4 Cutting & Styling Tips For Enhancing Natural Texture
It was her first time taking the stage with Ulta Beauty since joining the Pro Team, and Pekela Riley (@pekelariley) was ready to talk all things texture. “The thing about texture is that it has lots of volume, so when you see all that volume and mass it makes it very intimidating,” she shared. Wish you had more confidence when cutting and styling curls/texture? We can help! Check out five cheats we grabbed from Pekela for enhancing natural texture below.
1. The Pre-Stretching Technique
Know This: Cutting texture, especially tighter textures, requires a certain amount of precision.
Do This: Pre-stretch the hair before you make any cuts so you can see clean lines. But the point isn’t to straighten the hair. Rather, you want to stretch it out and elongate it to eliminate all the varying and unevenness that texture can give. Just be sure to apply a heat protectant first and keep your blow dryer on a low heat setting.
Note: When it comes to wet vs. dry cuts, Pekela says there are no hard fast rules. She just cuts in the way the hair needs to be cut. However, she typically cuts looser textures wet and tighter textures dry.
2. How To Properly Blow-Dry
Know This: Blow-drying textured hair is very different from blow-drying naturally straight hair.
Do This: Typically you work roots to ends, right? When blow-drying highly-textured hair, roll out the ends first and then work your way up the head. Why? Not only will starting at the ends give you a more manageable approach to the style but it also results in less breakage because you won’t tug on the hair as much.
3. Create More Uniformed Curls
Know This: Not all clients will have a strong, defined curl pattern.
Do This: Whether her curls look a little flat or certain sections in a twist out just aren’t there yet, here’s Pekela’s trick for creating more uniformed curls: Take a small section of hair and wrap it around the indention side of a 3/8-inch Marcel iron (aka the clamp). Then, use the round side (the barrel) to compress the section. “This creates a very organic twist out texture,” shares Pekela.
4. Two Must-Need Products
Know This: Curly and textured hair tends to be drier than other hair types.
Do This: Always use a leave-in conditioner and a heat protectant, regardless if she has fine hair, coarse texture or anything in between. “There’s always a place and a need for them,” says Pekela. Her go-tos? MIZANI 25 Miracle Milk and MIZANI Thermasmooth® Sleek Guard Cream.
