Great strides have been made with regard to the natural hair movement in the United States. As of 2022, 12 states have passed laws prohibiting discrimination based on the texture of one’s locks; a step in the right direction towards the dismissal of limiting Euro-centric beauty standards that has beset consumers for generations on end. Singapore is, unfortunately, not exempt from said toxicity, where fine, pin-straight hair is thought of as the paradigm and norm—with curly-textured hair being discounted from the narrative largely. Peruse any local salon’s menu of services and you’ll observe a specific lexicon surrounding “healthy” locks that they’re peddling: smooth, glistening and shiny often serve as top descriptors. Not forgetting, of course, the array of shampoo commercials hawking archaic ideals of a “strong” mane which are typically depicted to be long, gleaming sheets of hair easily combed through with a brush.
This brings forth the question: what can we do to showcase more diversity across the types of hair out there, and how can we shed some light upon the different challenges and/or experiences faced by people with manes that are (falsely) deemed to be atypical? And so, in light of Women’s History Month, Vogue Singapore has reached out to four individuals to delve deep into their relationship with their strands. Below, they recount the relationship they have with their hair, the steps they took into establishing a regime that works and address the misconceptions surrounding curly-textured tresses.
Monica Saranya Selva De Roy
Tell us about your relationship with your hair at present.
One requiring discipline, patience, and lots of oil!
How would you describe your strands?
I’d describe my curl type as 3B, where it’s long—a few inches past shoulder length when curly, and even longer when straightened. It is very well moisturised, not frizzy and also, zero split ends. Just a very healthy head of hair with no complaints! To be fair, it wasn’t always like this. My hair was bleached and blonde for over five years in my early twenties. One day, I decided I was going to dye my hair black and cut back on all the chemical treatments. Once I went black, I trimmed my hair frequently every three months. Today, I have a full head of natural brown black hair.
Tell us about your haircare routine.
I have a strict pre-wash routine, albeit very different from what you’ll learn if you ever lingered by any Curly Girl Method pages online. I oil my hair with my very own Ayurvedic hair oil formula about four to six times a week, depending on how much I stay in for work. I work the oil in with my fingers to promote blood circulation. According to Ayurveda, there are 108 vital points in our body called ‘Marmas’ in which 31 Marmas are present in your head region. Which is also why scalp massages have stayed a staple in Ayurvedic practices until today. I press on the Marma points when oiling my hair. Some days I use my jade roller that is commonly used for facials, just to switch up my scalp massages.
It’s allowed to dry at its own pace, whether I’m staying in or going out. At first this can be quite daunting, especially if you’re an Indian girl with frizzy hair that’s never been allowed to air dry in public. After a while, you feel more comfortable and even confident about it. It’s a liberating feeling.
This oil sits on my hair and scalp for as long as six to eight hours each time before my head gets a rinse-out. The oil is great for removing grease, as well as minimising dandruff or flakiness caused by dryness or dehydration. Stress also causes flakiness. I then wash my hair oil with the Giovanni 50:50 Clarifying Shampoo that some find drying but works just fine for me. I haven’t used a conditioner in years, not even when I was in Europe in December and the hotel conditioner was so tempting. After a wash, I lightly pat dry my hair with a towel.
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Post-wash is quite straight forward for me—I either use a few drops of almond oil or jojoba oil to lightly coat my hair with some product to make the comb-through process easier. Some days I comb my hair, other days I don’t—it’s purely mood based. After combing with a wide-tooth comb, my hair is left alone to be air dried fully.
I don’t touch it, play with it, braid it whatsoever. It’s allowed to dry at its own pace, whether I’m staying in or going out. At first this can be quite daunting, especially if you’re an Indian girl with frizzy hair that’s never been allowed to air dry in public. After a while, you feel more comfortable and even confident about it. It’s a liberating feeling.
How did you get around to developing your haircare routine?
I used to be overwhelmed with the Curly Girl Method pages—I’d read for hours and end up completely overwhelmed and anxious over the fact that I have to now load up on new products; a t-shirt to wring my hair dry; pins, combs, a myriad of tools. Not forgetting having to coil my hair for hours with my fingers in the name of curl training, all while keeping my head down and my hair flipped forward, letting all my blood flow to my head and getting unconscious every five seconds.
This was so hard to get into, because everyone around me was consumed with versions of Curly Girl Method and heavily promoting it on their socials. And there I was, still trying to not faint from having my hair flipped forward. And so, I said a resounding “no” to CGM. It took me months of trial and error to even understand this. Curl training was for straight hair girls who wanted curls. I have naturally really beautiful curls that would coil up beautifully if I just let it breathe without it being piled with products.
What was the biggest challenge that cropped up with regard to handling your mane?
One of my biggest challenges was the initial stage of increased hair loss from oiling your hair. Because it was a new routine and my scalp was not used to having that much pressure (from my fingers) applied to it, I witnessed increased hair fall for weeks before it stabilised and decreased. Today, I see all of four strands falling when I take a shower, and that makes those initial weeks’ worth it.
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What are the typical misconceptions surrounding curly hair types that you’d like to debunk?
That rebonding your hair won’t ruin your curls. It ultimately depends on your hair history, and how much trauma you’ve already put your hair and head through. Also, largely, on the technique used by your hair stylist!
Shadira Natasha
Tell us about your relationship with your hair at present.
It is what it is! I mean that positively, by and large.
How would you describe your strands?
It fluctuates between 3A and 3B, no thanks to all the heat and chemical damage my tresses have endured. Think looser curls that are large in diameter, and cascade downwards from the crown.
Tell us about your haircare routine.
I’m pretty low-maintenance with my hair, surprisingly enough. I shampoo and rinse off quickly before my hair texture becomes stiff. This is followed by leaving on conditioner on the bottom 2/3 of my hair for about two to three minutes and then combing it through with a hairbrush. I’ll wash it all off after another three minutes and leave it to air dry. I find that my curls become limp when I have products lathered in it, but that’s only because I have thin and fine strands. I try to prevent product build-up so as to avoid a greasy look.
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How did you get around to developing your haircare routine?
Experience, for the most part! A key thing I learned is that brushing curly tangled hair can be really painful and harsh on your scalp. Through the years, I realised that my best bet was to tackle it while in the shower when my hair is smooth and soft. I’ve never looked back since.
What was the biggest challenge that cropped up with regard to handling your hair?
Some of our local hair stylists are not adept at handling curly hair types. This is especially evident when they blatantly “fight” amongst their team to pick someone to handle a customer with pin-straight hair over me. I’ve heard an unprofessional staff member whine when I was assigned to him. I ended up brushing out my own hair because he kept complaining about my hair texture, length and how tangled it was. I was slumped in my seat, profusely apologising for something beyond my control at that point and just brushing out the kinks in my hair. It was mortifying but I was young and impressionable. Since then, I don’t have the luxury of waltzing into hair salons with days-old hair. I always make sure my hair is washed and tangle-free beforehand.
Are there any misconceptions surrounding curly hair types that you’d like to debunk?
People think you can’t brush your hair when it’s wet! Not brushing when you have curly locks causes breakage and guarantees instant frizz—for me, at least.
Adibah Isa
Tell us about your relationship with your hair at present.
I’d describe it with a song title: Dog days are over! Gone are the days where I used to hate my hair, and where I was made to feel lesser than.
A lot of people think that curly hair is unkempt, messy, and unprofessional. It’s just a different hair type and texture. Why is straight hair considered “normal” and who set that standard?
How would you describe your strands?
I have 3B to 3C fine, curly hair—this means small springs that are quite tightly-packed—that have been bleached quite a few times. I just did a balayage recently, too!
Tell us about your haircare routine.
In Singapore, I wash, condition, and deep condition my hair twice a week. I put in a curl sculpting cream, run a Denman brush through my hair, and let it air dry. When it’s drying midway, I apply olive oil at the ends. In autumn and winter (I spent the last six months in Azerbaijan), I do the same, but instead of air drying, I diffuse my hair on a low heat setting until it’s dried completely. I go for a wash and blow about thrice a month to properly deep clean my hair.
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How did you get around to developing your haircare routine?
I follow Jayme Jo on YouTube—she got me hooked onto the Denman brush and I never looked back! I also follow Manes By Mell. I like their tips and I believe we have a similar hair type, just that mine is more fine. It took me decades to figure out what to do with my hair. It’s been a journey. I’m still finding new ways to do things differently. I used to finger twirl my hair, tried different brushes like the Tangle Teezer—I even used a clothing iron to straighten my hair in secondary school.
What was the biggest challenge that cropped up with regard to handling your hair?
It’s the humidity for me, always.
Are there any misconceptions surrounding curly hair types that you’d like to debunk?
A lot of people think that curly hair is unkempt, messy, and unprofessional. It’s just a different hair type and texture. Why is straight hair considered “normal” and who set that standard?
Siti Meera
Tell us about your relationship with your hair at present.
It empowers me to be different.
How would you describe your strands?
Amidst the world of truly curly hair, I’m technically considered a wavy 2C. But if done right, my hair can get very curly and form loose rings. It is also full-bodied as my hair texture runs on the coarse side, and it can take a lot of product before it starts looking a little too weighed-down. It’s been coloured before, too, but not bleached.
Tell us about your haircare routine.
I have a relatively dry scalp that doesn’t get too oily, so wash day for me is usually only once or twice a week. I start with a clarifying shampoo to remove all the built-up sebum and hair product from the previous wash, and focus on my scalp. I prefer not to put the shampoo on my hair, instead allowing it to run through only when I rinse off, so my hair doesn’t get too dry. While shampooing, I massage my scalp for about a minute to give myself a good treat and release any tension acquired throughout the day. Currently I’m using Shea Moisture’s Jamaican Black Castor Oil range for both shampoo and conditioner—on top of being super moisturising without being too cleansing. It also has an absolutely divine scent.
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After rinsing off my shampoo, I use a conditioner, which I let sit in my hair while I soap my body, wash my face, and brush my teeth. This usually takes a few minutes, so the conditioner has time to work its magic into my hair. I usually segment my hair into three parts: top, left, and right, and work conditioner in the parts one by one to allow each strand to be saturated with the good stuff.
To wash off the conditioner, I switch from using a shower head to the tap attached to the shower and upturn my hair. While facing downward, I scrunch my hair upwards toward the root in an action dubbed ‘scrunching’ to allow the conditioner and water to fully enter the hair shaft. Then, I use a wide-tooth comb to detangle once it’s clear of conditioner.
Now comes the critical part! To me, the shampoo and conditioner process is a good setup, but the way you finish your wash is more important. I stand back up so my hair falls to my shoulder, and segment it into top, left, and right sections once again. I then work my two final products: a curl cream, and a hair gel, into my first section. For me, that’s a hefty eight to ten pumps of curl cream, and half a palm full of hair gel into each section—you can see why I go through products quick! Once the product’s been applied, I then use my Denman brush to brush smaller curls in a sweeping motion away from my scalp. This entire process for my full head of hair takes about ten minutes alone, but it’s absolutely worth it.
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Then, I wrap my hair in a microfibre towel for about five minutes to drain excess moisture, and use my hairdryer to dry my hair to about 70% dryness. I prefer alternating between hot and cold air to tighten the curls before setting them. This part can take twenty minutes or more, so a podcast really comes in handy! I flop my hair from side to side, front to back, to allow the hairdryer to reach all the areas it needs to. At this time, I try not to touch my hair at all with my hands. I want the gel to form a cast without my fingers interfering.
And finally, I drop a bit of castor oil onto my fingertips and run them through my hair while upside down. The plan here is to lift the roots and give it more body. Then, I scrunch through my hair to break the gel cast and give my hair a more natural look. Then, I arrange my hair into a rough side parting, trying my best not to break any of the locks that have formed.
Curly hair is not damaged. Our hair grows this way, and has a rhythm of its own. It’s not because I didn’t moisturise it, or condition it, or I applied too much heat. It’s doing its own natural thing.
How did you get around to developing your haircare routine?
I started with reading the blog posts on naturallycurly.com, but quickly learned that it was better to learn via videos instead. YouTube was where I learned most of the techniques and concepts, but I realised after a while that I needed to find a YouTuber who had similar hair to mine in order to have the right advice. Once I transitioned into fully embracing my curls, I found that my hair got curlier and curlier as well, so I was always on the lookout for new YouTubers who matched my hair texture. Buying the same products can be difficult, so I had to do my own research to find the same type of product that could be bought on iHerb.
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I also went to get my hair cut by hairstylists who truly understand naturally curly hair, and listened to their advice before figuring out my favourite routine. Everyone will have different advice and preferences. Some prefer finishing with mousse, while others just oil. Since I knew I wanted a hairstyle that could last a few days without needing to wash again, I could put that expectation into what I bought and found the right mix of product types I could work with.
What was the biggest challenge that cropped up with regard to handling your hair?
Finding the right hairstylist was extremely difficult. I’ve had some bad experiences with the popular hairstylists in Singapore that supposedly cater to curly hair too. What I had to do was to adjust my expectations, and be as clear as possible on what I like and don’t like. I also ask around for friends’ testimonials too, before trying a hairstylist I’ve never been to before.
Are there any misconceptions surrounding curly hair types that you’d like to debunk?
Curly hair is not damaged. Our hair grows this way, and has a rhythm of its own. It’s not because I didn’t moisturise it, or condition it, or I applied too much heat. It’s doing its own natural thing. Don’t fall for hairstylists who insist you have ‘damaged’ hair when they meet your hair texture for the first time. They’re not trained to understand our hair type and you always have the choice to leave at any time if you do not feel comfortable. I wish someone had told me this advice when I was younger, and I could’ve left instead of falling for treatment after treatment to make my hair ‘smoother’ or straighter.
