I'm gonna try something a little different this summer. Instead of my daily bun, I'll be rocking curly hair. I've weighed all the pros and cons and, it seems, that pros may outweigh the cons for me.
My inspiration came from a post I did a while back on healthy hair lessons we can learn from naturals. Last week, while walking around H&M I observed some of the shoppers who had naturally curly hair (of all hair types). Although I am relaxed (texlaxed), there's enough texture remaining to create voluminous curls (through styling) but not enough to wear a curly wash & go. I asked myself, if I styled my hair in big curls regularly, could my hair benefit in the long run? The answer is yes! Let me tell you why.
(instagram @lorinohlen)
REASON 01: I'd keep my hands out of it {low manipulation}
Whenever I wear my hair curly or in a braid out, the very last thing I want to do is disturb the delicate curls. It's pretty much the only style with that kind of power of me. When I wear my hair straight, my hands are always in it. When I rock a bun, I take it down and mess with it. With curls, it's not a problem. The need to have defined curls overcomes the carnal desire to molest my hair.
REASON 02: I'd moisturize it more frequently {section by section}
I think one of my greatest mistakes, when I was bunning regularly, was one of the most damaging things one can do to their hair.....What I'm speaking of is NEGLECT. Looking back, I know there are things I could have done differently. Most of the time, I didn't take my bun down at night to re-moisturize. With these curls, I have no choice. Every night, I apply some moisturizer & oil in preparation for the next day. And, best of all, this happens section by section. Even when I did moisturize after wearing a bun, I still didn't invest the time to do it in small sections. With this look, I have no choice. Not only that, I also moisturize my hair again first thing in the morning while styling to make sure the curls are moisturized and shiny.
(@curleychaos)
REASON 03: I'd be giving myself regular scalp massages
Since my hands aren't playing in my curls, I keep them busy with scalp massages as an alternative. With scalp massages, my urges are satisfied while my hair follicles benefit. It's a win-win. When my hair is in a bun, I don't have as much access to my scalp as I do when my hair is not confined. This is a huge pro because scalp massages have a direct correlation to healthy growth.
REASON 04: I'd be using less heat
Thanks to the aid of my wonderful flexirods, I can easily set my hair every night without the use of curling wands. On top of that, I also can break out my old trusty steam rollers if necessary. Either way, I'm pretty much covered.
REASON 05: More Frequent Washings
When I'm wearing a bun all the time, I could afford to skip a wash day here and there without anyone noticing. Over time, this reduces the number of deep conditioning sessions. Less deep conditioning leads to hair that isn't as healthy as it could be. When I style my hair in curls, it's much less forgiving if I don't wash at least once a week. It'll force me to remain consistent with my regimen and I like that.
REASON 06: It's cute.
To be completely honest with you, I carry around a different type of energy with me when I wear my hair in a curly style vs. the bun. It makes me want to accessorize and touch up my make up. All of the sudden, I want to wear my funky earrings. And I get a chance to highlight on of my best assets, my hair.
Reason 01: Tangles
My biggest concern with wearing my hair like this are the tangles. As my hair sheds, it'll travel down a curl pattern which will increase the likelihood of it getting stuck mid-stream. To keep this from being a hinderance, I'll engage in detangling sessions at least twice a week (or more) to keep things moving along. Seriously, if I can deal with the pesky tangles, all will be well with the world.
Reason 02: Hair exposed to elements
No matter how many pros I compile on my list, there is always that overwhelming fear of what happens when my hair is exposed to the elements all the time. More specifically, having my ends brushing against my clothing (friction) and the constant exposure to air. To minimize the damage, I will be put some safeguards in place. For one, I'll have to replenish my hair at least once or twice throughout the day (if needed) to keep it from drying out. I've already set a reminder on my phone in case I forget my promise. Regarding the friction, I haven't come up with "the answer" yet. But I'm sure retouching my ends with oil will help. So far it adores the Omega 3 blend I created. Another technique I'll try is layering my curls so they aren't all rubbing on my clothing.
What about the workouts?
This isn't really a con per se but it is something to consider. Normally, I try to get my workouts in the morning. In the past, working out was a hindrance because I didn't want want to go to the gym with the rollers in my hair. Or there was a concern that my hair would get all messed up from the sweat and all my time spent preparing the night before would be in vain. The solution came to me after I silently asked myself the question "how could I wear my hair curly and still work out regularly?" A day later, out of no where, my mind tells me "just work out at night." Of course! Why didn't I think of this sooner? In the morning, I can do a light workout at home then head to the gym in the evening for a full sweat session and visit to sauna.
I'm excited about taking on this challenge and actually making it work for me. The end game is to increase retention, build strength, and elevate moisture. Don't get me wrong, I'll still bun from time to time but, ultimately, I think my hair will do better with this new daily style. Don't take this as a prescription for what to do with your hair but rather a guideline of a process of highlighting pros & cons you can use to find out what works best for you.
