Hair "How To"

How to Scrunch African American Hair

A scrunched hair style is extremely easy to do and is always natural looking.  (Scrunching works for white hair as well.)  Unfortunately not all hair can be scrunched – if your hair is natural (not chemically straightened or relaxed) then you should be able to get a wide toothed comb through you hair.  For chemically straightened hair, you will want to make sure that your hair has enough body to hold the shape when you start scrunching.  The only way to be sure is to try it!

After washing you hair, gently blot is dry.  Don’t rub the hair dry – this can cause breaking and other damage.  It is always best to let your hair air dry instead of using a blow dryer.  If you have to use a blow drier, at least use a diffuser and a low heat setting.  Some people use a blow dryer as art of the scrunching process, but it’s not necessary at all.

Once you have blotted your hair dry, you need to apply a moisturizer.  If you have a dry scalp, start the application right at the roots.  If your scalp tends to be oily, then start about one half inch from the roots.  Now it’s time to apply a little styling lotion.  Mousse contains alcohol, therefore it can be very drying so you might want to avoid it.

Now it’s time to start scrunching!  To get the most carefree and natural look, just take small random section of hair and squeeze them.  This is scrunching.  As you finish each section, hold it in place with a small clip.  Repeat this process on your entire head.

And now, we wait.  This is when people get impatient or have not planned their time well, and are tempted to grab the blow dryer, set it to “high,” and treat your head to the styling equivalent of a blast furnace.  This is never a good idea.  Just relax and let your hair finish drying on its own.  Once your hair is dry (and not a nano second before), lightly spray your hair with a holding spray.  Give the spray a chance to dry, and then gently take the clips out of your hair.

Bend at the waist, and carefully run your fingers around and through the curls and waves.  Spray another light layer of holding spray.  Stand up and use your fingers to shape all the curls and waves while the holding spray is still wet.

When contemplating this look, remember that your hair will look untamed and very natural.  This is not a style with precise sections and curls.  There is no right or wrong look – as long as you’re happy with the way your hair looks, then you did a great job!



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About the author

thirsty roots®

Our goal is to share the beauty of Afro-textured hair and to have a place where we can come together to get examples, advice, and information of black hair growth and hairstyles. Whether you have permed, pressed, or natural hair it's still black hair and it's beautiful.

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