Curly Hair Tips and Tricks!
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Do you have a hard time managing your hair? You think it’s just naturally frizzy and tangled...when really, there's a high chance you have curly hair. There’s not just one type or way to take care of curly hair, so here’s an overall guide to give you a starting point!
First, look up a hair types chart. There should be numbers 1-4 with letters next to each number. Wavy to curly hair falls between 2-4 and if your hair isn’t naturally straight, then your hair falls in this range. It’s very common to have more than one hair type that are next to each other. For example, having 2c hair in your roots and 3a hair in your ends is very common. How can you tell what your hair type is? One method is to wash your hair and let it air dry. Once it's dry, if it is forming an S shape, it's wavy, and if it is curling or coiling around itself, then it's curly. That should help you find the number 2, 3, or 4, which is the more important part. For the letter a, b, or c, you can compare your waves/curls to the chart, or you can do a curly hair routine and see after. The letter part can be inconsistent in the charts and on social media. For example, there is a wide range of 3a-3c hair on the internet, so while finding a letter is important, don’t worry if you see people with 3a hair, but it looks different than yours. Overall, try to find if your hair is wavy or curly and remember you can have more than one hair type!
Ok, now that you have an idea of your hair type, you can style your hair, right? Wrong. The first step to having curly hair is to prioritize hair health. Research your shampoos, conditioners, and hair products and make sure they are helping your hair. Your curls will never look their best if your hair if it’s unhealthy. There are two general tips when it comes to curly hair health. One, don’t wash your hair every day. In most cases, 1-3 times a week is enough, depending on the hair type. Two, only brush your hair when it's wet. Brushing your hair when it's dry leads to damage, frizz, and it’s harder overall. Instead, detangle your hair in the shower after conditioner and only brush it when it's wet. Ok, now that you understand the importance of healthy hair, we can move on to styling tips!
When it comes to styling your hair, there are two general tips. Only style your hair when it’s wet and know the differences between styling products. To style your hair, you need to use products. Well, what products do I use then? That is a common problem for a lot of people with curly hair. I’ll be giving you a list of general products and their uses; however, each persons’ hair is different and I encourage you to do research on your own. Here’s an overview of common curly hair products:
Leave-in conditioner: This keeps your hair hydrated and healthy because you're not conditioning every day.
Curl Cream: This mainly helps your curls form while somewhat helping with frizz.
Mousse: This mainly helps with volume while also helping with frizz.
Gel: This mainly helps manage frizz and helps your curls last longer.
Oil: This mainly moisturizes your hair and breaks gel cast. Only use when your hair is dry.
These are the most commonly used curl products and main ones you will find when shopping for curly hair products. You don’t need to use all of them; sometimes one or two is enough. It depends on your hair, which is why I recommend researching curly hair products. Social media can help a lot; try finding people with similar hair and look at their products.
After you apply the product, there are a few ways to finish styling. If you use no tools, scrunch your hair in sections and let it air dry. There are videos online to show how to scrunch your hair. The alternative to scrunching is brush styling. There are two main brushes: the Bouncecurl and Denman brush. These help your curls form and can be more effective than scrunching. There are specific ways to use them, so make sure to find tutorials online or on the websites! The alternative to letting your hair air-dry is to use a diffuser. This is a tool that dries your hair while keeping your curls intact, and it can help with volume. Do not use a regular hair dryer; it will lead to frizz and your curls will become looser. Diffusing can be hard for beginners, so make sure to read the instructions carefully, and again, look online for tutorials. If you use a diffuser, spray some heat protectant before using gel so you don't damage your hair!
Overall, it can be hard to manage curly hair, but there are so many videos and articles to help you! If there's something you don’t understand, look it up or watch a tutorial! The results are always worth it!
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