A Knotty Situation

Unless you are one of the lucky few who were born with picture perfect hair immune to frizz and flyaway's, you have got a few curly hair problems - just like me.

Hair that is curly, when exposed to humidity, will often curl excessively or be prone to frizziness, even if it has been meticulously straightened before you step outside. During periods of high humidity, even people who lack frizz factors might find themselves combating dry, unmanageable, fluffy ends.

The most common weather-related effect on curly hair during winter comes from the cold (or specifically the constant changes from a cold to a warm environment) and from static. Cold, dry hair can cause the cuticle layer of the hair to lift, and going into a warm, dry interior environment then leeches the moisture out of the hair, leaving it dry and frizzy.

Wind can also tarnish the hair. Exposure to strong persistent wind can create tangle and snags in wavy and curly long hair. The wind buffets pieces of hair against each other and causing them to catch together and form a knot. In addition hair that is repeatedly buffeted in strong or gusted wind can develop split ends.

People with curly are always being told to “straighten your hair;" I don't agree. Ironing your hair may cause it to look attractive, but overtime it will be replaced with shriveled, burnt and banged up hair. Quite often, the effect of heat is not immediately apparent. Scorched hair, burnt hair, looser nap patterns and permanently straight hair come to mind as immediate visible damage. But even if you don't realize visible damage, every time you apply heat, something more insidious is going on inside your hair shaft: you are robbing your hair of its precious moisture. Think about it. You're putting oil and a tool that's hot enough to burn your skin on your hair.

The last time you pressed your hair or had it flat ironed, didn't you hear that sizzle. What do you think is happening to your hair, especially on the inside? Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that there isn't any damage to your entire hair shaft, especially on the ends.

Heat damage is also cumulative and can't be reversed. Press once, press twice, and press three times, press occasionally…the damage adds up.

Make no mistake about it. The damaging effect of even the occasional application of heat will eventually catch up to you and you will be left with dried out hair, mid shaft breakage, and split ends.

If you're stuck with curly hair like me, you have to learn to accept it even though it can be a big pain, but one thing is for sure "don't iron it." Right now I have to deal with my hair, but when the time comes I'll really be excited to throw on that wig.