My hair has always been incredibly curly. I have endlessly searched for ways to manage my curls and the frizz that comes along with them. This proved to be a hard task because, as anyone with curly hair knows, it can be stubborn. Growing up, I always wanted to straighten my hair because I didn’t like my curls. Now that I’m older, I have found new ways to manage my hair so that I can really appreciate my natural curls without causing damage.
Even though these ways of taming curly hair may be effective, it is indescribably important to make sure that you keep your hair healthy. Through some research, and my personal experiences, I have found some techniques for managing curly hair that will cause less damage and keep you from Magic School Bus vibes.
Use a silk pillowcase
Using a silk pillowcase will help you maintain your curls while you’re asleep. The texture of silk prevents them from flattening or breaking, unlike other pillowcase materials. When you get up, your curls will still look great and will have less frizz with minimal work needed before class.
Avoid towel drying
Instead of using a towel, which is rough on your hair and can cause damage, use a softer material, like a t-shirt, to dry your hair. This will dry your hair while causing less damage to your curls.
Get your hair cut
Having your hair cut will help your curls stay healthy and prevent you split ends and breakage. By chopping off your ends every couple of months, you stop the split ends from climbing too high in your hair and spreading the damage.
Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet
Brushing your hair when it’s wet can cause damage to curls by splitting their ends. It’s best to let your hair dry naturally to prevent breakage.
Braid your hair before you go to bed
On the other hand, letting your hair dry naturally, or sleeping on your hair, can cause your curls to frizz. To avoid dealing with frizz when you’re running late for your morning class, you can braid your hair before going to bed so your curls will stay intact overnight.
Use a heat protector
When you have to straighten your hair, using a heat protector will prevent the heat from the flat iron from damaging your hair and causing it to break. If you plan on using any type of heat on your hair, such as from a flat iron or from blowing drying it, always put a heat protector on your hair when it’s wet.
Natural leave-in conditioners
There are plenty of leave-in conditioners that you can use on your hair to help straighten it. Some of them have too many chemicals in them and it is best to avoid using chemicals on curly hair.
Try new techniques for straightening your hair with minimal damage
Most techniques for straightening your hair can leave it severely damaged from the heat. After years of trying out different ways to straighten my hair, I found better ways that will cause less damage and your hair will still look amazing. You can avoid the breakage that comes with using heat on your hair. If you have to use a straightener, use a flat iron with ceramic plates. This will cause the least amount of damage to your hair. There are even leave-in conditioners that will help straighten your hair. Opt for a natural leave-in conditioner that has fewer chemicals.
I hope these techniques for managing your hair help you to find the best way to embrace your curls!