Some people think that curly hair is the biggest nightmare ever: it’s all about frizz, flat hair and collapsing curls. But the truth is, whilst curly hair can be a nightmare, it doesn’t have to be – you just need to know how to treat it and what products to use.
In fact, if you’re in a real hurry, you can get away with spending only five minutes on your hair, but – and this is the great thing about curly hair – if you have an extra ten minutes to spare, or just want to make a special effort one day, your hair can look incredible. All you need to do is follow these really simple tips:
Step 1: Use the right shampoo and conditioner
The best thing for curly hair is, unsurprisingly, shampoo and conditioner designed for curly hair. This just helps to give you that extra little bounce that you really want, and to avoid the pitfall that is flat hair: now that’s a bad hair day. You don’t need to do anything special with it – there is no magic dance to make these products work! Just wash your hair twice with the shampoo and then use the conditioner afterwards.
Recommended products: If you fancy splurging on your new shampoo then you have to try Bumble and Bumble’s Curl Conscious Shampoo and Conditioner. Trust me, these products are amazing for curly hair and come highly recommended! However, if your student loan isn’t going to stretch that far, then Herbal Essences do a great alternative called Tousle Me Softly. These products are also designed for curly hair and work almost as well at taming that frizz and helping to define your curls.
[pagebreak]
Step 2: Use the right product: salt spray
Be warned: don’t use too much product on your hair, but you should really use some. Many of us avoid using hair products either because we don’t really know what we need or because they tend to dry our hair out. Well, they only dry your hair out if you use too much, so be sure you only use these sparingly.
One of the best products out at the moment is salt spray. This just helps to give your hair a little more texture and to define and separate your curls: it really helps with the shape and volume of your hair. Although, if you use too much of this, you can be liable to have sticky hair!
You should try using the spray in your hair before you dry your hair as it tends to make your hair less sticky and means that your hair lasts longer before being washed. Give your hair a few sprays of the product both at the roots and all along the length of your hair and then scrunch your hair up with your fingers. After this, you should be able to a little more definition in your hair and your curls should begin to lift.
Recommended products: Again, Bumble and Bumble is the go-to brand if you can afford it! Either go for their famous Surf Spray or if you feel more comfortable using a mousse product they do a great holding foam. But, if you don’t want to spend that much or you want to try these products out before committing to an expensive one, you should try L’Oreal’s Studio Matt and Messy Shine-Free Salt Spray.
Step 3: Buy yourself a diffuser
You know those really scary looking, pronged devices that go on the end of your hair dryer? They just became your new best friend.
These make it so much easier to maintain your curls and to make sure that they hold for longer. The best way to do this is to flip your hair all the way forward – or to lie on the end of your bed – and hold the hair dryer and diffuser under your hair. Pick sections of your hair and hold the hair dryer there for a few seconds at a time – be careful not to burn your scalp! Again, keep scrunching your hair to make sure that your hair bounces up as much as possible. Don’t worry about it if your hair gets too curly, it will fall naturally! To give you as much control over your hair as possible, make sure your hair dryer is on as low a setting as possible. This might mean that it takes a little longer to dry your hair, but it helps avoid frizz.
Step 4: Put your hair in a bun
Don’t fully dry your hair – leave it just a little bit damp (or a whole bit damp if you’re running late!) and put it up in a bun for a while. As long as you have product in your hair it will hold your hair in just the way you want it. This is your time saver: if you don’t have long at all then blast your hair quickly with the diffuser and pop it up in a bun. The longer you leave it here, the curlier it will be – so you can completely choose the style of your hair.
There’s nothing that says that curls have to be impossible, but they aren’t the easiest! Frizz and collapsing curls are the biggest problems people have with curly hair, but if you follow these four simple steps then you shouldn’t have too much of a problem! The best bit? You can adapt this to both your budget and the amount of time that you have!