Can you please curl my hair?

Little Miss has been asking me this for a few days already. She saw a video online of a girl curling her hair using a pencil and an iron, and she wants to do it too!

Aww, this little girl is really growing up! Last time, it was bangs. This time, curls!

Hang on, Little Miss! I cannot catch up.

A little background...

I have naturally curly hair, while this Little Miss has super straight and silky hair. Growing up, I never really minded if I had curly wavy hair. I never had it straightened until I was 20 years old.

The problem with artificial straightening is re-growths. As the hair grows longer, the curly hair will appear and of course you have to go back to the salon every 6 months at a minimum to maintain your "straight" hair. The cycle went on for me for 15 years. I literally abused my hair for 15 years!

A straight-haired me. 2012	A hair straightening iron.

Chemicals, heat... My hair was subjected to these for a very long time and I knew it had to end somehow.

Embracing my naturally curly hair.

When I got pregnant with Little Miss in 2013, of course I could not undergo hair treatments because of the chemicals. My curly hair started growing long from the roots, while the ends were the treated, straight part. Ughhh, ugly.

I researched for ways to care for naturally curly hair and found out about the Curly Girl Method by Lorraine Massey. Basically, you (1) do not use sulfates (present in most shampoo in the market) to your hair, (2) only use silicone free conditioner, and (3) use diffuser when drying up the hair. This method helps maintain the moisture of the hair -- dry hair means frizzy hair!

Reading a lot of other materials about curly hair, I found out one biggest mistake I have been doing (apart from shampooing with SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and conditioners with dimethicone) is combing my hair! Combing a curly hair is a NO-NO! Only use wide tooth comb, or your fingers on the still wet hair and that's it. Do not touch your dry hair too!

Anyway, back to the story...

So Little Miss has a super straight hair. I finally gave in to her request to curl her hair. I dug out my hair straightening iron from the deepest part of my closet, and we started the process.

Using a chopstick, I just coiled her hair up to the middle part segment by segment and heated it up using the iron.

A few minutes later...

Isn't she lovely?

Well, it only lasted for a day since it went back to the usual straight hair once she showered. She is asking to be curled again, but no can do, Little Miss. We do not want to damage your hair.

Maybe, some other time.

_{Curly Haired Us.}