If you were born with, grew up with, and still have super curly hair, then chances are at some point you’ve envied the girls with straight, luscious locks – I know I have! It seems like a lot of extra work to add to your hair care routine and, like many curly Sues out there, I’ve gone through bottles and bottles of products claiming to tame my mane but to no avail. I used to hate my hair because it never seemed to cooperate or fall casually around my shoulders the way hair seemed to do for other girls. It was when I learned to stop fighting what I was born with and instead work with it that I was able to capture the true beauty of my awesome curls! All you curly girls out there catch my drift. Here’s how you can stop wrestling with you hair and start looking even more fabulous.
Create beautifully voluminous buns.
Buns are super easy to create on anyone and are a cute way to keep the hair out of your face when you’re at the gym or you’re running late and you don’t want to swat the hair off your cheeks. Curly hair is already big and volumized so this guarantees a chunky and full bun that you can pile on top of your head. This is so easy to do and your hair is ready for class in just 30 seconds.
Redefine a flirty ponytail.
Don’t try to do those adorably messy loose ponytails where you’ve got a few strands of hair sticking out and the elastic is slack. You also don’t need a dramatically sleek ponytail either. You need a ponytail that’s smooth, casual, and effortless. Your curly hair makes the ponytail flirty and bubbly – and you didn’t even need a curling iron!
Do romantic twists.
If you want to spice things up a bit, twists are a perfect way to change up your look. Like the bun, you can create thick twists without a problem. To do this, you can take a chunk of hair from the left side and right side of your head. Start with one side at a time. Divide the chunk into two sections and twist them around each other in a Dutch braid until you reach the end. Do the same with the chunk on the other side. When done twisting, pull the left braid across the back of your head towards the right side and secure it in place with bobby pins. Pull the right twist to the left side and secure with bobby pins. Leave the rest of your beautiful locks to go free! Now you have a fun hairstyle for a date, for class, a party, or just ‘cuz. The creativity doesn’t need to stop there – you can also tie the rest of your hair into a ponytail or bun after securing the twists.
Give your curls some air.
You don’t even need to tie your hair up or do anything fancy to it. Letting your curls hang down your back looks gorgeous all day, everyday! Curly hair has a youthful body. People will never get tired of staring at your intricate locks. This look can be wild and crazy but it also naturally gives off a free-spirit kind of vibe and is a super down-to-earth look that curly girls are born with.
Flaunt flower crowns.
This is an exotic way to show off your hair texture. There’s something about flowers in your hair that gives you a preciously tropical vibe. Your curls are already super flirty – all you have to do is, literally, top it off with a pretty flower crown from Claire’s or Forever21 and you’ve got an easy way to decorate your curls.
Skip gels and mousses.
After trial and error and countless bottles of hairstyling gels, mousses, “gum”, and such, I’ve learned that there aren’t really any products that provide proper hold to ensure that the frizziness and flyways stay at bay without making the hair hard and crunchy. Ugh, crunchy hair is a huge hair texture turn off and all that product will, without a doubt, make your hair feel sticky. I know, I know, it can be difficult to manage your crazy curls when everyday is a struggle against humidity and frizz so getting a little help from squeeze tubes of pretty smelling gel can be rather tempting. If you must apply a product to your hair, opt for a light hair oil instead. Argan oil has many beneficial properties for hair of all textures but it’s a great product to use to make frizzy flyaways settle down and it won’t make your hair stiff.
Hair masks are the saviors of dry, damaged hair.
Curly hair craves moisture. No, it needs moisture. If your throat was dry you wouldn’t ignore it, now would you? Your hair should be treated in the same manner. Your hair will inevitably be dry and you’ll need something to soothe it. I find that applying hair masks as part of my hair washing routine really helps keep my hair smooth and super soft. My hair is usually noticeably less dry and stringy after applying a hair mask and washing it out. This is imperative because many shampoos contain sulfates which further strip the hair so applying masks religiously will help downplay that effect and make your hair feel and look softer.
Don’t wash your hair everyday.
This is another sure fire way for you to dry out your hair! I know a lot of people think it’s “gross” if you don’t wash your hair everyday or at least every other day however, for curly hair, that’s one of the worst things you can do. When you wash your hair so often, you strip it of its natural oils that are in the scalp to condition and moisturize the hair and what’s the one thing that curly hair craves? Exactly. Washing your hair once a week is a better alternative for curly hair so your natural oils are released and your hair will be less dry.