Everytime I open the POPxo app, I get plenty of questions from readers asking me about my haircare routine. Since I have naturally curly hair, some of the most common questions I keep getting are ‘how to style curly hair?’, ‘What products do you use on your hair?’ ‘Where do you get your hair cut from?’. It was only after reading a bunch of these questions did I realize that there are many women like me who are trying to love and live with their curls.
To help you girls solve all your queries about curly hair, I decided to rope in my current hair stylist, Bani Oberoi, from ‘Happy In The Head’, Bandra, Mumbai. I’ve gotten my hair cut from her twice in the past few months and trust me, it has never looked better. It takes a person with some serious skills to cut curly hair well, and I think her work never fails to impress me.
The first time I visited her at the salon, my hair was a mess. It looked fine from afar, but the moment you took a second look at it, you would notice the knots and the frizz. Because of not using the right products and neglecting my hair for months, a couple of dreadlocks had formed – true story! No amount of brushing or washing could help untangle my hair. Bani eventually had to detangle that part and chopped it off! She could tell that my strands were weak and needed attention.
She gave me a great layered cut that made my hair feel much lighter and look less thick and bulky. After the cut, she blowdried my hair and applied product. I could see a huge difference in my hair. It felt light, the bounce was back and the frizz was gone! I was so impressed that after 5 months, I went back to her to get another cut. She’s given my hair shape and a personality of its own. Before, I used to feel awkward to let my hair open because it looked messy and fluffy. I would usually play it safe by sticking to a bun or a pony. Today, the tides have turned…
With regard to curly hair and basic haircare tips, Bani had some interesting things to share, “I have been cutting hair for about 8 years now. Natural hair is my playground because its texture is something that one can carry on a day-to-day basis. I like to cut in a way that the haircut grows out well so it lasts longer with a lot of flow and with a lot of movement.
Ever since I was a young girl, I loved experimenting with my own hair by cutting my own bangs and bleaching my hair using face bleach to make it lighter. I was quite the laughing stock amongst my friends. It didn’t matter though, because I thought it was cool.
Speaking of curly hair, some people think that it’s difficult to maintain and look after it. The truth is that it’s already styled and all you have to is enhance it. I think curly hair is the easiest to take care of and you cannot comb or brush it when it’s dry or damp. The only time you can use is a wide tooth comb when it’s wet or when you have applied conditioner. As bad as it sounds, curly hair should not be shampooed as often as straight hair. Shampooing twice a week should be good enough. The truth is that the dirtier the hair, the better your curls sit. If the dirt bothers you, try using a water spray from time to time. (Here’s an example of my work below)
With the right choice of products, curly hair is the easiest to take care of. I personally love the Khadi Herbal Aloevera Shampoo and the L’Oreal Invis Gel to scrunch curly hair. One can also use a Moroccan Oil as a serum on dry hair to cut the frizz and settle the fly-aways .
My personal fav style is a curly bob and curly asymmetrical pixies but anything looks good on curly hair – it has so much character! A lot of times people think curly hair can’t be cut short, but little do they know that it looks the cutest in a bob. It’s very easy to style curly hair for quick fixes like one can do twists, braids, a messy bun and it all looks awesome.”
Your daily routine for curly hair is also very simple and easy to follow. Here are Bani’s top tips:
1. Be it shampoos, conditioners, creams, use only sulphate and paraben-free products.
2. Always shampoo and condition your scalp. While the conditioner is still on, gently comb through your hair to help detangle it from knots.
3. Dry your hair using a soft cloth or an old T-shirt.
4. Use a CG (curly girl) friendly leave-in gel and comb well using a wide tooth comb. Put your head down and scrunch your hair. Allow your locks to naturally dry after.
5. Some good products for curly hair are the Rainforest Volumising Conditioner (Rs 795), Matrix Hydrasource Conditioner (Rs 466), Devacurl Supercream Coconut Curl Styler (Rs 4,901) and the haircare range from Giovanni and Nashi. The best part is that they’re all CG friendly products for beautiful curls. Good luck!
