As a mom with straight hair I was at a loss when my daughter’s locks started to take on their current shape. By the time she was 2 1/2 years old we were both so frustrated with her curly hair that I considered shaving it all off. Instead of such a hasty reaction I turned to the Interwebs and asked for help.
Two bloggers recommended that I get Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey with Deborah Chiel. The rest of the advise I received on that post worked well enough that I didn’t bother looking into the book. One of the things that helped to bring sanity back to our mornings and kept her beautiful curls from turning into a rat’s nest every day was to keep it in some kind of up-do. For the past year and a half we have put her hair into braids, ponytails or pig tails almost every single day.
Then my daughter, Princess turned 4 years old and she started wanting to wear her hair down more often. She begged and pleaded and pulled out the big guns saying “pretty please with sugar on top.” Then I remembered the recommendation to get the Curly Girl book. Fortune was on our side and my local library had the book! I checked it out the very next day.
This book really is the handbook for anyone with curly hair. Did you know that there are essentially 4 different types of curls and each type has different care needs? I didn’t.
After reading this book I now know what type of curls my daughter has (Botticelli) and discovered all sorts of tips on how to clean, care for, treat and style her hair. Some of this we had figured out on our own or were recommended by friends but there were a few little tips, not to mention the recipies in the book that were brand new knowledge.
Armed with the book we have been able to come up with the right line of products and techniques which allow her to wear her hair down every day. It still gets pulled into a gentle ponytail every night to prevent snaggles and knots. This book has helped our mornings go faster. The tears have been minimized. Best of all my daughter is beginning to love her hair and all the compliments she gets on those shiny ringlets.
If you have curly or even wavy hair I highly recommend spending a little time curled up with Curly Girl – The Handbook.
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Great post! I have read the book myself. My three year old daughter and I are both curly. Her curls have been challenging with the whole bath at bedtime, sleep on the curls challenge. You may want to check the message boards at http://www.naturallycurly.com . Most of the posters their are Curly Girl devotees. There is all sorts of info there on product reviews, techniques, etc. Those ladies are quite serious about their curls!
This book is AWESOME. My daughter has wavy/curly hair, and I share your frustration. It helped me a lot to know how to deal with it.
I use teh Curly girl method for hair care and have been amazed at how much better my curls look. The Devacurl line of products are fantastic
I am quietly sobbing with joy that this book even exists. My mom’s solution to my curls was either brushing it out, letting it fuzz out or cutting it short (giving me a cery triangular head shape.) Oh how my teenage years could have been different! I will go buy this book because (a) I’m sure there’s something I can learn even now and (b) because this future child I’m growing is destined to have very thick curly hair! Thank you!
This is a timely reminder! A friend recommended this book to me years (and years) ago, but I didn’t usually wear my hair curly. I’m so thrilled that this look is “in” now, and get lots of compliments when I go natural. For me, it’s ease — I can wash it and let it dry without touching it at all — and end up with nice curls.
Anyway, I just remembered this book, and now here’s another review, so I’m going to order it NOW.
I was just looking around Amazon, and this book has been updated. The new version will be available January 11, 2010.
http://www.familymusings.com/2010/12/purple-hair-dilemma.html