So for a while, I thought I would just pretend they didn’t exist. “Maybe if I just ignore them, they’ll go away.” So I continued to care for my hair the way I did when it was straight. Obviously, that was a disaster.
The War
At this point, I was beginning to realize that this was going to be a long term battle that would require a much more aggressive approach. So as I got a little older, I became more proficient with brushes, blow dryers and curling irons. However, I discovered that the more weapons I employed in this battle the more defiant my hair became.
Eventually, the daily struggle was beginning to wear on me. My tactics were not working and I was clearly losing the war. I had only one strategy left to try. It was a long shot, but maybe, I could attempt to befriend my curls and work out a peaceful compromise. “I’ll be nice to you, if you be nice to me.”
Curls Respond to Kindness
My quest to discover the ideal way to care for my curls took years of experimenting with all the latest products and methodologies as well as reading everything I could find on the subject. Finally, I uncovered a common theme: “Curls Respond to Kindness”. They do not respond well to being; tugged at with brushes, confined into turbans, scorched with hot irons, or washed with harsh cleansers. And surprisingly, they don’t appreciate being roughened up by abrasive terry towels either. Who knew?
A T-shirt?
Once, while on a business trip to New York City, I had the opportunity to have my hair cut and styled at a salon that focused exclusively on curly hair. To my surprise, after washing my hair, the stylist used paper toweling to remove excess water from my hair. He said he preferred using an old t-shirt but that was not allowed at this upscale salon. He went on to further explain to me that traditional terry cloth towels have too course of a texture to them. Not only can this texture disrupt the natural “s” formation of your curls it can roughen up the hair which can cause breakage, split-end, frizz and even inhibit your hair’s ability to shine. As I looked into this philosophy more deeply I found that there were many salons, websites and even magazines that were recommending the use of t-shirts on curly hair.
Not all T-shirts are Created Equal
It took some testing time but, eventually, I discovered that not all t-shirts yield the desired result, since T-shirts come in so many different weights, weaves and fabric types. Once I finally found one I liked, it wasn’t long before I grew tired of the look of an old t-shirt hanging off the shower door. With so much press in the “curl world” about the benefits of using a t-shirt why couldn’t I just buy a towel made out of the optimal t-shirt material?
This is when I decided to create my own product. The Curls Like Us Curl Cloth. This absorbent material removes just the right amount of moisture while setting your favorite styling product into the hair. Its smooth surface prevents the cuticle from getting roughened up and maintains the hair’s natural curl formation. The result is well- defined, shiny curls without the frizz. Even better, it seems to complement almost any type of styling product. It’s even made using a brown colored material so it doesn’t show any discoloration from hair dye.
The word spread much quicker than we had anticipated. After being on the market only a few months, we sold through our first order. Initially, we were selling mostly to consumers. Now the bulk of our orders come from salons owners nationwide who realize their benefit and want to use them on clients as well as have them available to purchase.
My related work experience
Over the years, I have held several positions with one of the largest hair care companies, Helene Curtis. Then went on to gain additional experience in marketing, brand management and product development with other consumer product companies including; Nu Skin International, N.V. Perricone, and Pfizer. Although my professional background has been quite advantageous, I have found that my own personal research and testing has been invaluable.
Every Curl Deserves to be Happy!
Karen Piotrowski
Creator and Chief Curl Counselor