The curse of curly hair isn’t frizz, it’s shrinkage.
Coming out of the shower, my longest layer falls well past my shoulders. But an hour later those curls end up somewhere closer to my chin.
It’s madness that I’ve been trying to phase out my relaxed hair for 18 months and I’m still in a negative growth range. Every time I trim even a millimeter off the bottom, my curls spring up a full inch. For a curly girl, that’s the curse of a fresh end.
It’s been a decade since my hair was natural, so I forgot that shrinkage was an issue. Or, more accurately, I never knew it was before. Live your first three decades with corkscrew curls and how would you really know any better? But now, as I approach 40 in a post-Keratin world, I realize the difference and I feel the pain. My hair is long and all I want is to enjoy it.
Luckily it’s 2020 and there’s way more information available about how to manage naturally curly hair than there was when I was in my teens or even my twenties. With the power of the internet, I have access to all kinds of armchair experts – women who know exactly how to tame frizz and spur growth and stretch curls. These are people who will show me all the tricks and share all the tips for absolute free. I’m talking about the Vloggers and they should be part of everyone’s self-care and beauty regimen.
I don’t care if your hair is wild and free or limp and straight, chances are you made the rounds on the internet to find solutions too. And so you know what I mean when I say, Thank you, YouTube. For sharing valuable information. For giving us ideas. For helping us find answers at every price point, with or without a chemical treatment. These vloggers are out there doing the Lord’s work, making us all just a little bit more stunning with two shakes of a spray bottle.
If you’re curious, the fixes I found to shrinkage were in this video called “How to Stretch Your Curls.” I gained an inch in about an hour just by throwing in some section braids and a few pony tail holders. That, of course, left me with a bit of frizz, which led me to another video for a homemade mask that called for avocado, olive oil, castor oil and coconut oil. Long story short, I did these in the reverse order and BAM, I got myself some bonus length. These pictures were taken a day or two apart—one pre-stretch, one post.
But, you know, YouTube is more than just hair tips. It’s also cooking tips! I learned that mid-quarantine when we acquired a stand mixer and had no idea what to do with it. Two videos and several attachments later, we were pumping out homemade sausages and pints of artisanal gelato. Thank you, YouTube!
On and on the list could go with the YouTube assists. Everything from folding a fitted sheet to learning how to paint with water colors to installing a washing machine – YouTube has my back.
It’s a shame because I often credit Google with saving the day, but that’s not really fair. Sure, I sometimes get a simple answer here and there in search results, but it’s YouTube that does the heavy lifting, demonstrating how to merge PDFs or trouble shoot issues with a sound card. They’re the ones giving me free exercise videos and reality TV show clips to watch while I do said exercise videos. I don’t care what kind of instruction manual comes in the box, the first thing I do is fire up the YouTube.
I’m sorry but a search engine can’t deliver all that. Google didn’t teach me how to reupholster a chair or potty train a puppy. To be fair, YouTube hasn’t either—but when the time comes that’s where I’ll be heading. Thank you in advance, YouTube.
The thing I like the most about YouTube is that it’s not Pinterest. And by that I mean it recognizes the gap between the person who I am and the one I aspire to be. Pinterest shows me what’s possible, giving me ideas of how to turn 500 plastic spoons into a decorative mirror frame. Meanwhile, YouTube is keeping it real, telling me get that mirror on the wall in its present state. Thank you, YouTube. For knowing me and my limits.
Keep in mind I am not a video person. I love words on a page or even a screen. I will read a transcript over watching the interview, take the book before the movie, open the newspaper before turning on CNN. For me, there has never been a pivot to video—except with YouTube.
As we head into the summer months with a little extra down time, what about you? What have you learned from watching online videos? Tell me what has you saying, Thank you, YouTube.
How to tile and grout. How to replace a window. How to repair my dishwasher. YouTube is amazing
Oh absolutely! Home improvement jobs are so good! I once fixed a leaky sink using a YouTube video and I basically felt like Beyonce should write a song about me. xx
My 20-something son had done a small hook rug project in grade school (of Snoopy’s friend, Woodstock). It had hung out in his closet for YEARS. YouTube helped me turn it into a really nice pillow for his couch. I don’t often hit upon a Christmas gift that will make that boy tear up. Thanks, YouTube!
AW – that’s so sweet! I really like that one!
OMG. YouTube is the answer to every problem. My husband watches how-to videos every morning. Last month, he fixed a very obscure problem on our spa, and he does all of the car repair from YouTube videos. I just watched a video on how to properly add ingredients to the bread machine and then how to wear a wig (lost my hair due to chemo-temporary). It is our go-to. You are right. Thank you YouTube
You have a spa???? Sorry, I stopped reading after that.
I kid. I know – it’s amazing! No job too big or small for YouTube!