I was probably 19 or 20 when I received some fascinating news by way of the woman who used to dye my hair whatever absurd color I asked her to (one memorable look: the top half was fiery red, everything underneath was bleached-out blond). She casually commented, "You know, your hair will get curlier as you get older. It's the hormones."
I was intrigued, especially since my hair had been the same kind of mostly flat, nondescript wavy most of my life. Easy to straighten, but there wasn't a lot of consistent texture to work with.
Lo and behold: She's been right! I'm now in my mid-30s, and my hair has been building toward its new state for quite some time — and a recent move to a completely tropical location has sent it into overdrive.
On any given day, this is what my hair looks like when I just wash it and let it air-dry. Which is fine, I guess, except not for me. As soon as I arrived in Panama, it was like my hair went whoosh and decided that it belonged to no man, woman, or person. I can respect that energy, but not when it's happening on my own head.
Enter: Me asking for helllppppp! I knew I needed to release the idea that my hair would ever be straightened again (barring keratin treatments), but that was OK. I wanted to embrace the wave! So I took matters into my own hands.
First things first: I got a haircut that actually accentuates my newfound waves and helps me work with them, not against them. I don't know how to tell you what she did to my hair, I just know that the woman came to my home, ran her fingers all around my head, and started chopping. It was a moment.
After the cut, I asked for recommendations for products that I can find easily and that will work. I don't like (read: I hate) the feeling of any kind of remotely heavy product on my hair, but I also wanted to be able to tame the halo of frizz that bloomed every time I stepped outside.
I bought a keratin shampoo and conditioner simply because I read good things about keratin in general. However, I was also told not to only use the keratin-based shampoo and conditioner, so I picked up a moisturizing set, too. I also use a deep-conditioning mask once a week.
I didn't care about the brand, but you can try these:
- CHI Keratin Shampoo & Conditioner (Target, $29.99)
- Nexxus Ultimate Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner (Target, $34.99)
- Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioning Mask (Target, $21.99)
Next, I added some argan oil to the mix. Here are the two products I use:
- Hask Argan Oil 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray (Ulta, $7.99)
- Hask Argan Oil Repairing Spray (Ulta, $2.99)
My process is easy because I need it to be. I wash my hair every other day. On the days I wash, I comb my wet hair, spray in the 5-in-1 spray, comb it through, and air-dry.
After that, I use my very favorite device: this Bed Head Wave Artist Deep Waver I picked up at Target for $24.99. I spray a little of the argan oil repairing spray once I'm done, and voilà! That's the routine. I try to avoid putting heat on my hair the following day, and I often just pull it up or back or off my neck in some way. But if I'm going out or just want to fix it up, I use the waver on a few different spots again, and I'm all set.
As always, it's important to remember that what works for me might not work for you. It's a journey, but hopefully some of this will help.
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