Hair Types

Curly Hair Type: Botticelli Curls

The nineties were a good decade for curls and fashion and, as is evident by the many shoe shops currently selling platformed sneakers a la The Spice Girls, the 90’s look is clearly making a comeback.

Some of our favourite pre-Y2K TV characters seemed personally responsible for bringing on the curl-trend, following many unfortunate perm-styles in the eighties.

Lisa Bonet went through various curl variations during her time as Denise on The Cosby Show, and airhead Hilary Banks (portrayed by Karyn Parsons) at least knew how to keep everything atop her head in check with a head full of lush Botticelli curls on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Not to mention Keri Russel’s Felicity, whose fans are still heartbroken over the fact she chopped off all her locks for the second season. Some even believe it caused the show’s ratings to drop!

If you’ve been playing with the thought of pulling a Felicity, simply because you haven’t found the right hair regime to get the best out of your curls, hang on a second and take a deep breather.

There’s a routine and a product out there for every curly girl (e.g. The Curly Girl Method) – you just need to find it! Here are a few pointers on how to care for your beautiful Botticelli curls without having to chop them all off.

Magnesium & Protein Boosters

While most of us try to keep our bodies fit through exercise, diet and supplements, we sometimes forget about what our hair needs to be healthy and shiny.

We get our kick with vitamin and energy-boosting smoothies every morning but many of us don’t pay attention to how we can increase our protein and magnesium intake – two major players when it comes to our hair’s optimal health.

A serious magnesium deficiency – which is particularly common in women – can lead to hair thinning, partial and even extreme loss, so channel Popeye and start pumping that spinach!

Make sure there is plenty of magnesium and protein in your diet and even your hair products – there are great shampoos and conditioners that offer both. Boticelli curls love their magnesium and protein boosters and that becomes obvious very quickly!

Go Nuts

There’s a reason so many members of the curly community go nuts when it comes to their hair products – and in the best way possible.

Coconut and shea butter – derived from oil in the Shea tree’s nut – will always come up in hair-related conversations between lock-rocking people, and so they should. They are, hands down, two of the best ingredients for curly hair because they work their magic on the three things our curls crave the most: moisture, natural nourishment and definition.

Coconut oil is made up of approximately 50% of lauric acid, an emulsifier found in most commercial shampoos that help to strengthen the protein structure in your hair. In doing so, it closes the hair cuticles, retaining the moisture in your hair.

The delicious smell might make you want to use more than needed, but it’s important to resist the temptation – less is more here, too much of it will weigh down your hair and give it a greasy appearance. You should also complement your coconut oil hair treatment with a protein-free conditioner to contrast and reap the full benefits.

Shea butter is another great natural, moisturizing conditioner with vitamin A and E and a low SPF, that can help to repair sun or chemically damaged hair. It is a go-to for many with type 3 or 4 curls for conditioning as well as styling, but it is a true favourite for the Botticelli curls.

Yes, you know what we’re on about – those cheeky curls that just don’t want to do what you want them to do? Shea butter will keep them in check.

Hati

Hi I'm Hati and my hair is naturally very curly, obviously! I have started this blog to share curly hair stories and what I use to manage my own hair. Hopefully you will find it useful! My other main passions are food, art and animlas. I have a little cat who I love very much.

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