“Love the curls you’re with.” As a Pittsburgh curly hair specialist, it’s my mantra. My motto. My life. And it’s your goal. Your journey. Your romance. I take you from oh-my-god-i-cant-do-this-anymore to completely in love with your hair. Like truly, madly, deeply in love.
The majority of my new clients at our curly hair salon in Pittsburgh are either stuck in the “ick” phase or curl-curious and ready to experiment. But living in Western PA comes with its own hair hurdles. Between the intense Pittsburgh humidity in the summer and the bone-dry winters, our curls go through a lot. It’s completely normal to get frustrated and frantically search/scroll/swipe the internets for quick fixes.
So let’s talk about your expectations on this journey. What you expect may be one thing, but what a trained, expert curly hair specialist in Pittsburgh like me can actually give you may be another thing entirely. Let’s break down a few curl myths and expectations I often hear from my new clients.
Myth 1: Your Curls Can Be “Trained”
Sorry not sorry. But I can’t train your curls and neither can you. Those brand-spanking-new to their curl journey don’t like to hear this. But your curls aren’t circus animals (although some days they may feel feral!) You simply can’t train your hair to perform one way or another through repeated twist-outs or finger coiling or combing, etc. Your hair won’t learn a new style on its own, or sit in that curl pattern naturally if you just style it that way long enough. Curl training is a myth. You can’t train genetics.
You see, hair follicles and hair strand shapes correlate. Curly hair and straight hair have differently shaped follicles, meaning they grow differently from the scalp:
- Curly follicles are oval or flattened, creating a flatter hair shaft.
- Straight follicles are perfectly round, producing a cylindrical hair shaft.
What “Curl Training” Actually Is (The Detox Process)
Spoiler alert: All “curl training” really is is the detox process allowing your hair to finally breathe again. When you strip away the buildup, your hair begins to act how it “used to”—meaning, your true texture comes forward.
This is especially important thanks to the hard water here, which can cause heavy mineral buildup. As a Pittsburgh curly hair specialist, I get this and request that all new clients begin detoxing their hair a few weeks before their first visit with me. Once you sit in my chair, if you followed my instructions to detox, the weight and sluggishness of old products and chemicals have been stripped away. That way, I can see your curls in their natural state and assess how they act, spring, and coil for the perfect curl-by-curl haircut.
Curl training is really just allowing your natural texture to come back to life. Your hair doesn’t learn. But you can!
Myth 2: You Can Change Your Curl Pattern
New clients often come in with inspirational pictures of their dream curls. Sometimes those pictures are practical: Layers to create movement, bangs to open the face, or a big chop to finally break up with the damage caused by years of chemical use and hot tools.
And sometimes those pictures are impractical for the client sitting in the chair: Someone with super tight curls wants a shag, or a swavy/wavy wants corkscrews curls… The curl math just doesn’t work.
When a new client comes in and requests a type of curl that is nowhere on their head, we have to have a convo. I can’t give you that curl. Your maker and your genetics gave you your curl pattern, and I can’t change that.
What This Pittsburgh Curly Hair Specialist Can Actually Do
I can’t rewrite your genetics, but I can make magic happen with the beautiful curls and waves you already have. As your curly hair specialist, I can:
- Help your natural curls and texture be the absolute best version of themselves.
- Hide a stubborn cowlick or a thinning spot.
- Perform a corrective curly haircut so those mislaid layers (done by someone else!) grow in naturally.
But I cannot give you a tighter or a looser curl.
Myth 3: You Can “Fake It” Until You Make It
Like wanting a different curl pattern, new clients often want impractical, improbable curl sets and styles that simply won’t work on their texture. They typically want a style they saw on social media that won’t translate to their hair, like super-defined, firm-casted curls.
Sure, gels, foams, and styling products can help looser curls temporarily hold a tighter pattern. But that super-defined look is a lot of work. It can take hours to complete and multiple efforts to perfect.
Because that routine is such a massive time commitment, those styles typically aren’t washed every day. Ask yourself: Are you willing to protect and keep that high-commitment style even when you shower and sleep? Are you ready to give up your shampoo routine to fake a curl pattern?
Are you an athlete or go to the gym a lot? You might want an easier wash and go style so you can shower after a workout. Do you work outside or in extreme heat or cold? You might want a style that can be easily protected. Do you have little ones and busy mornings? You might want a low-comittment haircut that grows out gracefully, even on those days you feel grace is difficult to come by.
Anyhoo, swavy/wavy curls cannot get that super-defined, tight curl look anyway. It just doesn’t translate with the pattern. But guess what? Swavy/wavies can do thangs with their hair that tighter curlies can’t! (Beach waves and messy shags!) THIS is why I love helping swavy/wavies learn to love the curls they’re with!
Chase Myths Or Master Your Curl Education with this Pittsburgh Curly Hair Specialist!
Learning to love the curls you’re with takes time. I’m sorry to say it doesn’t happen overnight (although that first visit to this natural hair salon in Pittsburgh, PA is truly magical!). Here’s my advice:
- I can’t change your curl pattern. But after we dig into your lifestyle, your expectations, and your neighborhood’s climate (are you fighting the South Hills humidity or looking for a low-maintenance wash-and-go?), I’ll be able to lead you into a routine that brings out the best of your curls, coils, or waves. Not curls you have to fake, but your curls, only better.
- I am not training your curls—I’m training you to love the exact curls you’re with! After your first appointment, your hair will continue to improve as you get more comfortable with your new routine and start paying attention to what your hair truly needs.
Are you ready to start your own curl romance? If you are looking for a dedicated curly hair specialist in the Pittsburgh area, let’s get you on the books. Click here to request your New Client appointment!