Authors: Lorraine Massey,Michele Bender
B003YL4KS0 EBOK (12 page)
Cleansing and Conditioning•
Total cleansing/conditioning and styling time: 6 to 10 minutes.
1
Stand under the shower and cup your hair so the water flowing through it doesn’t disrupt or straighten the formation of this delicate curl type. Resist the impulse to start scrubbing your head and disturbing your hair’s basic shape. Wet hair thoroughly.
2
Cherub curls do not need as much cleanser as other curl types because they’re so baby-fine and too much product can weigh them down. Cup one hand and apply a mounded tablespoon of sulfate-free cleanser or botanical conditioner along the pads of your fingers, and evenly distribute the cleanser to the fingertips of the other hand. Starting at the temples, use firm circular massaging motions down the sides of your head, then move to the top of the head going gently toward the crown. Finally, move down the back of your head, finishing up at the nape.
3
Rinse your hair by cupping it in your hands and allowing the water to flow through your fingers like a sieve.
SCALP TREATMENT (FOR ALL HAIR TYPES)
Once a week, give your scalp an exfoliating scrub treatment. Exfoliating will slough off any dead skin cells and product buildup, making your scalp healthier and relieving any itchiness. See
chapter 8
,
page 84
, for exfoliating scrub recipe and directions.
4
Take a generous amount of botanical conditioner and evenly distribute it between your hands. Apply it to the entire canopy of the hair making sure no curl is left behind.
5
Apply a dollop of conditioner about the size of a quarter underneath, to the hair at the nape of your neck. Even though Cherub curls are a very delicate hair type, they require lots of hydration to stay flexible and prevent breakage. Then gently comb your fingers through your curls from underneath, removing any loose hairs. Don’t be concerned when you come away with strands in your hand; it’s normal to lose many hairs a day!
6
Stand away from the shower’s water stream, cup your hands under the water, and splash it over your hair a couple of times. This “trickle rinse” method ensures that you don’t remove too much conditioner from the canopy of the hair, which needs extra hydration because of its constant exposure to the elements. If you’re looking for more volume to your hair, rinse conditioner out of the hair more thoroughly by standing under the water stream while cupping your hair in your hands. (In this case, put in extra gel to secure and hold the curl formation during the drying process.)
SKIP THE CONDITIONERIf your cherub curls are well-hydrated, you may not need to condition them after cleansing.
1
Step out of the shower. With a paper towel, microfiber towel, or an old cotton T-shirt, scrunch-squeeze sections of hair upward, tilting your head from side to side.
2
If you’ve used the trickle rinse and left conditioner in your hair, bring your head to an upright position and look up to the ceiling. Shake your hair back and forth to help your curls settle into place. Take a shallow palmful of gel, evenly distribute it in both hands, and very lightly graze down the canopy to ensure that every curl is covered.
3
If you rinsed out most of the conditioner, keep your head tilted forward after scrunch-squeezing your hair. Take a generous palmful of gel, evenly distribute it to both hands, and squeeze it into the hair from the bottom of the curl toward the scalp in an upward motion, making sure every curl is covered. Bring head upright, and shake it gently back and forth to help your curls settle into place. If your hair has a high frizz factor, take a tiny bit more gel and graze it gently down the canopy of the hair.
Squeeze gel from bottom of the curl toward the scalp as if you were pushing a spring together.
4
Cherub curls tend to get flat at the roots so you may want to use a few clips along the part of the hair to get some lift. Using a clawlike motion, lift a small amount of hair along the part (hair should be pulled perpendicular to the scalp, not forward or backward). Place a clip at the roots where you pinched the hair and at a right angle to the scalp. Any higher along
the hair and the clips will weigh it down, making the roots look even flatter. You’ll need about four to six clips.
5
Cherub curls also tend to contract a lot, especially in the hair around your face, so you may want to place a clip at the ends of your wet bangs or other short pieces to weigh them down while drying so they appear longer.
DO NOT DISTURBWhen your curls are drying, they can be dispersed or frizzed by ruffling winds, fingers, combs and brushes, as well as by putting on and taking off clothes. So after styling your hair, keep your hands away from your curls as you let them dry. Also, if you’re new to being a curly girl, don’t run your fingers through your hair when it’s dry and don’t let others do it either. If you want to give curls a lift during the day, aerate them rather than raking your fingers through your curls. Here’s how: With your head tilted forward, lightly place your hands on your scalp and gently shuffle your fingers at the roots. Keeping your hands in your scalp, slowly stand upright and shuffle your fingers a little more. Then very, very gently lift your fingers off the scalp without raking them through the hair. This last step is very important or else you’ll disrupt your curls.
6
It’s best to let your cherub curls air dry, because they are so fragile and heat can sometimes evaporate the gel. But if you don’t have time, dry it with a diffuser (see
page 55
), a hooded dryer, or, if you’re on the go, just put the heater on in your car.