If you have curly hair, you know the struggle of trying to find the products, routines and methods that work for you. Due to naturally curly hair being dry, frizzy and unruly, it is often hard to maintain it without becoming frustrated. Oftentimes, as one grows up or hits puberty, their hair may change the texture to become more wavy or curly and they have no idea what to do with it. Some people may not even realize they have a wave or curl pattern in their hair if they have not been taking care of it properly or have years of heat damage. But look no further, as this article will give you all the tips to have moisturized, soft and bouncy curls day after day.
The first thing you should do to figure out a good curly hair routine is to determine what type of curly hair you have. Curly hair types can vary from 2A hair, in which there is a slight wave, all the way to 4C hair, which has tightly coiled hair. It is important to consider the porosity, elasticity and curl variance and do some research as to where you fall on the curl-type chart. Once you figure out what type of curls you have and you want to begin your curly hair journey, you should evaluate how damaged or healthy your curls are. For example, if you have been bleaching your hair for years and using a lot of heat, you may need to consider cutting off quite a bit of your hair. However, if you just have some minor split ends, a trim will do. The reason you need to have healthy hair is that dead ends will be hard to curl up and they will weigh your hair down, so you may be left with curly hair at the top and mid-section, but straight hair at the end.
Once you have determined your hair type and gotten any necessary trims, it is time to start doing research into what type of products you will need. Some things one should invest in include a diffuser, a microfiber towel, a wet brush, a leave-in conditioner, curl cream, styling gel and a curl mousse. A diffuser is an attachment to your hairdryer that you can use to dry up hair in a scrunching position, which helps create the perfect curls. Additionally, when drying curly hair, a microfiber towel absorbs excess water from curls and waves without leaving them dry or frizzy like a normal towel. Products you can scrunch into your hair such as gel, mousse and leave-in conditioner (before letting it dry naturally or with a diffuser) will help shape and hold the curls without them becoming frizzy.
Now, let us talk about one of the biggest annoyances of curly hair: detangling and brushing it. Keep in mind that it is always important to note how different curly hair is from straight hair. You should not brush your hair if you are wearing it curly as it will simply frizz up. Curls and brushes do not mix, so you should be focusing on detangling gently starting from the ends to the roots. Try using some conditioner while you detangle to make things easier. Additionally, the only time you should be brushing your hair and detangling it is right before, during and right after a shower. Use a wet brush or wide tooth comb and be as gentle as you can with your hair.
Finally, my biggest tip for curly hair is to rock it confidently. Even in 2022, there is still some stigma around wearing your natural hair in professional environments and a general idea that straightened hair is more “put together” or “professional.” It does not help when people post before and after videos, where curly hair is always in the before and the person has straight hair in the after. We see all these celebrities who have naturally beautiful curly hair essentially never wear it naturally and always have it heat-styled. Therefore, it is completely understandable that one may not feel comfortable wearing their natural hair, and as false as these pretenses are that curly hair is messy or unprofessional, they can definitely knock down people’s confidence to wear their hair naturally. My advice is to ditch the heat and put time into taking good care of your natural hair, as you will reap the benefits of your beautiful curls for years to come.
There you have it, after figuring out your hair type, getting a trim to keep it healthy, using the right products and being confident, you can have some awesome curls going on.