by Cristina

Created on: April 16, 2009

I have grown up wishing I had curly hair and absolutely hating my, I thought, boring straight hair. It wasn't until I had my daughter before I realized curly hair can be a great reason of pride, but in the same time may be also a great burden if you don't know how to properly take care of it. I have learned a lot about it, along with my little curly princess.

For the longest time, it was believed that a person's type of hair was determined by the shape of the individual hair. Today, it is know, after prolonged studies, that whether your hair is curly or straight is in fact determined by the shape of the follicle itself and the direction each strand grows out of its follicle. Curly hair is shaped like an elongated oval and grows at a sharp angle to the scalp.

Curly hair has a different biological structure from straight hair, tending to be much drier as the natural oils secreted by the sebaceous glands, which are secreted into the hair shaft, can travel down the shaft much easier with straight hair. People with curly hair will often notice their hair is much drier and often frizzy.

All types of hair are affected by the humidity in the air. However, it is more noticeable for those with curly hair, as humidity is forcing water back into the hair fiber and the hair shaft is returned to its original structure. In return, curly hair tends to get frizzy when humidity rises.

There are many kinds of wavy hair, so what goes great with one person might not look that wonderful on another. The best way to discover what kinds of products are suitable to you is to find a good stylist and discuss it with him or her.

To start with, choosing the products for hair should be based on the time of the year: During winter, you need products that are designed especially for curly hair, which will control the hair's frizz, while during summer you need products that will hydrate your hair.

The most important aspects of taking care of curly hair are what I call "the three C's": Cleaning, Conditioning and Control. To start with, what you need is a good shampoo which will not strip your hair of its natural oils, then you have to hydrate the hair with a good conditioner or special masks, especially during summer when the air is dryer than normal. Lastly, you have to use products against frizzing.

While there are persons that claim that their curls are more defined when not using shampoo, hairstylists do not recommend it. The dust and pollution from our environment have a huge effect on anyone's

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