There’s never been a better time to embrace your natural curls than now. With curly hair bang on trend for summer and countless celebrities going back to their roots, we decided to get the 101 on all things curls from hairstylist and Kèrastase ambassador James Galvin who has just created a ‘cuts for curls’ menu at the newly opened Daniel Galvin salon in Selfridges London. ‘Naturally curly hair is a beautiful thing but there’s a very specific way to manage and care for it,’ says James. Read on to discover his top five tips for girls thinking about going back to their natural curls…
Visit Daniel Galvin Selfridges
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1 Touch less, comb more
‘There’s one big reason to avoid touching curly hair – frizz. Every time you run your fingers through your hair, twiddle a stray tendril or change your style you’re building frizz upon frizz,’ says James. ‘The more you touch it, the frizzier it gets and it can actually lead to long term damage.’ If this sounds like you then James suggests arming yourself with a wide toothed afro comb and using that, instead of your fingers to touch, tweak or change your hair. ‘People mistakenly think curly hair is very strong but actually it’s quite fragile and can be easily damaged or torn.’
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2 Swap shampoo for a cleansing conditioner
‘Curly hair should be washed with caution or you’ll get what I like to call, fluffy roots,’ warns James. ‘I see so many people who’ve over-washed and in the process stripped away those all important natural oils which leaves the roots, as well as the ends totally dehydrated.’ What to do? ‘I tell everyone with naturally curly hair to switch to Kerastase Discipline Cleansing Conditioner Curl Ideal, £21.16, and it makes such a difference.’ Rather than massage it into the roots and work it deep into your hair, you apply it all over and then press it along the entire hair shaft gradually smoothing it as you go. ‘Once you’ve got to grips with this way of washing you won’t go back,’ says James.
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3 Beware of over-drying
‘Over-drying is one of the worst things you can do for curly hair so don’t do it!’ On a day to day basis James advises letting your hair air-dry as much as possible. ‘If leaving your hair to it’s own devices sends you into a panic invest in a great smoothing cream and apply it to wet hair to reduce frizz instead.’ James uses Kerastase Discipline Oléo Curl Creme, £17.56. ‘If you use a diffuser then only use it to get your hair to 70% dry or you’ll end up with a set of very crispy, dry curls.’ Does this mean you have to skip your weekly salon blow-out? ‘Absolutely not, an experienced stylist will know how to get the best of your hair without over styling or over-drying it.’
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4 Cut for shape not length
Hands up who’s come back from the hairdressers with a curly haircut that’s wider than it is longer? Not ideal. ‘There’s an art to cutting curly hair, you need to understand the way it moves, grows and how it reacts to environmental changes such as heat and water. All of the above needs to be factored into the cut,’ explains James. ‘It’s all about getting the shape right, anything too boxy and blunt can kill a beautiful head of natural curls. I’ve designed our cuts for curls menu to create a rounder shape with natural graduation to show curls off to their best.’
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5 Work with your natural hair texture not against it
‘Curly hair should be free flowing and full of life, this is when it’s at it’s most beautiful,’ explains James. ‘Forcing a hairstyle that isn’t right for your hair type or relying on hair straighteners as a default styling technique just won't hold up longterm.' Rihanna, Beyonce and countless other celebrities have recently embraced their natural hair texture and if you're looking to wean yourself off your current styling addiction James's advice is simple; start with the right cut, this will help your curls to hang well and then build up your product wardrobe, the right formulations will do all the hard work for you – no straighteners required.
Visit Dalvin Galvin At Selfridges
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