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Recently, I took a trip to Beleza Natural in Harlem to get my hair done. This Brazilian salon and haircare brand is bringing their techniques to the US and I got a first-hand experience with their products at the new salon. The one great thing about Beleza Natural is that they are serious about haircare and their stylists and technicians not only do your hair but also teach you about your hair. It’s incredible and perfect for the woman (like me) who always has a ton of questions when it comes to hair and haircare, particularly for my Type 4 texture.
My stylist, Shantelle Kelly was responsible for trimming my hair, blow drying, and providing me with a silk press that has lasted almost a week and through two workouts. (Seriously). Beleza Natural has a technique for everything. First: they only do curly cuts in the salon. Kelly explained, “a good thing about a curly cut is that you can see what’s going on with the hair.” I had only had a curly cut once before. I’m not sure I’m “sold” on curly cuts, but I’m not opposed to getting one done again. If you wear your hair in a wash and go, I would definitely suggest a curly cut or trim as you can shape your hair better.
Now, when you are blowdrying and flat ironing your hair, you want to protect your curl pattern. First off, use the blow dryer to get your hair as straight as possible. Think of the flat iron as the finishing technique, not the step to do all the work to get your hair straight. When you are blow drying your hair, your hair should be wet. Like wet, wet. Kelly was spritzing water in my hair before she started blow drying it. She explained, “Water helps to make the natural hair smooth and to stretch it.” Wow! Normally, after I’m out of the shower, I’ll t-shirt dry my hair, trying to get it as dry as I can, THEN blow dry it. Nope, nope, nope. That was a major hair no-no. I didn’t even know!
Source: Danielle James / Madame Noire
I’m a fan of Kelly’s technique. As you can see, my hair turned out smooth, silky, and lasted a week!
How do you prep your hair for a blowout and a silk press? Did you know this tip? Share in the comment section.
