Science-Based Guide to Understanding and Caring for Curly Hair

Curly Hair: Structure, Properties, & Care by Dr. Ali N. Syed

For my entire life, I have been known as the “curly-haired one.” My hair has been part of my personality and my biggest identifier. Growing up I was constantly asked to let people touch it, kids who sat behind me in class were always trying to make my hair go “boing!”, and the most frequently asked question: “Don’t you wish it was straight?”

For most of my childhood, I hated my hair and the unwanted attention it brought me, but as I got older, I found myself appreciating it and wanting to take better care of it. There is an entire world of curly hair products out there and endless possibilities on how to treat it, but I’ve discovered you can’t style and treat your hair to be the best it can be without first understanding all of its nuances. That’s where Dr. Ali N. Syed’s book Curly Hair: Structure, Properties, and Care comes in.

Educational Guide to Curly Hair

Curly Hair: Structure, Properties, and Care by Dr. Ali Syed is a learner-friendly guide that provides a science-based perspective on all types of curly hair along with other issues such as hair loss, hair growth and any and all scalp-related issues. This book is your one-stop shop for all your hair-based questions and comparisons between curly, wavy, and straight hair with explanations of its structure and how to best care for your specific hair type. Even though this book dives deep into all attributes of a specific hair type, it is explained with detail and made easy for us not-so-sciencey types to understand.

I am ashamed to say that even though I have lived with this curly mop on my head my whole life, I have no clue how many different types of curls there are out in the world. Thanks to this book, I found out that I have 3A type curls. Now armed with the knowledge of what type of curls I have, Dr. Syed uses many years of research and science to best determine how to keep my curls looking their best from how to properly comb it, which products would be best for my specific hair type, and how to maintain and style my curls.

Inclusive and Fact-Based

While there are endless options for hair products made specifically for curly hair, it’s important to note that most of those products are not made with people of color in mind. This book goes in-depth into how curls differ between different races and how, unfortunately, the beauty industry has made finding products that are made specifically for people of color more difficult. This obstacle could force people to use styling products that aren’t meant for their hair type, which can be harsh and degrade their hair structure. In Curly Hair: Structure, Properties, and Care, Dr. Syed is dedicated to educating readers and developing superior products that are meant for all hair types.

This book is a great must-have guide for chemists, hairstylists, or an average Joe like me, who has learned to love and appreciate my curls.