How To Love – Not Fight – Your Hair Texture

Our relationship with our hair is always a finicky one. I, for one, straighten my wavy hair. And I know friends with pin-straight hair who add waves to their ’dos. Those with thick hair are envious of those who complain of thin hair. It’s an endless circle that we can’t break – unless we learn to love our hair texture.

I spoke with KMS Canada ambassador Michael Crispel, owner of Earth Salon in Toronto, asking him, why we do this. Why do we fight our hair texture? Essentially, he said to think of hair products as you would makeup: Use them to enhance our assets not hide them.

“A lot of women hate their hair because they don’t understand how to style it,” says Crispel. “It’s about managing the frizz, the curl, whatever.” The benefit of doing your hair this way: Your morning routine. You’ll save time.

“It’s not about looking fake or contrived looking,” says Crispel. “It’s about looking effortless – like I woke up like this. You don’t want to look like you spent 45 minutes on your hair.”

Read on to find your hair type and learn how you can love your hair texture, with Crispel’s styling tips and a bit of confidence. “You will have to own it, not deny it,” he says. “Be your best you.”

Love Your Hair Texture: Flat

“We’re constantly fighting our roots.” His tip: “If you keep putting product at the root, you’ll always be maintaining that. Instead put the volume at the bottom of the crown.”

Best Health pick: Live Clean Biotin Extra Body Conditioner, $8 at walmart.ca and shoppersdrugmart.com.

Love Your Hair Texture: Frizzy

“It can look messy and it can look unrefined,” says Crispel. “But you can use frizz to create definition and it can look pretty.”

Stylist’s pick: KMS Hair Play Sea Salt Spray, $21.20 at amazon.ca.

Love Your Hair Texture: Straight

“Women with straight hair are always looking for movement and volume,” says Crispel. He says to get a cut that shows motion in the hair with, say, layers. And use products that claim to be “flexible” and add “texture.”

Best Health pick: Redken Fashion Work 12 Hairspray in Mild Control, $22 at Redken salons.

Love Your Hair Texture: Curly

“Some women don’t like the volume curls create and they avoid the whole Christmas-tree, triangle look,” says Crispel. “But it’s about bundling the curls and making them soft to help reduce the dense look.”

Best Health pick: Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Curl Defining Mousse, $7.49 at mass retailers.

Love Your Hair Texture: Thick

“Women often think their hair looks too big,” says Crispel. His suggestion: Avoid short layers, and let the hair naturally weight itself down.

Best Health pick: Garnier Whole Blends Legendary Olive Leave-In Conditioner, $8.99 at drug stores and mass retailers.

Love Your Hair Texture: Thin & Fine

“Embrace the sleekness of your hair,” says Crispel, who says to choose a cut with shape. And use a base product that will plump the hair, like volumizing shampoo and texture cream.

Stylist’s pick: KMS Add Volume Shampoo, $47.81 at amazon.ca.