Ladies, can we just admit that our longest, most frustrating relationship in the world isn’t with a man, but with our hair? If you’re a curly like me who grew up in the stick-straight Marsha Brady ’70s, you know what I’m talking about. So it was with relief and joy that I discovered the Bible for hair like mine, Lorraine Massey’s amazing Curly Girl.

Ms. Massey, who underwent curly trauma growing up in England, hit on two things that will forever change your relationship with your curls: throwing out the shampoo bottle (conditioner and friction, baby!) and a specialized haircut. Since stylists who cut this way–cutting it dry, paying attention to each individual curl instead of giant swaths and layers of hair–are rare, I was delighted to find an angel to go along with the Bible. Her name is Janelle.

Janelle is a traveling stylist since she does so many updos for weddings. She showed up at my house yesterday, all legs and gorgeous blonde hair (you know, the kind of woman you hate on sight just out of principle), but was so nice and engaging you just couldn’t help adoring her. It took her an hour and a half between the first clip and snip and the big reveal, but I was one happy camper when she was done. Lift at the roots! Curls with movement and dimension instead of bulk and droop! Bliss!

Never underestimate the power of a great haircut.

Cross Girl (Proud Maisie) by Frederick Sandys