Curly Hair

[Anonymous]

I have always had hair with body, but after having children it's now curly. It's really not a good look for me. I found that I either put too much product in to hold the curl, and control the frizz. Right now it looks either like a bad 80's glam rock style, or like the late 80's spiral perm. I never permed my hair because I didn't want to deal with curls, and nature has now given them too me.

[Anonymous]

Can you blow dry it straight? I have bad 80's perm hair myself, but always blow dry it every 3 days (when I wash) and in the DC summers sometimes run a flat iron over the front parts once in the morning.

[Anonymous]

I could blow it straight, but I want to know how to care for it properly. I have a hair appointment soon, but now that it's humid, it's curlier.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on what type of curly hair you have.
I have wavyish hair, and all I do is mousse it right out of the shower and let air dry. I think product + air drying is key to avoiding frizz and obviously never using a brush on the curls unless you're trying to straighten it out. Fingers only.

[Anonymous]

i think bkt would work great for you, i love it i just wash and good my hair looks great and is shiny , it does not frizz or get puffy when its humid! i wish i'd done it when i first came to dc !

[Anonymous]

what is bkt?

I have hair like this and someone recently mentioned a softening treatment of some kind. Not straightening but something that makes hair wavey rather than curly and not frizzy. Can anyone tell me what that is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i think bkt would work great for you, i love it i just wash and good my hair looks great and is shiny , it does not frizz or get puffy when its humid! i wish i'd done it when i first came to dc !

CBS) Women are raving about a new hair-straightening process from Brazil that works and, by all accounts, works well, for up to four months.

But Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT) uses formaldehyde, a chemical known to cause cancer.

On The Early Show Friday, Dr. Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center, raised red flags about the potential health risks of BKT.

It's grown rapidly in popularity in the United States over the last six months.

It promises shiny, voluminous, straight hair -- even on colored or damaged hair -- for three to four months. The procedure, which costs between $150 and $800 or more, is available at salons across the country.

BKT claims to use keratin, a type of protein, rather than chemicals to naturally smooth out and straighten hair.

But experts say that's doubtful, and it's really the formaldehyde that makes the treatment work.

Formaldehyde is considered a carcinogen by a number of health and safety agencies.

Apparently, noxious fumes are released when it's applied, posing potential risks to the customer, the person applying it, and even others in the vicinity, Marmur says, adding that it's not just the risk from the actual application of the treatment, but from what happens in the months following it, when the chemical breaks down, that worries her.

There haven't been any conclusive studies about BKT, but experts are concerned about the possible inhalation or absorption of the formaldehyde in it.

2The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, a group of doctors and scientists who assess and set recommended safety standards for cosmetic ingredients, determined point-two percent is a safe level of formaldehyde. However, samples tested by an Allure magazine investigation contained at least ten times more than that, and experts say amounts of formaldehyde in BKT vary.

Marmur stresses that, "It's not regulated at all. And why take the chance when there are other, safer options?"

Authorities have linked one death to BKT. It happened in Brazil.

To see the Marmur on The Early Show interview, click here.

[Anonymous]

using the right product is the most important thing, but the right style is key too -- can't have too short layers or you'll poof up. if you don't like gel, try aveda "be curly." it's a cream.

[Anonymous]

Go to this website:

www.naturallycurly.com

I love it. My hair is curly. It will help you to find hair products, salons, styling tips, and the have a forum.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP. If you try to straigten your hair, it could end up ruining the curl so that when you do try to wear it curly, it looks bad.

I leave mine curly. (It would be nice to occasionally try it straight, but it's so much work and it damages my hair.)

[Anonymous]

Bumble & Bumble Curl Creme is great. I agree that you shouldn't brush curly hair. Comb it in the shower while you wash and condition. Put curl creme in it and fluff with your fingers. Always air dry. Only shampoo once a week. Curly hair needs oil.

[Anonymous]

Advice from someone with very curly but not frizzy hair: Use a hairdryer with a diffuser that has "teeth" or "fingers" poking out of it. No need to get a fancy one, just a simple conair one from cvs will do. Use drugstore mousse. Apply to wet hair. Avoid brushing outside of the shower. Finger mousse through hair but don't over-run your fingers through your hair. You want to keep your hair in separate chunks of strands. Tilt your head over the diffuser and scrunch it against your head to dry. Drying with a diffuser is MUCH better than air dry. You actually are more likely to frizz when you air dry because it takes longer to dry and the frizzing occurs in the drying process. If you diffuse, you don't leave your hair time to frizz. Use a low dryer setting (but high heat) if you have to, and a little bit of hairspray while your drying.

[Anonymous]

pp here. but the top of my hair is not curly so I must do layers. not having even curls is very hard. hence my thinking about relaxing. does anyone know about relaxing?

[Anonymous]

Cibu now has a new product called Spring Roll. They carry it at Bubbles Salon. I was using Bumble and Bumble for years but noticed my hair getting drier. I then found a product called Hair Rules which was even better than Bumble but could only get it online. Then my hairdresser introduced me to Spring Roll and have been using it for about 6 months now and love it.

[Anonymous]

I've been waging this war for 20 years and have never straightened my hair. I do not blow dry. I just towel dry and apply product. It is all about the right product. I love curls rock by tigi. On really humid days I apply a bit of regular conditioner (not stay-in conditioner) to my hair after the shower to combat the frizz.