Lorraine Massey, author of the how-to manifesto Curly Girl and co-founder and owner of the Devachan Salon and Departure Lounge in Manhattan and DevaConcepts products, is a no-apologies curly-hair specialist. She's devised her own method of dealing with curls, which she dubs "Logicurl," and says the system's styling precepts can be taught to clients for home use in three steps.

 "First, give the curls what they want-moisture," she says. "Curly hair is dry and thirsty. Shampoos containing sodium lauryl sulfate only make the hair thirstier. When the hair is thirsty, it tries to get moisture by absorbing it from the air. This is why hair gets ‘big' on humid days." Her recommendation is to prescribe botanical cleansers and moisturizers in sulfate-free formulas for home care.

Next, she says, throw in the towel. "Towels are too heavy and absorbent for gentle fabric such as hair. They cause friction, disturb the curl pattern, tend to leave knots and create frizz."

The Devachan staff presses paper towels into wet hair. "This provides a flatter and smoother surface, absorbing just enough water to allow the styling products to set the curls and keep them intact," Massey says. The client should be instructed to use paper towels or old T-shirts to pat the hair dry.

The third step is for the client to use a top-line dryer with a diffuser attachment, like the new-technology ionic professional dryers. At all costs, the client must "avoid an over-dried and fried top layer and wet under-layer," Massey says. The regimen "translates into a beautiful, natural curl...and no frizz!"