Johnny Wright

Article / Updated 11-15-2022

Listen to the article:Download audio There are so many reasons we can feel negatively about our hair. People with natural, curly hair have not been seen as a thing of beauty for so long. Black women, especially, have been conditioned and treated like they are unattractive for having natural hair, and some women have internalized this hatred and adjusted their hair accordingly. A client of mine recently pointed out how she and her close friends often feel great pressure to process and straighten their hair due to their experience with men and dating and other negative influences within the community. So many men have been conditioned to want and be attracted to a particular representation of beauty because of the relentless standards set by the media. We have seen straight hair put out as the normal, acceptable standard for so long that it’s shaped entire generations. This, too, is trauma. Time to heal and embrace your natural beauty Unhealthy beauty standards have been ingrained in Western culture by systems underpinned by totally toxic ideas. But the time has come to heal. You need to reclaim your power and your beauty, and move beyond self-hatred. Refuse to buy into the toxicity. Refuse the negativity and trauma. I encourage you to be honest about who you are and only surround yourself with people who see you, support you, and celebrate you. This is your moment. This is the natural and curly haired community’s moment to step into the spotlight. Okay, look — I don’t want to spend time and energy on what the natural and curly hair community has or doesn’t have. I’m here to focus on building our community up, to help lift us up. That’s how we celebrate ourselves. Stigma against curly hair But the truth is the truth. Those of us who have natural hair already know it. But maybe you’re someone who doesn’t have textured hair and you’re reading this to understand a loved one. If you don’t already know, people who have natural and curly hair regularly face discrimination, misunderstandings, and misconceptions about their hair, all based in centuries-old racism that plays out in media, workplaces, and schools, among other institutions. Unfortunately, you can find so many examples of the systemic discrimination that Black and Afro-Latinidad people who have natural hair face. One national news story that absolutely enraged me when I saw it back in 2019 still stays with me today. Before his wrestling match, a 16-year-old high school student in New Jersey was told by officials that his hair covering didn’t meet “regulation standards.” They presented him with an ultimatum: cut his dreads or forfeit the match. Without so much as a word from his coach, the athletic director, or any other staff member from his school, he faced the decision alone. And there, in front of a whole gymnasium of his peers and members of the community, an official cut off his dreadlocks. He went on to win the wrestling match that day, but the humiliation of having his hair carelessly cut off due to policies that do not represent everyone equally may never fade. This student’s natural state of being was deemed unacceptable and deserving of immediate destruction. And this scenario, in some form or another, plays out in schools and workplaces across the country, literally every day. How dare they perpetuate this level of hatred and trauma on children — and adults! The natural and curly hair community faces unfair treatment and downright stupidity from some people and systems. Because these prejudices are so deeply ingrained, society, as a whole, can find even recognizing them difficult, let alone combating them. But I’m not going to stop trying. I’m here to do my part to stop the stigma, by building the natural and curly hair community up; by saying enough to the discrimination from others and the way we internalize it ourselves. It’s time to stop. And it’s time to heal. And that means everyone. Parents and guardians of kids with textured hair If you’re a parent of a textured-haired child, you need to know the reality of prejudices and racism, and then smash this stigma for your child (or other loved one). Natural and curly hair is beautiful and glorious. From the moment your child who has textured hair is born (or the moment you become their guardian), celebrate their beautiful hair at every turn. And if you have natural hair — or you want to wear your hair in its natural state but are fighting against these negative forces — then I’m here to tell you something: They might be powerful, but you are more powerful!

Article / Updated 11-08-2022

The most basic way to take care of your curly and textured hair is to wash it, but you need to know a lot about how to handle your hair when it’s wet and, quite frankly, the most vulnerable. If you’re like most people, you probably have a love-hate relationship with your beautiful kinks, coils, and curls: especially on wash day. Each week, you procrastinate as much as possible by co-washing or using your favorite style-refresher products to go as long as you can between washes. Am I right? I know it’s not that you don’t want clean hair. It’s all the sectioning, detangling, pre-washing (if needed), shampooing and conditioning, setting, drying, and finally styling. It’s exhausting. Trust me, I get it. Here’s the trick, though: Creating a routine and sticking to it can make wash day less of a chore and more of a delightful experience. Wash days should be experimental and fun — and hopefully something to look forward to. If you’ve lost the joy in your wash day (or never had it), I’m here to help. In this article, I go over how often to wash your hair, how and when to detangle, the joys of co-washing, and (most importantly) how to properly shampoo and condition, along with other tips you can use for wash day. Set your wash day Of course, your wash-day schedule all depends on your specific hair type and texture, but as a professional, I generally recommend that folks wash their hair at least once per week. You can go longer between washes, but don’t go any longer than two weeks. If you have finer hair or extra buildup, you can try washing your hair twice a week. Choose whatever schedule works best for your needs. Just keep in mind that to have a successful wash day, you need to do all the steps I outline in this article — and do them in order! Make sure you have time for detangling, shampooing, conditioning, and any drying or additional styling at the end. So, choose a day in which you have at least a couple of free hours. You can’t rush good hair care! If you have especially coarse, dry, or damaged hair, you can use another technique called co-washing, where you use conditioner in place of shampoo. Ow! Detangling your hair The first step of any wash day is detangling. For some people, detangling their hair can be the most tedious and time-consuming process of a wash day. But fear not! I’ve got you covered from root to tip. The detangling process is different from person to person, but here’s some guidance that can help you minimize excessive snagging and breakage. First and foremost, set aside enough time. Detangling can take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. I know, I know. You might be tempted to skip this step, but don’t. If you wash your hair without thoroughly combing and detangling your hair first, you can make your tangles worse by matting them when you add shampoo and excessive water during the wash step. I don’t recommend detangling dry hair because it’s less flexible than wet, and you can end up damaging your hair’s cuticle. However, if you choose to detangle your hair dry, do not rush! Go very slowly! It’s important to be extra gentle to avoid snapping strands or damaging that cuticle. And if you have extra thick or coarse hair, you’re going to have to dig deep and be extra patient. When you’re preparing to detangle your hair, you can make the process go more smoothly if you have the right tools on hand. Get yourself: A rat tail comb A wide-tooth comb Your favorite detangling product to add some slip (lubrication that reduces friction, making it easier to move combs or fingers through your hair) to your hair strands A few clips or ties Now that you have the right tools at the ready, follow these steps to detangle your hair: Use a rat tail comb to section your hair into at least four to eight sections, depending on how thick and dense your hair is. You can use hair clips, hair ties, or loose plaits (braids) to keep the sections separate. Working in small sections makes your hair more manageable and ensures that you’re thoroughly removing all the knots. Pre-sectioning can help give you more control over your mane and set you up to properly detangle. I’ve been a professional hairstylist for over 20 years, and still to this day, one of my most useful styling practices is pre-sectioning. Add a softening agent to your hair, such as a detangling or leave-in conditioner. Keeping your curls hydrated while detangling creates important slippage. If your hair is extra tangled, try finger detangling first. After sectioning and moistening your hair, start at the ends of one section. Slowly separate the hair in that section with your hands, removing shed hair, tangles, and knots while you go. Take your time. If you rush and try to yank or pull, you could damage or break your hair further.Also, if your hair isn’t very tangled at all, you may be able to get away with just finger detangling and don’t need to continue on to the rest of these steps! Comb the hair out with a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush, one section at a time. Start at the ends and work out any knots while you travel up to the roots. This process prevents unnecessary tugging and pulling at the roots, which causes more damage. Use a plastic cap to cover the sections that you haven’t detangled yet. This cap helps stop your hair from drying up. With curly hair, you need to create as little friction as possible, so detangle your hair only on wash day, as long as you can keep it in good condition between washes. In other words, detangle only once every one or two weeks. You may find the need to finger detangle a little more often between wash days if you’re styling has interrupted your curls, or you forgot to sleep in your bonnet, or something like that. Sleeping in a silk or satin head covering or on silk or satin pillowcases can help minimize friction and maintain your curls between wash days.

Article / Updated 11-08-2022

Hair types are separated into four categories, and then into three subcategories: Types 1 through 4, and then A, B, or C for each number. For each type (and subtype), I describe the characteristics so that you can pick the type that seems most like yours. I’m focusing on hair types 2c to 4c, which are shown in the chart below. Curls come in all shapes and sizes, and you might even have more than one hair type on your head, so don’t be surprised if you recognize yourself in more than one description. However, most people typically have a dominant hair type, so if your multitextured hair is confusing to you, just focus on the most dominant one (the one you have the most of). Type 2 Type 2 falls somewhere between straight and curly hair. It’s normally flat at the root of the hair follicle. Most people think of Type 2 hair as wavy, and it ranges from gently tousled textures to S-shape defined waves. You can have fine to coarse Type 2 hair, but it’s typically fine. Here are the three kinds of Type 2 hair: 2a: Loose, stretched S-shaped waves 2b: More distinct S-shaped waves 2c: The most defined S-shaped waves that can form loose ringlets and spirals (see the image below) Of the three Type 2 subcategories, 2c is the closest to curly hair types, so I want to give you a detailed description of 2c. Type 2c hair can require a lot of maintenance. Here are a few good habits to help keep your tresses happy and healthy: Use a clarifying and volumizing shampoo on wash day. Depending on how oily and weighed down your hair gets, you might want to shampoo twice a week. Use a lightweight conditioner, and focus your application of it towards the ends of your hair. Heavy conditioners can cause your hair to fall flat and limp. Alternatively, you can go with a light leave-in conditioner. Try products that add moisture and volume/thickness. Volumizing and thickening products help thicken your fine hair without weighing it down. Air-dry your hair until it’s about 75 percent dry before you style it. Wet hair is very fragile and can easily break while you pull and stretch it. If you use a diffuser, be sure to dry your hair with your head upside down to create volume at the roots. Schedule regular hair trims. Get a trim every six to nine weeks. Because fine hair is so fragile, it tends to split more often. Regular trims prevent your split ends from traveling up the hair shaft. Try to limit heat styling. Fine hair is vulnerable to breakage. Because heat styling can accelerate breakage, I don’t advise it. Don’t overuse your styling product. Apply your favorite products sparingly. With fine hair, a little goes a long way. Choose mid- to shoulder-length hair cuts that use textured layers. Long, fine hair can stretch your curls out, causing your hair to appear much thinner than it actually is. The ends are the oldest part of your strands, so when you leave them on, they are less full. Keeping a shorter hair cut keeps it looking fuller because the hair closest to the root is the newest and thickest. Apply protein treatments monthly. Most hair types can benefit from protein treatments. It makes the hair stronger and adds a layer of protection for fragile hair. Type 3 Type 3 hair is S-shaped curly hair that ranges from springy, tight corkscrew curls to loose, bouncy curls with more volume at the roots (see the image below). Type 3 hair has some shine, but if you don’t give it enough hydration, these curls can have issues with frizz and curl definition (which is how well and clearly you can see the shape and pattern of each curl individually). Type 3 hair can be fine to coarse, but it’s typically medium-textured. Here are the three kinds of Type 3 hair: 3a: Big, loose, well-defined spiral curls 3b: Bouncy, tighter ringlets and spiral-shaped curls that have a lot of volume 3c: Even tighter, corkscrew curls on the verge of Type 4 curls Type 3c hair can experience shrinkage, where your hair strands appear shorter when they’re wet. Type 3 hair is less fragile than Type 2, but you still need to nurture it properly. Here are some good habits to keep them curls poppin’: Detangle every wash day. Type 3 hair can be prone to matting if you don’t detangle it before shampooing. Need me to walk you through that process? Use traditional shampoos and conditioners once a week. Type 3 hair tends to need more styling products than Type 2, so shampooing weekly prevents buildup. Also, your curls yearn for moisture. Conditioning weekly keeps your moisture balance consistent. Schedule regular hair trims. Get a trim every six to nine weeks. Switch to deep conditioners or a hair mask every other wash day. You can apply these products in addition to or instead of your traditional conditioner. Deep conditioners and hair masks penetrate deeper into your hair’s cuticle and help prevent frizz, enhance curl definition, hydrate the hair, and restore your curls. Add slip with leave-in conditioners. Leave-in conditioners give your curls slip (that means they reduce friction and allow curls to move freely). They also add moisture, making your hair more manageable and easier to detangle. Use oils or oil-based styling products. When it comes to moisturizing natural hair, water is the holy grail. Oils and oil-based products help seal and trap moisture in your hair. Type 4 Type 4 hair has S-shaped or zigzag curls that are very tightly coiled (see the images below). These curls are normally described as coily and kinky. Type 4c hair can shrink more than 50 percent of its actual length when wet. Because we’re all uniquely made, 4c hair can have fine to coarse texture. But the most common 4c texture is coarse and may have noticeable curls with less definition. Here are the three kinds of Type 4 hair: 4a: Tightly coiled S-shaped curls that begin at the scalp and continue throughout the shaft to the ends 4b: More tightly curled than 4a hair, with more of a zigzag curl pattern 4c: Super tight zigzag curl patterns with less curl definition Good habits for Type 4 hair are similar to the habits for Type 3 hair, but Type 4 comes with a few tweaks and extra tips: Detangle first, as always. Detangling is important for all wash day routines. Make sure you detangle your hair to keep it healthy and unmatted. Weekly, first detangling your hair, then use a moisturizing shampoo or shampoos formulated for coarse hair. Some shampoos for coarse hair may be listed as sulfate-free. Every wash day, use a deep conditioner or hair mask. You can use this deep conditioner either with or instead of your regular conditioner. Incorporate steam treatments biweekly with your conditioner, deep conditioner, or hair mask. Steam treatments can moisturize and hydrate all types, but it really helps coarse hair get the extra hydration that it needs. Limit using alcohol-based products. Although these products help tame your hair, they can strip hair of moisture. Instead of alcohol-based products, use oils and creams that help seal moisturize and hydrate. Use a detangling brush while your hair is wet. Detangling brushes help remove knots, which keeps your hair from breaking and becoming damaged. Schedule regular trims. Coarse hair can be prone to split ends because of its tendency to be dry. I recommend getting regular trims every eight to ten weeks. Try co-washing biweekly. Co-washing may or may not work for you, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a try. Sleep with a silk or satin head covering or pillowcase, which protect all hair types. These fabrics reduce friction, frizz, flyaways, and breakage, so you can more easily maintain your curls.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-17-2022

Natural and Curly Hair For Dummies gives you great guidance on how to keep your natural and curly hair healthy and looking great — from the ins and outs of washing and conditioning, to styling for fashion or protection, and even taking care of your child’s textured hair. This handy cheat sheet contains quick info that you can use on the fly, whether at home, shopping for natural hair products, or at the salon.