It’s time to do your hair your way

Did you know that 8 out of 10 women feel pressured to wear their hair a certain way? We didn’t, but when we heard the stat we were surprised and TBH, slightly disappointed. Girls, its time we start loving ourselves who we are and our hair for how it is – colours, lengths, texture and all!

Dove Hair is on a mission to celebrate all hair and to explore what it means to have beautiful hair, not by someone else’s beauty standards, but by yours because you deserve to be made to feel beautiful.

So, to celebrate Dove’s Love Your Hair campaign, Miss FQ’s Genevieve Ali, who has divine, natural curls, recently learnt how to embrace her luscious locks and style her soft curls in a structured yet natural and feminine way.

Gen’s hair profile:

My hair is unique and people always compliment me on it. If I’m having a day where my skin isn’t doing what I want, but my hair is, I still feel great. It’s a statement, and when I wear it naturally it gives me the confidence to be bold in my character, to embrace my own style, and be self-assured in my opinions. My hair is an extension of my personality, and it’s always been a unique part of my look that people comment on. If I’m feeling happy with it, people tend to notice and make mention of its own carefree beauty.

I have seasonal hair. It gets dry in the winter and is prone to producing more oil in the summer. At Miss FQ HQ, the air-con is pumping all day, reducing the concentration of moisture in the air, and consequently drying my hair out and making it frizzy. I currently straighten my hair most days to control the frizz and I have started to notice my hair becoming increasingly damaged so it’s time to try a natural, easy approach that is a low maintenance way of controlling my naturally luscious curls.

How to:

Step 1: Use two pumps of Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo – it tames frizz and is suitable for all hair types. Be very gentle when washing your hair to avoid knots but ensure you work the shampoo to a lather for a deep clean. Do not scrunch long hair when shampooing as it can damage and break the ends.

Step 2: Use Dove Nourishing Oil Conditioner. Only use on mid to ends of the hair to reduce oil – from the earlobe down is a good indicator. Use smoothing motions opposed to rubbing to allow product to soak in and to avoid damaging the hair.

Step 3: After washing, wrap your hair in a towel and press into the towel to dry – no rubbing! This smooths the hair while wringing out excess water. When the follicles open up from the warm water, it makes it easier for hair to be damaged/pulled out which is why it’s important to only pat dry.

Step 4:  I live a fast paced life, like many other girls and women, and I don’t have time to wait for my hair to air dry so it’s best to reach for a hair dryer with a diffuser instead. Unlike normal hair drying, using a diffuser disperses the heat which drys the hair, whereas the normal method uses rapid air blowing to dry the hair. For best results with curly hair you’ll want to use high heat with medium strength air blow.

If volume is your main objective… Concentrate the heat at the root of the hair and in the place you want volume. For example, if you want a volumised fringe that sweeps up and flows to the side, you will point the dryer upwards from the base of the hair, and angle it up towards the ends.

If a sleek look is your main objective… Focus on the follicle. Naturally your hair grows downwards; it’s the nature of gravity. By tipping your head upside down to blow dry (admit it, we all do it), we disrupt the follicle and change its direction, which is why we end up with extra volume. Following the natural grain of the hair will prevent this. Great for those like Gen with thick curly hair!

If structured natural curls is your main objective… Twist! Curl around your finger loosely and blow dry for a defined, no frizz curl. Ideal if you have curly hair that is hard to control.

Step 5: Styling time. After defusing my hair, the lengths were voluminous but I wanted to match the roots for a completed look. To add volume or structure, never use serums and creams. Dove Dry shampoo will be your saving grace. It adds texture, volume and an extra dimension to your hair. Not to mention it prolongs time in between washes.

If you have curly, long and thick hair, spray the product in rows, front to back in small sections. If you were to apply the product in separate places you run the risk of it looking uneven and different textures.

If you’re purely using dry shampoo to add another day into your wash cycle, the same row method, as above, is for you. After applying to your whole head and brushing out, concentrate on the oiler parts again by adding a touch more. Ensure you spray at a distance, otherwise you’ll end up with a white, dandruff-looking scalp.

For thin hair, focus the product on the bottom section of the hair (from the ears down) as this will make your hair look fuller and prevent any unwanted flick action at the ends of the hair.

The final result:

I’m so in awe of how smooth and frizz-free my hair is without having straightened it or added too many styling products. Now that I’m equipped with how to embrace my natural hair, I’m defo going to do so more often. Reliable products and a few tips and tricks were what I need to love my hair the way it is naturally, day in and day out.

So what are the benefits of embracing your natural hair?

• When brushing wet hair and using a targeted nozzle on a hair dryer, you are at risk of breaking and damaging you hair from the root as well as the ends. So the less you have to do that, the better.
• The less time your hair is in contact with heat = better hair condition.
• The better the products are suited to your hair type, the healthier your hair which means less of a need to style with heat and products.

This story was brought to you by Dove, celebrating how beautiful all hair is – regardless of length, colour or texture. #mydove #loveyourhair