We’ve come a long way with curly perms for African-Americans. Just imagine getting out of bed, getting ready for work, and all you have to do is spray your hair with mist, work the moisturizing lotion through your hair, run your comb through your hair, you look fabulous and you’re ready to go. Go! Due to the many hats women have to wear these days as a mother, mentor, and sadly even father to our children, women today are looking for hair that looks great without the fuss. Low maintenance is the key. Let’s face it, with the added responsibilities we face as women, we simply don’t have the time to spend long hours in salons or spend a great deal of time in front of the mirror getting our hair done.
With the Wave New Dry Curling System, maintenance is easy. The hair looks great, and it’s definitely a major upgrade from the days of everyone wearing the greasy, unattractive Jheri Curl. The New Wave is the first of its kind to take “dry curl” to new heights. It looks more natural than other curling systems and is closer to our natural hair. Another great benefit is that it is not fake; It’s not a weave, and most importantly, it’s YOUR own hair. If cared for properly, your hair will thrive and grow long.
Hopefully, you won’t have a problem finding an esthetician who still performs New Wave. We are seeing an increasing trend of women returning to this dry curling system because it is so easy to care for and maintain.
I have owned a Wave New twice in my life. The first time I got this perm, my hair grew to my shoulders in a short period of time, but when I got pregnant and my hormones were out of whack, my hair started to thin and fall out, so I let it grow. He went out and relaxed again. After years of using the harsh chemicals found in relaxers, my hair began to show severe signs of breakage, especially around the hairline, and was losing hair at a faster rate with virtually no hair growth. In fear of going bald, I decided, since I had stopped having children, to go back to the only thing I knew my hair would thrive on, and that is the Wave Nouveau curly perm.
I let my relaxer grow out for 5-1/2 to 6 months, and then I had enough hair to start New Wave again. I enjoyed many months of low maintenance hair care, but noticed that my hair was not growing as fast as last time. I had a new hairdresser tell me not to wash my hair often and only wash it every 2 to 2-1/2 weeks. I followed his instructions for a year and a half and noticed my hair getting stale, dirty, my scalp itchy and my hair didn’t seem to grow at all even after applying all the right products. When I asked him why I had to wait 2 weeks to wash my hair, he told me that if I wash my hair too often (once a week), the water will strip it of its necessary moisture. That’s when I remembered that the only thing that really helped my hair grow with the New Wave was the fact that I had previously washed my hair every week (once a week) instead of every 2 to 2-1/2 weeks. that my beautician wanted me to do. I decided to take control of my hair, forget about his instructions and went back to washing my hair weekly and my hair started growing like crazy. Instead of the half inch of hair we are used to seeing normally, my new growth looked more like a full inch per month at touch up.
When I arrived for my touch up, my hairstylist immediately noticed a change in the length of my hair, and my hair looked healthy and strong. She started asking me what she was doing differently to my hair to cause such a sudden change in hair growth. She thought that she had been taking special hair vitamins. As I have said before, water is our friend, not our enemy. The very act of washing your hair stimulates the scalp by increasing blood circulation in the scalp, which creates the right conditions for tremendous hair growth.
I use the New Wave line of products on a daily basis. My daily product regimen consists of the following: In the morning, before I get in the shower, I mist my hair with Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Mist, then apply Wave Nouveau Daily Humectant Lotion to my hair, put on my shower cap , and while I shower, I condition my hair and moisten it while I shower. Always spray your hair with the mist first and then apply the lotion. (If you don’t spray it on first, the lotion won’t absorb into the hair effectively.) When I get out of the shower, I repeat the process again applying the same products and continue with my day. Before going to bed, I reapply the same products an hour before bed to give my hair a chance to dry. I place a piece of satin on my pillow and sleep on it to prevent hair breakage. Every time I wash my hair, I apply a generous amount of Wave Nouveau Moisturizing Finishing Lotion to my hair because it is a thick lotion capable of handling the dryness experienced right after washing. I may need to apply it at least 2-3 more times that day to reduce frizz, and before you know it, my soft, luxurious curls are back without any hint of frizz.
Curly perm day for African-Americans is a sign of the future, as more women seek styles that require little attention.