with dry ends and semi-curly but not in a flattering way. So I wash my hair with Redken extreme shampoo and then condition my lengths from the same series. I towel dry and then I put a tiny bit of whatever hair oil I have at home (preferably Moroccan Arian oil) and I apply it carefully only to the ends of my lengths. Then I blow dry with a GHD pro blow dryer. Honestly it’s the best one I’ve ever tried and can’t live without. The difference is enormous. When I dry my hair I apply a volume powder in my roots by Davines. It’s organic and the best one I tried. It’s applied with a power brush so the products gets exactly where I want it and is evenly dispensed. Then I spray Redken Windblown on my roots and lengths on day two and day three after my washday to keep it looking fresh!”

“People always ask who cuts my hair and the answer is me! About nine years ago, I came to the inescapable conclusion that when your hair is curly, nobody knows it better than you. So I started just cutting it myself, every couple of months. I always cut it dry, and usually spread the process over 2-3 days, because my hair texture changes from day to day. If I cut just a teensy bit here and there, I end up with a shape that works. Curly hair is extremely forgiving — unless you go crazy, there’s hardly such a thing as a “mistake” — so I encourage curly-haired people to try it! Start small. If you have a good eye, a good mirror, and reasonable coordination, you can probably cut your own hair. My other big hair secret is my curling iron. It might sound shocking that a curly-haired person is using a curling iron, but adding a few 1-1/2 inch curls here and there makes a huge difference. ”