Lay that Natural Hair

Want Your Kinky Curly hair to Lay Down?

Kinky curly hair seems to grow up, and towards the sun. While this unique property gives curly girls show stopping volume, I don’t always want my hair ‘out there’. 

The first year of my journey was a constant battle to tame my kinks, in an effort to make them “Lay  Down” Despite loads of gel, hours with a scarf on, and gentle tugging on my resistant ends. My hair would simply would not comply. No matter what style I rocked, with one gusty wind, my hair would immediately stick up, stand up, Waving in the breeze. This persistent section at the top of my head and along my hairline, left me with only a few options. When your hair is tightly coiled, it is more likely to stick up. These methods stretch your hair, allowing it to hang without damage. 

Set Down

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There are various ways to set your curls. However you set your hair, is exactly how it will turn out. Set your curls in
small sections, you will get smaller curls.  If you set your hair in a downward direction, your hair will lay  in a downward direction. However you treat your damp hair,  your unraveled hair will lay in that same manner. Set your hair starting at the crown, down towards your face, and nape to get this look.

Roll Up

 Use Rods or rollers to tuck your ends, and give them a rounded look. When doing braid outs on twa hair, I set my braided ends in rollers, or rods to keep the ends neat. Many transitioning curly girls love rod sets to help blend textures, and keep their relaxed ends at bay. To achieve a curly fro on my zig-zag kinks, I set my freshly moisturized hair, smoothly in rollers, allow it dry, and separate the curls. I find that my ends come out smoother when I roll my hair using end papers from my local beauty supply store.

Pin it

Every night I fall asleep with my hair, secured under my bonnet. 6 out of 7 nights, I wake up NEXT to my bonnet. My hair still braided or twisted, but sticking up in all directions. When I unravel my set, the hair still stick’s up. To avoid this, and keep my morning styling simple, I use hair clips, roller pins, or bobby pins, to secure my hair at the base of the braid or twist. Pinning my hair down really helps my hair stay put as I toss and turn, even when my bonnet fails. 

Tension and Warm Heat

As part of my healthy hair regimen, I have tossed my super-hot flat iron, and I only use my blow dryer on medium settings. There are days when I have little time, and my hair must be tamed.  On these rare occasions, I reach for my blowdryer.  When my twisted or braided stands refused to abide by the laws of gravity, I spritz with  a lite mist  of water, add a dab of conditioner, and hold the hair down while using the blow dryer in a low, warm setting, until the extra moisture is gone. When done, the hair is stretched, laying down, and still moisturized. I continue to hold the section until the hair  is completely cooled.  As always, I unravel the set with oily fingers.

Flax Seed Gel

Flax seed gel cam be made at home for pennies on the dollar. Check out this recipe for homemade flax seed gel. When I am in a rush, I sometimes reach for gel and a scarf. I take damp hair,  and gather it using the palms of my hands. Gently grabbing the ends of my hair, I pull softly, leaving  the base of the pony tail flat. When the hair is gathered neatly, I use generous amount, and of this gel to smooth my hair back. The added oils in the gel give your hair a great shine. Use a scarf to keep the ponytail smooth, until it is completely dry. Flax seed is great because it does not flake and mixes well with other products.