I've been getting a lot of e-mails lately about how to maintain curly hair and I realize that this is a pretty big thing to post about, especially here in the Philippines--where honestly, most salons will just ask you if you want to get your hair rebonded. Well. Forgive my french, but fuck that. Unless of course, you like straight hair then go ahead. :)) But if like me, you like having curly hair and would like to know how to maintain it then by all means, read on.
I've always loved having curly hair. I like how it frames my face and I like that I can do so much with it--crop it short, grow it out into a full-on hippie hairdo, braid it without needing elastics to hold it in place. But I didn't always know how to maintain it and especially here in the Philippines where people can get really nasty about having curly hair what with all the bruha (witch) stereotypes, that affected my self-esteem a lot when I was younger. But I've always refused to get my hair rebonded, because well--like I said, I like my hair curly. So thankfully, I've learned that despite the humidity here, it doesn't have to be hard to maintain curly hair. There is a way to keep your hair frizz-free while keeping your locks nice and curled.
Here are some of the things that I've found most useful over the years. :)
1. Find a good salon & hairdresser.
Believe me, I've heard all of the patronizing hairdressers from everywhere--several salons in Town Center, a couple in BF and a few in Makati--talk to me as if having curly hair equated to having cancer. "Kawawa naman kayo, ma'am." and "Maganda sana ang buhok niya, kung hindi lang kulot" definitely take the cake. Anyway, don't listen to them. Once you hear that, don't settle for bad service and walk out the door.
A good salon and a hairdresser that knows how to cut curly hair are key. Also, don't settle for hairdressers who shampoo your hair, blow it out, cut it when straight then shampoo it again that will ruin your hair. And never trust someone who cuts curly hair when it's straight. Curly hair has to be cut while curly or else there's no telling how it'll look for reals.
