Don't comb your beautiful dried curls



The above picture is of three beautiful curls from Teri LaFlesh and the lower picture is the exact same three curls after being combed while dry
Image source

 It's amazing how different our natural hair is from our relaxed hair.  I remember when I wore my hair relaxed and I'd get it braided or put into some protective style, and after a while I couldn't wait to take the style out so that I could comb my hair.  As odd as it is, that was the only thing I ever remember missing about my hair was combing it.  Now however, I wouldn't dare put a comb to my dry hair.  Our hair is so delicate and so tender that combing is one of the worst things you can do (unless you are trying to achieve a fro, which I'll talk about a bit more in a second).  Aside from turning you into a complete frizz ball, combing/brushing dry curls will cause it to mat more easily, will pull your hair out, damage the cuticle (outer layer of hair), and likely introduce snags or split your ends.  Now, it is a-okie dokie to comb/brush (if brushing I'd recommend a brush specified for curls and/or detangling) your hair while wet and preferably while drenched in conditioner.  The water and conditioner will aid in the styling tool to move more easily through your hair without causing all of the damage.  And I know that some of you may like going for the fro look, which I definitely respect because I have seen some fierce fros, but this is a look that should be kept to a minimum if possible.  To achieve a nice fro (we're talking Thelma Evans from Good Times) you wash hair, let it dry, and then pick it out (with a pick or comb)-you can pick before it completely dries, but it shouldn't be soaking.  Regardless of if you are combing to obtain a fro or detangling wet well conditioned hair you should only use a wide toothed comb, so throw away those skinny rattail combs that you used to use for roller sets and cornrows.  Now of course if you have decided to wear your hair straightened it is a-okay to comb once hair is straightened (or during the straightening process realizing of course that this will pull some hair out). 

On another note, the pics above are taken from Teri LaFlesh's website.  She is a fellow curly girl and author of the book Curly Like Me.  If you have a free minute I definitely recommend checking out the website, if for no other reason, take a look at her pictures of before and after hair.  So in a nutshell, she is a biracial woman (Black father, white mother) who growing up had no idea what to do with her highly curly hair.  Therefore, she did just about everything except just let it grow.  After she got older she finally began figuring it out, and now she has beautiful long curls and lots of advice to give.  I haven't read her book yet, but it's on my list.  In addition, her website has lots of advice about styling, detangling, and products/ingredients; it also contains some videos that may be helpful.   

That's all for now lovely little people
Love, peace and happiness

PS-how about this blizzard in Columbia :-)  Okay, so it's so far (at about 9 am) only a few inches of snow, but that is Columbia blizzard right?