8 Tips for Styling Curly Hair
Let’s be honest, curls have a mind of their own. They can be moody, unpredictable, and difficult to say the least.
Those who have learned to love their curls know thats the key is perfecting their curly hair routine.
With the right techniques, products, and hairstyles curly hair can be managed much easier, leading to a luscious defined growing curls in return.
Here are a few tips, hacks and products you can incorporate to help you live your best curl life. Consider this your ultimate guide to getting healthy, bouncy spirals.
How to Deep condition Curly Hair
Curly hair is prone to dryness, deep conditioning is a must if you want to keep curls moisturized and beat frizz.
Try deep conditioning on dry hair to help maximize its potency. Deep conditioning on dry hair before shampooing is also known as a pre-poo treatment.
Pre-poo treatments help prevent detergents in shampoos from stripping your natural oils from your curls, causing frizz and dehydration.
Water fights with conditioner for space in the hair cuticle. Hair that is already saturated with water won’t be able to absorb as much conditioner.
Begin by coating curls with a deep conditioner or oil. Clip up hair and slide on a plastic cap for 30mins or opt in to leave in overnight. This ensures strands are penetrated and reaping all the moisturizing benefits. Finish off by shampooing hair as usual.
2. How Often to Shampoo Curly Hair
As we mentioned, shampooing can be harsh on your curls. Try reducing the times you shampoo as cleansing agents can be drying and cause frizz.
Opt for a moisturizing shampoo and focus on cleaning your scalp rather than your hair. As you rinse, the water and shampoo will run down your curls and cleanse them.
If you use a lot of styling products opt for a clarifying shampoo once a month to deeply cleanse and remove build up.
3. How to Wash Curly Hair Without Stripping It
A cleansing conditioner or co-wash is best to use in between wash days when your hair needs a refresh to clean your scalp without dehydrating curls.
Those with extra dry curls or type 4 hair will find co-washing beneficial. Co-washing ensures that your curls are getting maximum moisture while preventing your roots for getting overly dry.
4. How to Detangle Curly Hair
It’s best to detangle curly hair when it is sopping wet with conditioner, starting from the ends up towards the scalp with a wide tooth comb. Try detangling hair while you’re still in the shower as the water and conditioner will provide slip so curls may easily untangle. The water and conditioner will also encourage curls to clump and dry together in their natural pattern.
5. How to Get Defined Curls
For defined curls, layer your styling products so that they may meet your specific styling needs and retain moisture.
Start with a leave-in conditioner for added moisture then apply a light oil to seal it all in. Lastly opt for a styling cream or gel to define your curls and prevent frizz.
6. How to Prevent Frizzy Hair While you Sleep
To prevent overnight frizz which may lead to tangles and breakage, sleep on a silk pillow case or with a satin bonnet. The smoother the surface on which you sleep the less tangles and frizz you will experience in the morning.
Also put hair in a pineapple or ponytail at the top of your head before you sleep. While you sleep your curls have the potential to get stuck and knotted on a cotton pillow case and strip curls of moisture.
7. How to Refresh Curls in The Morning
A curl refresher spray with a leave in conditioner will replenish and redefine curls that have dried out over night. Lightly spray your refresher all over hair and fluff curls back into your desired style.
8. How Often to Cut Curly Hair
The best cuts for curly hair allows curls to assume their fullest shape rather than trying to tame them and chop them off.
Curly girls should look for cuts that allow their hair to cascade down as it grows out as opposed to growing out into a triangle.
If you want to continue growing your curls you must cut out the damage such as split ends, thinning ends and knots. Head to your hairstylist every six to eight weeks for a quick trim.