Welcome to StyleSeat Selects, where your favorite beauty and grooming looks mean our new makeover. How does that work? Our Instagram community will choose from style inspirations on our Instagram stories to bring a new look to life for one of our StyleSeat employees.

I’ve been looking for a new hairstyle for my natural hair. I’m from Baltimore, MD, where the summer weather is humid, and I needed the perfect hairstyle to keep me cool and stylish. I knew our Instagram community had me covered and selected a high bubble ponytail adorned with swirled edges.

I booked an appointment with Candis Matthews of Candi Reign Hair Studio in Baltimore, MD. Matthews is a natural hair expert who always treats my curls with care. Not only does she keep up with the latest looks, but she knows how to keep natural hair thriving. Plus, she always keeps a smile on her face and provides an enjoyable salon experience.

Prepping My Hair For Styling

When arriving at her studio, the service started promptly. Matthews shampooed my hair, once with a clarifying shampoo, and second with a moisturizing shampoo. Then, after setting me under the hooded dryer with a conditioning treatment, she rinsed and towel-dried most of the water from my hair before beginning the blow-drying process.

Applying a heat protectant was her next step to protect my hair from heat damage before blow-drying. Then, after using additional heat protection (this time a serum), she straightened my hair. Next, she evaluated the health of my hair and gave it a much-needed trim.

Styling My Hair Into Bubble Ponytail

Now we can get to the fun part, styling my hair into a bubble ponytail. Matthews slicked my hair into a ponytail with gel to ensure my hair was sleek and smooth for a long-lasting look. Using gel or foam to prepare the hair for a style is usually known as molding. The ponytail is then wrapped with Kanekalon hair, also known as braiding hair, to add length for the bubbles. Next, the bubbles are added with rubber bands. So how do you add the bubbles to achieve the bubble ponytail look? It’s simple. You’re adding “mini ponytails” to your one ponytail. Then, you’ll fluff the hair to make the bubbles. This can be done with a rat tail portion of a comb or your fingers. Matthews then styled my edges in swirls with an edge brush and gel. Lastly, I sat under the hooded dryer to set my hair.

My new look is fun and perfect for the summer. Matthews shared tips for night maintenance to keep it looking fresh. In addition, I’m confident that my curls will revert to their natural state when I shampoo my hair next due to the proper heat protection steps during styling.

How To Find a Natural Hair Stylist on StyleSeat

StyleSeat has many natural hair experts that can help you along your natural hair journey. When finding natural hair professionals on StyleSeat, I look at their service list to see if the professional offers natural hair services. Next, I search for photos of their natural hairstyles on their profile to see if the professional has experience with the hairstyles that I want to book. Finally, I read client reviews to see if this is the perfect expert for me.

Book an appointment with Candis Matthews and keep up with her latest looks on Instagram.

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