Curly hair can be it’s own community.  People with curly hair are constantly approaching each other to discuss the particular challenges of curly hair care.  It’s a lot different than straight hair (requiring different products, haircuts, & haircare techniques).  But most hair advice and products are directed toward people with straight hair.

So those of us with curly hair have formed a pretty great informal network for information exchange.

For example, within the past few weeks I’ve engaged in conversation with two curly-haired strangers.  A few weeks ago another woman with curly hair stopped me in the park to ask me what products I was using.  A week later, I was shopping in a local boutique and saw a woman curls similar to mine and a great haircut.  Of course, we wound up talking about our hair, and she gave me the business card for the woman who cuts hers.

To an extent, I think most women (and maybe men, too?) do this.  But with curly hair, these random conversations with strangers are often the best and only way to get advice and suggestions.

And before we even introduce ourselves, we already have a lot in common.  “So few people know how to cut curly hair,” we might say.  And our fellow curly will just nod, two histories of terrible haircuts traveling between us without another word.

We share tips, but it’s more than that.  We share this little sub-community.