The girl I love she got long wavy black hair*...

Alright, so my hair is actually curly and it's not quite black, but I really do love it. My hair is long, my hair is dark and my hair is curly. Curly hair, as any of you who have it already know, is not easy to care for. Because the cuticle remains open in curly hair, it's more prone to dryness and breakage than straight. I personally have some other issues to deal with in terms of hair care. My mother is a redhead and my father was black. I got the best of both worlds, I have to admit, but also the worst. My hair is fine and relatively thin from my mother, but impossible to blow dry and comb through from my father. Add to this the fact that my hair is roughly 30 inches long (I just measured) and what you have is a recipe for follicular disaster!

Don't worry, though! I've got my haircare regimen down pat. I have used just about every product out there in an effort to tame these tresses, Salon Brands, drug store brands, homeopathic potions sold from the back of a van (which worked but I have my doubts as to the legality of the ingredients....). Here's what works for me, in order of how I apply.

♥ TRESemmé Moisture Rich Shampoo and Conditioner. Relatively cheap, $6 dollars for a large bottle at just about any store you can imagine, but this has absolutely been the best for me as long as I can remember. It leaves my hair feeling silky and nourished and I haven't had to deal with the intense breakage that I experienced pre-MR. Every once in a while a new "wonder product" will come along and I'll give it a go, but I've never gotten the same results as I do with this one. I know there's a lot of buzz right now about sulfate free products and shampoo bars but I haven't tried them. I'm almost afraid to, but when I do, I'll definitely discuss my results here.

♥ Biosilk Silk Therapy. Okay, this one doesn't come cheap at $24 for 12 oz (the better value. The smaller bottles aren't worth the cash), but this little bottle of magic serum has saved my hair. Please don't think that this is hyperbole, I'm quite serious. Before Biosilk, my hair was damaged and you could forget about using a flat iron (or anything, really) because my hair would literally break off halfway down the shaft. I use roughly a quarter sized dollop and smooth through my hair right out of the shower. It is heat activated, but I use it as a leave in 'conditioner' as well. It works when my hair is curly or straight. When I flat iron, my hair stays glassy and smooth. *A Note: I do not recommend the companion shampoo and conditioner. My hair felt like straw after I used them.

♥ Garnier Fructis Style Curl Sculpting Cream-Gel. I use this whether my hair is going to stay curly or I'm going to straighten it, though it's definitely intended for curls. This is the first product I've ever used which really works the way they claim with the amounts they suggest. The product feels silky during the application and smells fantastic. On the back of the tube, it suggests a quarter-sized drop for your entire head. I've always needed at least double that, so I plopped a decent size amount in my palm and started spreading it through the first time. I realized immediately that this was a mistake. I wiped my hands off, but the damage was done. You really only need a quarter size amount (or less) of this product to get smooth, beautiful curls. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of my hair curly with this product but as soon as I do, I will post it. *A Note: Until very recently, I was a die hard Suave Healthy Curls Mousse girl, but it appears that they are no longer selling it. The Curl Sculpting cream-gel is my replacement for that product and a very recent discovery.

Now, if I'm going to wear my hair curly, this is the end of my routine. It literally takes two minutes out of the shower and I'm ready to go. As I said above, blow drying and I aren't great friends. This, unfortunately, includes using a diffuser. Every time I've tried, my hair has looked like Diana Ross in all her disco glory. Great for her, not so much for me.

If, however, I'm going to do my hair straight (or 'wavy') I go about it in two ways. Usually I just air dry and flat iron my hair 1-day-dirty. If I'm in a hurry or didn't get my prep work done the day before, I do blow dry. Either way, once I've brushed my dry hair out, I break out my secret weapon.

♥ Sedu Pro Ionic Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I've tried just about every single flat iron out there; I've had a Chi and a Solia. I've had Hot Tools and Conair and BaByliss and HAI. None of them have ever come close to the performance I get from my Sedu. This flat iron is a work horse! With an infinitely adjustable dial, you can crank this baby up anywhere from 240 to 400 degrees. This one begins where some of the cheaper brands end. I personally have the 1" iron, which I also use to create beautiful loose waves when I'm in the mood. It takes me roughly 30 minutes to flat iron my hair. 30 minutes! It used to take me 2 hours and my hair was never this smooth! Not only is the performance the best I've ever had, hands down, the thing lasts forever. I got my first Sedu (my first of two) roughly 10 years ago. The only reason I replaced it was because my mother stepped on it and snapped the bit that holds the spring. Even then, I used it until I just couldn't stand manually opening and closing it anymore. I got my replacement 6 years ago and it still works just as well as it did the day I bought it. *A note: I flat iron 2-3 times a week.



So there you have it! My hair routine every time I shower and some of the products I can give glowing reviews to. I would be more than happy to post my experiences with some products that haven't worked for me if you ladies are interested!

How do you do your hair? What do you use?

*The Girl I Love (She Got Long Wavy Black Hair) by Led Zeppelin