Minimalist single-line drawing of a plain pump bottle resting on a fluid line, symbolising the illusion of curl salvation through cosmetic marketing, from Tom Zappala Haircutting

Curly Hair Salvation

Most have spent too much time—and far too much money—navigating the minefield of curly hair products. It’s a landscape crowded with redundant offerings, each promising salvation but delivering little more than bottled disappointment. These colourful plastic investments often end up exiled beneath the bathroom sink, clustered together like orphaned children. Too expensive to throw out, yet never quite good enough to join the main performance troupe. And so, the search for the elusive “holy grail” continues.

There are two primary reasons people struggle to find the right curly hair products—especially those seeking a specialist in Melbourne.

First, the rabbit hole of social media. The endless scroll breeds unrealistic expectations. Carefully staged images, curated routines, and influencer-endorsed miracles convince many that product alone is the answer. It’s not. Fixation on cosmetics often masks the real issue—and only deepens frustration.

"Every week my clients realise that greater contentment comes from a supportive haircut rather than from layers of expensive curly hair products."

The second reason is even more fundamental: most products fail because they’re being asked to compensate for a haircut that isn’t working. Poorly executed shapes—triangles, flatness, imbalance—can’t be salvaged by styling rituals. Hair cosmetics are designed to support a well-executed haircut, not to prop up a broken one.

This is why I push back against the dominant narrative. Most people spend far too much time and money searching for solutions in the wrong direction. A truly effective product routine only works when the haircut underneath it is solid. The shape has to be independently flattering—without product—for anything layered on top to have its intended effect.

Curly hair salvation doesn’t start in a bottle. It starts with scissors.