Stephanie Marquesano wants to hear your curly hair tips...

So, I am several months into having my curly hair back.  I really feel my curls settling in.  At this point, they are tighter than I want them to be, and I am trying to decide what to do.  Part of me wants to do the Ouidad softening, the only concern that I have is that my hair will look to "young" for me.  My daughter's hair looks great, but she is 15 1/2, I don't know how it will look on me.  I think that I will go into the City (Manhattan of course), and have a consultation with Ana, my daughter's Ouidad stylist to see what she thinks.  But, if anyone actually reads this blog, and would like to offer some suggestions that would be great.  My goal is to avoid, at all costs, the Orphan Annie look.  My hair needs to stay on the longer side.  Thanks!!!
Stephanie Marquesano

Stephanie Marquesano takes her daughter to OUIDAD!!!!!!

I have already talked about my daughter's keratin disaster, so I actually skipped a whole chunk of hair history for her.  OUIDAD is a lifesaver!!!!!! Ana totally knows everything about cutting curly hair, and while the haircut and products are expensive, to us it is well worth it.  Her first haircut at OUIDAD was when she was about 11 years old.  Her hair was down to her butt, and, if it wasn't pulled back, really had the potential to grow to immeasurable proportions. Ana basically carves and slices out a good portion of the bulk, which made a huge difference.  It still wasn't really enough.  Ana always talked about softening her hair, but my big concern was using a straightening process.  After the disaster with the keratin, my daughter was petrified to do anything.  In fact, it took until just recently (at the age of 15) that she finally begged to have her curls softened.  The results have been great.  She has every bit of the curl that she had before, except her hair has less density, and little frizz.  There was no burning, no damage and hardly any smell.  Ana did not leave the product on for too long, she figured it was better to see how it took in her hair first.  Next time, and there will definitely be a next time, she will probably ask to have it in a little longer.

Stephanie Marquesano tries Coppola Keratin

Sooooooooo, it was time for my next hair experiment.  After Japanese straightening for many years, I decided I was ready to grow it out.  As the Japanese straightening process does not wash out (at all), there is obviously a huge difference in texture between the new growth and the part still straight.  As a grown woman, mother of a teen and pre-teen, there was no way I could do a typical 1 1/2 to 2 year stint of growing out my hair without some help.  I decided to try the Coppola Keratin, at my local salon, and it worked beautifully. Since I am pretty good with a flat iron, my hair was straight throughout my time using the keratin products. By the time I did the process 3 times (over about 1 1/2 years, and let the last one grow out) I was ready to go curly.  One day I simply washed my hair, put in some gel, and cut off the bottom that still had the original Japanese straightener in it.  I am still getting used to it, 4 months later, and I am deciding my next hair move.  Up next, my daughter is ready to try something else for her hair.

Stephanie Marquesano, Keratin - a new option?

Well, there has been so much on the news about Brazilian or keratin straightening products.  I can give you the perspective from two heads, my daughter's and mine.  After researching, calling the company, getting recommendations from friends and doing a consultation at a salon, I chose to have my daughter use the Coppola keratin treatment.  I was assured that her hair would not be straight (she wanted it curly with less frizz), and that it would, however, take a lot of time.  They explained that Coppola had a new product called the Chocolate, and it would work better on her hair, but it was just as safe ---lies, lies, lies!!!!!!!

Well, my daughter was nervous, she heard from people that the stuff smelled terrible, and she was afraid to see what it would do to her hair.  Disaster struck early.  She had a terrible reaction to the fumes coming out of her head.  In fact, it was so bad that they moved the chair outside into their courtyard.  So they were now doing her hair in the street, with extension cords for the flat iron and blow dryer.  We were both so upset when it was over, and I felt terrible.  She couldn't wash her hair for 3 days, it looked greasy and gross, and the reaction freaked us both out.

A search revealed that Coppola DID NOT MAKE A PRODUCT CALLED CHOCOLATE.  Coppola put me in touch with the salon's distributor who explained that the brand that made Chocolate did contain  real levels of formaldehyde.  I stormed the salon, and received a full refund, as well as a little extra.  I think they were worried that Coppola would pull the line because they had a huge Coppola poster hanging, but they used another product.  The worst part, it didn't even work.  By the second time she washed it there was no benefit to this disaster.  Up next, I actually try Coppola at another salon.

The Best Japanese Straightening - Ever!!!!!!

Okay, so the first place, which I don't even remember the name of, did a reasonably good job.  But, out shopping one day, I ran into a friend with extremely curly hair.  She had the most beautiful straight hair I had ever seen.  It was glossy, shiny and healthy looking.  She kindly shared the name of the salon, Momotaro in Scarsdale.  Yamaguchi did a fabulous job straightening my hair.  The results were perfect!  In fact, for 9 or 10 years, I happily returned twice a year for the best straightenings of my life!  I could add curl to my hair with a curling iron, manage the growth with a flat iron.  It was amazing!  In fact, Yamaguchi was so good at what she did, that she could blow and flat iron straight my daughter's hair in under an hour and a half.  This is no small feat considering her hair is longer and thicker than mine ever was. But alas, after all of those years, I began getting bored with my straight hair, so it was time for another change.  Next stop, keratin!

The first Japanese Straightening...

I went to a local salon to try the latest craze in straightening - Japanese Straightening.  It was an amazing process, which I completely ruined the first time, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  The year was 1999, and I could not take my hair for another minute.  It took so long to do anything with it, and I was so tired of pulling it back when it grew (from heat, humidity, sweating, whatever).  I guess the flat iron was invented in the years since my last relaxing with Glenn, and this new added twist to the straightening process was one that I was excited and nervous to try.  First, they put the stuff through your hair, then they rinsed and flat-ironed, then they conditioned and neutralized, rinsed it out, blew it dry, and sent you on your way.  The biggest no-nos were putting a clip or tie in your hair, which would leave a permanent dent, or sweating.  It was June, I played tennis, I sweated and got ridges.  I had to have parts redone, but overall I really liked the results.  It wasn't, however, perfect.  I still had that ridge at the top of my scalp, ringing around my head, and so my goal was to find the perfect place to do the process.

Stephanie Marquesano - I have a curly girl of my own

So, when I had my own daughter in 1996, I could not have been more excited and surprised when she was born with black straight hair sticking up all over her head.  I figured that even with my hair and my husband's wavy thick hair, maybe just maybe, somehow I had beaten the odds and had a baby with straight hair.  My son had golden and brown ringlets, and I was really shocked by my daughter's hair.  I should have known my excitement was going to be short-lived.  We went to Disney World when she was 7 months old, it was March, it was freezing in NY and, of course, her little head had not been exposed to much humidity.  I remember watching her sweat for the first time in the heat and humidity of Orlando.  I looked at the nape of her sweet neck, and there it was - - -frizz.  I called my mother who found the whole thing somewhat amusing.  Now that I had a curly girl of my own, I would have two heads to worry about!