"Curly Like Me" by Teri LaFlesh

When it comes to curly hair Teri LaFlesh has been there, done that. Her biracial heritage has given her tightly curly hair that for years she didn't know how to manage. She tried relaxers, jheri curls, weaves and extensions, which all resulted in damaged hair. Along the way, she began to embrace her curls and set on a journey of how to care for her natural hair, which has now resulted in gorgeous waist-length curls.

In Curly Like Me: How to Grow Your Hair Healthy, Long and Strong, Teri shares everything about her hair journey and shows how you too can develop a regimen that will lead to healthy hair.

There is such a wealth of knowledge in this book. Teri shares tons of "before" pictures and isn't ashamed to let readers see the many mistakes she made with her hair. She details in-depth how to care for your hair, what products and tools to use and what ingredients to look for (and look out for) in your hair care products. Most importantly, she shares the beauty of curly hair and how to embrace your natural hair.

I love reading anything I can find to do with natural hair so of course I picked this book up. My daughter has very tight, coiled, kinky hair and I sincerely hope that when she looks back at pictures of her childhood she will be remembering all the fond memories and not thinking "oh my goodness mum, what did you do to my hair?" (I think I'm doing pretty good so far!)

There is tons of information in this book. Teri's message is that when you figure out how to gently and correctly care for your hair, you will be able to grow it long and strong and she shares exactly how she has done it. It is definitely inspiring to see where her hair is at.

My only criticism of the book is that it seems to be a one size fits all approach. Biracial and Black hair comes in all types and textures and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. A few of her techniques I have tried before with my daughter and not had much success. However, what this book does show is that there is a regimen out there that will work for your hair and it takes a bit of experimenting to find it.

If you are at a loss for what to do with your curly hair then this book is a great starting point. If you've been taking good care of your curls, this is still a good book to read, you never know when you might pick up some great ideas. Even if you don't take anything away from the book, you'll be able to identify with Teri's curly hair journey and you will appreciate her willingness to share all when it comes to her hair.