Traveling between South Florida and New York I've been reveling in these balmy 90-plus degree summer days. However, with heat and humidity comes hair maintenance issues.
While visiting the Hair Rules Salon last week I chatted with Anthony Dickey, the owner and gifted "textured hair guru" to natural and curly haired women everywhere about the perils of hot and humid hair. For the last 4 years Dickey has been taking care of my hair. I had been relaxing it for decades and under Dickey's expert supervision we successfully grew out my relaxer without having to cut my hair short.
Now, completely natural I regularly have my hair blow-styled, using the Hair Rules products and happily breeze through summer without having to worry about it becoming a big ball of frizz. So, I asked Dickey to share some tips that can be applied to one's daily hair regimen immediately to achieve the best results!
Dickey's Hair Philosophy
Maintaining natural hair in the summer can be a challenge if you haven't mastered the mystery of naturally kinky curly hair textures. Curly hair tends to be drier, which causes more frizz and puffiness. Whether you're rocking your kinky curly spirals or going for an express blow-dry, here are some great tips however you choose to wear your hair.
Rule 1: Avoid shampoos that have suds and stick to shampoos that are non-sudsing creams that act more like skin-care for your hair; gentle cleaning, but retaining essential moisture for hair textures that lack moisture. The softer your hair texture the more definition your curl will yield.
Rule 2: Find the right products for your hair texture and desired look. If you have coarser, curlier texture and wear you hair curly, you need a great styling cream like Hair Rules Quench Ultra Rich Conditioner that you apply to freshly co-washed hair that's super wet, making it easier to move the styling cream evenly throughout your strands from tip to root. If you're on the wavier, looser side, find a water-based mousse like Hair Rules Wavy Mousse that you can use without weighing your hair down, giving you more buoyant curls.
Rule 3: Find a blow-dry cream that's lightweight and blocks the negative effects of humidity like Hair Rules Blow It All Out that's suitable for every texture and will ensure you hair stays smooth. When straight styling, always go for more curls instead of stick straight looks, because if you get caught out at a summer white party dancing, your volume will at least have shape and not become a broom head!
About Dickey
From a makeshift salon in his childhood kitchen, to a kitchen in Chicago where he styled First Lady Michele Obama's hair, to the founding of his revolutionary Hair Rules Brand, Anthony Dickey has established himself as a celebrity stylist and pioneer in the beauty industry.
Touted as a "Style Svengali" by the New York Times and chosen by EBONY power 100 list through his actions and accomplishments, the ability to shape and influence the world in which we live, the "texture guru" Dickey has mastered the mystery of textured hair. He has created iconic hairstyles for the likes of Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Minnie Driver, Solange, Sarah Jessica Parker, Estelle, Faye Dunaway and Racquel Welch. But, perhaps most proudly, for 3-decades he has helped thousands of women overcome years of frustration and disappointment by teaching them to re-discover their natural texture and embrace its innate beauty and versatility. Read complete article here...
