August 12, 2024•8 min read ★
Curl therapy available in the UAE.
Therapy, we all need it at some point in our lives and this can take place in many forms but today we discuss a specific kind - Therapy for your curls.
First it’s important to start with a clear definition, in order to fully understand the term “therapy”. According to vocabulary.com Therapy refers to the act of caring for someone, or the method of caring. In this case, we referring to the act of caring for your curls or the method of caring for them.
Our curls go through so much wear and tear, fighting against environmental aggressors, as well as the effects of our day to day lifestyles. We will specifically hone in on curl therapy and healing specifically for damaged curls - derived from exposure to harsh chemicals, heat, hormonal or stress related factors.
How to determine if your curls need to undergo serious therapy?
If you are experiencing any of the below, your strands are most certainly craving some curl therapy.
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You find your hair is chronically dry and brittle despite using moisturising products
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You’ve been chemically treating your hair for many years and you’re ready to embrace your natural curls
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Hair loss is a key hair concern, you find you just can’t seem to get a firm grip on excessive amounts of shedding
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You curls don’t seem to grow past a certain length or have remained at the same length for years
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Your hair is limp, doesn’t retain curl definition or just appears excessively stretched - curls are tight at the top and extremely elongated towards the ends it almost looks straight.
Let’s now delve into our prescription for intensive curl therapy to address this.
For hair types that appear chronically dry and brittle our prescription: Ensure you understand your hair’s porosity. It could be that despite having so called moisturising products, the ingredients your hair requires are not included in the product formulation.
Let’s do a quick deep dive into what hair porosity is. Without going deep into the science behind it, in the simplest terms, porosity refers to your hair's ability to absorb water and moisture. Typical characteristics of someone with low porosity hair - when water is run across the hair shaft, it takes considerable time for it to be absorbed, often at times water beads may appear as the hair seems to repel water. High porosity hair, on the other hand, absorbs water fairly quickly but loses that hydration at a similar speed.
Focus areas based on hair porosity
Hair Porosity | Area of focus | Examples |
Low | Moisturizing agents | Humectants - Aloe Vera, Honey, Marshmallow Root, Agave Nectar, Glycerin, Panethol, Hyaluronic Acid |
Medium - High | Sealants | Penetrating Oils and butters - Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Avocado butter, Carapa Guianensis aka Andiroba Oil, Safflower Oil, Olive Squalane |
For low hair porosity - humectants are almost essential for hair that naturally repels water. Place importance on the application of moisturisers and conditioning treatments on wet hair, if you are able to add some heat through a steamer or heat cap, we highly recommend you do so.
For medium to high porosity - penetrating butters or oils are required to fill in the gaps found in the shaft that cause moisture to evaporate quickly. It's equally important you utilise products with cationic ingredients which will smoothen the hair cuticle also reducing the number of escape routes for moisture.
Transitioning from chemically treated hair to your natural curl texture
Moisture, Moisture, Moisture! It is the key to softening the two textures you will encounter as your natural texture pushes through. Consider gradual trims over a big chop if you're not ready to take that big step but be sure to reduce how often your hair is manipulated through styling.
Remember your natural curls are far more prone to dryness due to the unique bends and twists in the hair structure. Be sure to incorporate a refresher into your routine to be used as often as required. When your hair is going through this transitional phase, it’s fair to treat your hair as high porosity - refer to our diagnosis in the earlier section.
Dealing with excessive hair fall and stagnant growth
Hair fall and stagnant hair growth could have a number of root causes but also many effective natural remedies. Outside of checking for any diet or vitamin related deficiencies, we’ll focus on how you can minimise hair fall and maximise growth with the right products and best healthy hair practices.
Firstly, your go to herbs are:
- Amla
- Fenugreek
- Rosemary
- Hibiscus
- Green Tea
To name a few.
The presence of these herbs in your products will increase blood flow - meaning nutrients will be delivered to the scalp at a good pace providing the scalp with the essential nutrients to grow strong hair strands at a follicular level.
Some of these herbs have the natural benefit of being a DHT blocker - a blocker for the hormone responsible for hair loss.
Additional benefits include a revival of dormant hair follicles resulting in increased density, therefore volume. We emphasise and prove this to our hair growth focused clients time and time again. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to increase the number of strands produced by the number of follicles you are naturally born with!
If this is a hair concern, your curl therapy: Incorporating growth promoting products such as strengthening oils, tea rinses and moisture - protein balanced conditioning treatments into your regimen. Your healthy hair practices should include regular scalp massages, showing the ends of your hair some extra TLC - ensure they are not an after thought, keep them moisturised and seal in the moisture with a light weight oil or serum.
We understand the challenges associated with hair loss and little to no hair growth and have dedicated endless hours researching, testing and curating a range of targeted treatments that deliver REAL results here.
An example of the results we can help you achieve - a client review on one of the key drivers of her hair length retention.
If you are after a holistic hair growth and length retention system, you can shop our range of systems here. For a more bespoke solution, book an E-consultation with our dedicated team of curl experts here.
Struggling with limp curls that lack definition?
This is a clear sign that your hair has lost elasticity. Elasticity refers to your hair’s ability to stretch and spring back to its natural, shrunken state.
Your curl therapy: Start on a fresh slate, focus on repairing your strands and do not be afraid to let go of dead ends where required.
We get it! The term “repair”’ is used too freely in the curly hair community and the wider haircare community, so often that it can become a term with no real meaning. When we refer to repair, we refer to a building back of what the hair was naturally designed to have - protein, through regular protein treatments and adequate protein in your diet.
Did you know that hair is made up of 95% keratin?
Keratin is a fibrous protein made up of amino acids. This is what hair was naturally structured to have. However, due to environmental aggressors and day to day practices, protein naturally erodes in the hair fiber, leading to weaker hair and a loss of elasticity. But there’s good news, through regular treatments, protein can be rebuilt by filling in the gaps in the hair shaft.
Examples of targeted treatments to rebuild protein bonds in the hair fiber.
Mielle Babassu and Mint Deep Conditioning Treatment
Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Mask
Another powerhouse repair product that gets overlooked is tomato fruit fermented extract, this one may sound unusual but the secret sauce is found in the fermentation. This ingredient boasts of a wealth of benefits to the hair and scalp. Focusing on the benefits for hair, we find that scientifically, it repairs damage as it’s rich in Cysteine and Lycopene.
Cysteine is an amino acid which helps rebuild keratin in the hair shaft and provides reinforcement to your hair’s natural curl pattern. In simple terms, this means your curls scientific make up is restored leading to improved elasticity which translates into healthy and bouncy curls.
Lycopene is an excellent antioxidant, protecting the hair from environmental damage and boosting overall hair health. Research also suggests that Lycopene can support hair growth and limit hair loss though is natural ability to block DHT, similar to Green Tea.
The result of these two compounds found in an ingredient such as tomato fruit fermented extract = a fortified hair shaft, curl retention, improved hair elasticity and a reduction in hair loss.
You may be thinking, what product could possibly include this ingredient? Well, we are pleased to tell you TréLuxe Reflex Curl Styling Serum does!
In summary, your curls require the same level of attention given to your skincare routine. Through regular observation you can nip any hair concerns in the bud before they arise. If there are any topics we have mentioned that you would like to deep dive, let us know in the comments!
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