By Michelby Whitehead
Texture is literally the wave right now.
Over the last few years, we have seen a tremendous movement among ethnic women, especially in the Latina community: embracing curlier hair. Their trendy AND curlier hair is perfect for the chica who doesn’t have hours to spend on flat ironing.
Some women of Latin descent have straight, type A hair, though, making it harder to rock a natural-curls look. Did you know that a looser, type B curl can be achieved with a perm?
I know, I know… When you hear that word you instantly picture images of ‘80s artists like The Bangles and Rick James, but you don’t have to go that route. For example, here is what a modern twist on the curly perm looks like:
Gorgeous, isn’t it? Even though there are kits on the shelf to help you achieve this look, we recommend having this done in the salon since there are chemicals involved. Chemically treated hair should be kept in top-notch health, as perming it while damaged can lead to dryness, breakage, and thinning.
According to stylecraze.com, there are 5 things you can do to make the most of a curly perm:
1. Pause on the processing.
Wait at least 2-3 months before you decide to take on any other treatments and, in the meantime, give your hair all the tender love and care that it deserves.
2. Add more protein.
Your hair goes through a lot of protein damage when you get a perm. This is because each hair strand experiences the breaking and reforming of protein bonds that give your hair its shape. To help repair this damage, you need to nourish your hair with some much-needed protein treatments at least every 2 weeks.
3. Use a T-shirt instead of a towel.
Drying your hair is different once you become a curly girl, especially with the chemicals used in a perm. To retain natural moisture and avoid frizz, opt to dry your hair with a T-shirt rather than a bath towel. Letting your hair air dry is an even better option instead of blow drying or sitting under a hooded dryer.
4. Get rid of your old products.
You no longer have straight hair, so trying to style your luscious curls with products not dedicated to textured hair will likely result in frustration and bad hair days. Great products to try are Miss Jessie’s, Shea Moisture and Curls. All three brands can be found at your local Walgreens.
5. Don’t forget to trim.
This is especially important because, now that your hair has undergone a chemical change, it’s prone to more damage than usual, and your ends are the most susceptible because they are the oldest part of your hair! Trim hair every 6-8 weeks to get rid of split ends. Rather than shortening the length of your curls, trimming can give your hair an overall fuller, healthier appearance.
Would you consider getting a perm? Tell us in the comments below!
Photo by Philipe Cavalcante on Unsplash
