Growing up, I hated having curly hair. It never looked the way I wanted it to, no matter how hard I tried. It was either too frizzy, looked wet, and was crunchy, or just looked like I stuck my finger in a socket. I was so frustrated with not getting the results I wanted that I ended up just straightening it. After years of frying my hair with a flat iron, I eventually went back to my natural curls, and all the same issues came along with it. No volume, too frizzy, it just looked flat. It was time to address the actual problem.
I was never taught how to properly style curly hair. So, if I wanted to fix all of the recurring issues I was having, I needed first to educate myself. I started following a couple of Instagram accounts run by women who were sharing all kinds of knowledge about how to properly care for and maintain their curls. After taking their advice and making some necessary changes to my hair care routine, all of my problems were solved. Having gained this incredibly useful education, I wanted to share the wealth and help anyone else who may find themselves with some of the same issues I had.
Here are some tips & tricks that worked for me for anyone who has curly hair:
- Buy a hair towel. Microfiber towels are better for drying since they are gentler on your hair. They also absorb water quickly, minimize friction, and help reduce frizz. When using one, it’s important to know not to absorb all the water out of your hair. You don’t want it dripping wet, but you don’t want it dry either.
- Sleep on a silk pillowcase or with a silk bonnet. Silk helps to reduce friction, which can prevent frizz, breakage, and tangles. It can also help your hair retain its moisture.
- Use products in the correct order. It’s important to know when to use what product. Start with a heat protectant, followed by a curl creme, then a gel. Since gel leaves a cast on your hair, you don’t want to use it first. This cast helps to hold in curls until they are dry.
- Use a diffuser. Adding this tool to your blow dryer helps gently dry your hair by assisting with preventing any disruption to your curl pattern, providing a defiant frizz-free look. Make sure to adjust the temperature setting on your dryer to low. This will help to minimize heat damage, preserve hair structure, and maintain its shine.
- Use a curl oil to help out when your hair looks like crunchy spice. Not only will it unstick your curls, releasing you of that wet look we all hate, but it will also help to increase your volume. Simply add some oil to your fingertips and gently massage your curls.
- Don’t wash your hair every day. Washing daily can cause the natural oils that keep curls hydrated to get stripped away. This can lead to dryness, frizzing, and possible scalp issues like dandruff.
- Curls crave moisture. When trying to style your hair on day 2 or day 3 of a wash cycle, adding moisture to your curls helps to bring them back to life. I put water in a spray bottle and lightly mist my head, then scrunch. On days when they need a little extra help, I’ll use a curl reactivator. I love the one by Bumble and Bumble.
- Try a product more than once. Sometimes we are using the right products, just not in the correct way. Perhaps you’re not using enough product. Maybe you are not applying it in the proper manner that suits your hair. It may not sound like much, but making subtle changes like using prayer hands when applying product versus scrunching it in can make a big difference.
- What works for one person may not work for another. Figure out your hair and what works best for you. Not every piece of advice you hear or read will work for you, and that’s ok. It’s all about trial and error until you find that perfect combination that gives you your desired results.
While some products can lean on the expensive side, I like to think of it as an investment. I’m investing in myself. Not only am I improving the quality and health of my hair, but I’m improving on something far more important. My self-confidence. By making these modifications, I managed to transform my hair from flat to fab. Something I’ve been trying to do for years. To me, that’s priceless.
