I think by now none of us can deny that spring 2020 is much different than seasons past, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to the brighter days ahead.
To help get you inspired as you think about the curly cuts to come, InStyle chatted with the brilliant Candance Witherspoon, natural hair expert and owner of the Candace Witherspoon Salon in New York City, to get her insight on what the hottest curly haircuts of spring will be — which may all come as a pleasant surprise.
Dealing with issues like fairy knots and split ends is pretty common for most of us with curly hair, especially if you do regular heat styling or wear styles that require heavy manipulation. That’s why giving your hair a trim every few months is important to not only keep your curls looking their healthiest, but also to reduce tangling and frizz.
I have yet to meet a Black girl who doesn’t wrap her hair with a silk scarf at night or put on a bonnet before bed.
It’s a part of our culture, and one of the many ways we care for our beautiful coily, curly hair. However, once summer rolls around, unless we’re blasting the AC, I think most of us can agree that covering our hair at night can feel stifling. And I, for one, hate waking up with a sweaty scalp.
It goes without saying that proper scalp care is the foundation of healthy hair. But when you’ve been blessed with super thick, curly or coily hair, getting to said scalp can be a mission.
Often times, products that are said to be meant for the scalp end up all throughout the hair, instead of where they’re intended to go. But that doesn’t mean you should breeze over nourishing your roots. And when it is hot as hell outside and your roots are sweating, there is nothing more satisfying than a clean, fresh scalp.
Back in the day, it seemed like the only product options for natural (or relaxed) hair were Blue Magic and Pink Lotion.
Thankfully, the natural haircare world has come a long way since only having products to match the rainbow — to the point where there are so many options, it’s hard to even know where to begin now.
One of the many joys of having natural hair is the versatility it affords you. You can do a wash-and-go one day, a blowout the next, and Curlformers a week later.
Speaking of Curlformers, whether you’ve already tested them out yourself or just watched dozens of YouTube tutorials, these styling tools have been making waves in the natural community for a few years now — and for good reason.
With what seems like endless work responsibilities and ongoing life events, it can sometimes be difficult to carve out even a tiny bit of time for self-care—even if it’s as simple as washing your hair. Anyone who’s constantly on the go—or looking to preserve the length of their blowout—can appreciate the scalp refreshing power of a great dry shampoo. According to experts, dry shampoos not only are ideal for absorbing excess scalp oil (and keeping your hair looking its freshest in between shampoos), but can also add zhuzh and texture to fine or thinning hair.
Like an effective face serum, some of the best hair oils are designed to deeply penetrate the hair shaft to help lock in moisture and luminous shine. Although hair oils tend to get a bad rap, professional hairstylists suggest they play an vital role in keeping both the scalp and your strands as healthy as possible. “All hair types benefit from using an oil,” Darby Backes, hairstylist at Whiteroom Salon in Brooklyn, tells SELF. “The type of oil you choose can differ depending on hair type and its porosity level (the measurement of your hair’s ability to absorb and hold moisture).”
Being Black in the United States has never been easy, but the past few weeks have been especially hard and heavy. We’ve lost Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and so many other Black lives to police brutality and racism. Seeing these injustices continue to happen has left me feeling thoroughly saddened, angered, and exhausted. And I know I am not alone in feeling this way.