As the part time receptionist of OlyCurl, I am usually the first face you see when you walk in the door. I have always thought of myself as a curly girl, until I met wonderful clients with Botticelli curls, and corkscrew curls. I learned that truthfully, my hair was wavy. While I regularly wear my hair down and in its natural wavy state, I typically always straighten my bangs. 

I have trichotillomania , which is a stress disorder that causes me to impulsively pull at my hair, specifically my eyebrows. Though I've gotten much better at drawing on eyebrows, it has been a huge insecurity of mine for years. Add in a large forehead, and you can see why I choose to hide behind bangs. 

Many clients come in with straightened bangs and  beautiful curls. They will religiously pull out the straightening iron every morning to make sure their bangs look a specific way. Now transitioning from straight to curly bangs can be challenging. I have tried to transition and will have success on wash day and day two. But by day three, I pull out the straightening iron and fix up my bangs. It's not an easy transition, but it is so important for my hair's health that I make efforts and steps forward to toss the straightening iron and let my bangs embrace their naturally curly state. 

Here's a few clients who are trying to embrace curly bangs with me. Look at these lovely ladies and their incredible curly bangs! 
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So, at the end of the day, what we are saying is to give curly bangs a chance! You never know how incredible your hair will look if you try something new. Embrace your curls, and face your fears when it comes to curly bangs. Take it from a notorious bang straightener; curly bangs are pretty awesome when given a chance!
​- Becki 

At OlyCurl, we get this question a lot. The answer is complicated, and often depends on your desires, lifestyle, and your specific curls.

Why is it so complicated? ​

There are many factors that go into how long a haircut will last. What does "last" mean to you? Does it mean how long will my style retain this shape? Well, again, that depends. A shorter, above-the-ears haircut will need to be trimmed in about 8 weeks. A medium-length, above-the-shoulders will need to be trimmed in 8-10 weeks. Longer haircuts can be trimmed 10-12 weeks to maintain the shape and volume. However, if there are a lot of layers, like in a shag, then we would need to trim up that droopiness in about 10 weeks. 

Do you do a lot with your hair as far as hair ties for working out, or swimming? Do you occasionally (in a moment of weakness) use a curling iron or wand on your curls? Then those ends are being damaged and as I always say, "split ends beget split ends!", so we would need to trim those ends in about 10 weeks. While you're at it, why not do a detox at the same time? If you have been using the occasional "heat protectant", then you will have some build up on your hair and you wouldn't be having the best results with your curls.

Are you "growing it out"? Is your hair otherwise healthy and you follow our regimen for curl care with sulfate-free and silicone-free products? Then a 12-week trim is in order. Depending on the health of your ends, we may only need to dust 1/4". If the ends are a little dry we may need to take 1/2" or more. It really does vary. We can make our professional recommendation based on how the ends look and feel, but it is always up to you to make that final decision. 

Are you growing out a previously really short hairdo? Then we recommend coming in every 10-12 weeks in order to reshape and adjust the growout so that you don't have to look weird as you grow out something that was very drastic. It is nice to have an interim style while you are still growing out. Oftentimes, just growing it from a really short look it can get a little strange! Don't worry; we can make adjustments as you go so that you never have to explain to nosy friends that you are "growing it out". For example, this adorable wolf cut (below), after about four months really starts looking like a pretty shelfy and severe mullet. It is best to come in and have things adjusted to avoid being mistaken for Billy Ray.

​Your stylist should be making recommendations based on all these factors! When you prebook your appointment, you will be glad you have that to look forward to when things start to get droopy and misshapen! Remember: Haircuts do not last forever. They expire, and we are here to help you stay on top of your look!

      How can that be? Didn't her hair grow? While performing our 10-Point Curl Analysis, I made the observations that her hair was quite fine and also thinner on the top and sides. Upon further discussion, it was discovered that her mom also has thinning hair. This is, unfortunately, something I see quite often behind the chair. Female pattern balding is a real thing and I have discussed it at length in this blog. The life cycle and subsequent shedding of her hair is not allowing her hair to grow much longer, or even past her shoulders. To date, I am not aware of any way to change the life cycle of your hair.  
    But... what can be done about genetically thinning hair? Certainly, taking supplements, like Biotin and Gelatin, and making sure that you are eating a healthy diet are the first thing. Being sure to protect your scalp while in the sun can also prevent recurring sunburns which result in a thicker, regenerated scalp. Talk to your doctor about Rogaine for Women. It has been proven to be the most effective solution for hair loss. Yes, I even use it daily for the thin area of my crown.​

I seriously was surprised and thrilled at the same time! I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to this two-hour service.

Doesn't she look so much younger and vibrant? Have you been waiting years for the perfect cut? Or just to be listened to and understood by your hairstylist? Drop your comments below and don't forget to come see us. 

By Becki Perez

​​The clients at OlyCurl always leave with a smile on their face, a spring in their step, and a bounce in their curl, because they know that Yukiko and Julia truly care about them. Yukiko and Julia remember their clients, and make a point to make sure OlyCurl is a stress-free, welcoming, and fun environment. If you are looking for a salon that truly cares about you, your hair, and will make sure you walk away loving the way you look, OlyCurl is the place for you. To the clients that have made me feel so welcomed this past month, thank you! I hope to continue seeing all the beautiful curlies and burlies!

We discussed these possibilities, and then I remembered that Jennifer had major surgery about a year ago. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the first six inches of her curls were thick and voluminous. Beyond that is where they started to get stringy. Since hair grows at an average of half an inch a month, six inches is the average growth for hair in a one-year period and it stands to reason that after her surgery she had a major shedding. Why does this happen? It could be the trauma of surgery, anesthesia, a temporarily altered diet, the stress of recovery... In any case, the good news is that her hair is growing back thick again! For more information on thinning hair, read this blog post.

The ends will eventually  need to be trimmed off, as hair only gets thicker as it grows from the scalp, and Jennifer will once again have a full and juicy head of curls. On this particular day, we chose to trim about two inches.
It helps to discuss these things with your hairstylist; hair is not just hair. It can tell us so much, but we can't piece the puzzle together if we don't have all the pieces! If Jennifer had just disappeared a year ago to have her surgery and never shared that with me, 

we could have been stumped or taken a lot longer trying to figure out what was going on.  I once had a client whose hair told me a story and I asked her if anything big had happened in her life about four months prior and she shared that she had been in a major car accident. Knowing that information, I was able to let her know what to expect in the way of bushiness and extra perceived frizz in the coming months. She felt better armed with that information so that she didn't panic later on when those things happened.
What stories are your curls telling you?
The stylists at OlyCurl can help you decipher what your curls are doing and saying. Click here to learn more about what we do as curly hair specialists and request an appointment to see us!

One of our clients came in recently and she shared with us how she clips. Naturally, I asked if she would mind if we made a video! So here it is below, for your viewing pleasure!

We are happy to serve your unique curly needs! Please visit our New Client Page for booking information.

We are so excited to have Maile join us! She is a hard worker and is ready to learn all about curls and customer service. Want to know about us and what we do? Start Here. After that, if you are ready to take the plunge to the beginning of your curly hair journey, fill out our New Client contact form on this page.  We look forward to hearing from you and rocking your curls and waves!