13 Curly Hair Care tips and tricks
How do I take care of natural curls? Curls are a beautiful thing, but they require a little extra TLC so you can wear them with confidence and feel your best!
If you have natural curly hair, then you know how difficult it can be to keep your curls looking their best. There is a lot of misinformation out there about how to properly take care of curly hair and what products will work best for them. In this blog post, we are going to go over 13 tips and tricks that will help make caring for your natural curls easier!
How do I take care of my natural curly hair?
1. Try not to wash your hair every day
Excessive shampooing can dry out your hair, causing it to frizz. This is bad because it makes the curls tight and brittle which leads to breakage, split ends, and a dull appearance.It’s best to only wash your hair once or twice a week, leaving the rest of your time for conditioning treatments and air drying.
2. Apply conditioner before shampooing
You need to apply the conditioner before shampooing because some shampoos can be very harsh on your hair.The point of conditioners is to soften the hair, and adding a layer of it before you wash will help reduce damage from shampoo.
3. Stick to cold water
You should use cold water on your curly hair because it seals the moisture into the cuticle of each strand making your curls tighter and more defined.It also gives your curls a tighter hold and creates shine.
4. Use gentle shampoos
Hair that’s curly is fragile has a tendency to dry out. Using gentle shampoos made for curly hair like Shea Moisture’s Curl & Shine Shampoo or DevaCurl No Poo Cleanser (which is sulfate free) can help keep the hair hydrated and prevent split ends.
Invest in a good shampoo and conditioner.
Your curly hair needs different care than straight or wavy locks. For instance, you’ll want to avoid sulfate shampoos which can be too harsh on your curls. Instead go for gentle cleansers that won’t strip away the natural oils from your curls.
Pro Tip: To keep hair healthy, it’s important to avoid sulfates and parabens. Many shampoos with these harmful chemicals can dry out your curls and make your scalp itch.
5. Don’t touch wet curls with towel
Do not rub dry your freshly washed curls with a towel because this will make the curl pattern shrink back up.
Rather, squeeze out the extra water and gently pat your hair dry with a towel.
So if you don’t want your curls to frizz, be sure not to rub them with a towel when they are wet.
6. Let air-dry when possible
It is suggested that natural, curly hair should be air dried at night so moisture is retained. This allows curls to set and reduces frizzing in the morning.
7. Use a wide tooth comb
No matter what kind of curls you have, a wide tooth comb is the best way to de-tangle your hair.
The wide tooth comb is good for curly hair because it doesn’t create as much frizz, and also leaves your curls well defined.
It’s important that you comb your hair from the bottom up, starting with a wide tooth comb. This will untangle and smooth out your curls without causing any damage or breakage.
If you use this technique after every shampooing or conditioning session, it will make brushing and styling your curls easier as well!
Pro Tip: Never brush curly hair when it’s dry. When you do, the tangled strands can break off within the follicle creating the unwanted frizz.
8. Avoid blow-drying
Be careful with blow-drying curly hair. The heat from the dryer can make your curls go frizzy. If you do have to blow-dry your curls, use a low to moderate heat with your diffuser. The diffuser distributes the heat evenly stopping that unwanted frizz.
9. Use a deep conditioner for curly hair
At least once every other week or as needed, and always use it before you wash your hair so the natural oils can coat each strand of curl. This will add shine, give curls definition without frizzing them out too much, and keep them from looking dry or stringy. When applying this product, use less than what you would if they were straight–less is more when it comes to keeping curls moisturized!
10. Use styling products sparingly
Curly hair is hard to manage. Let your natural curls be a guide when it comes to deciding how much product you need. If you use too much, it will weigh down your hair and make it look greasy.
Pro Tip: Great Hair products are key.
You should invest in quality products for styling your natural curls: gel, cream, moisturizing product (leave-in), and hairspray with UV protectant. One of my favorite is Kinky Curly’s Custard Cream because it doesn’t make my hair feel dirty like other creams tend to do after a few hours of use.
11. Keep your hair moisturized with oil or cream, especially during the winter months
The cold air can suck the moisture right out of your hair. To keep your hair moisturized and tangle-free, you should use a leave-in conditioner all over your locks after every wash.
This product coats the cuticle of each strand, sealing in moisture that lasts until your next shower.
Pro Tip: It is especially important during the winter months.
Put a plastic cap on your head while you sleep to keep moisture in and prevent breakage from friction against pillowcases and bedding.
12. Avoid wearing tight hairstyles or updos
It is recommended that you avoid tight hairstyles or updos for curly locks, as they are likely to cause unwanted frizz.
You can minimize the frizz factor by keeping your hair loose and unstyled, but if you want to wear it up try a soft, romantic updo.
You can straighten curly hair, but it will eventually spring back to its natural state. Instead of fighting the curl, embrace your bouncy curls with a voluminous loose updo.
13. Get regular trims
You need to maintain your hair and keep it looking great. Trimming your hair improves growth and its appearance by removing split ends and thin or dead strands, which can make your hair, look unhealthy.
Pro Tip: Find a natural curly hair salon near you in our hair directory.
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How do you preserve curly hair?
1. Avoid Heat
Heat damages the cuticle of each strand and can cause frizziness or dryness. This damage also leads to a significant amount of breakage as well, which will make your natural curl more fragile in time. If you must use hot tools like hair straighteners on curly hair, then section off a small part at the top for blow drying while using low heat settings on these devices so that they don’t over-heat your tresses from too close a proximity with high temperature levels.
2. Use Natural oils
Natural oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, castor seed oils and olive oils are great for curly hair because they don’t cause frizz or dryness like high-grade silicone does.
You can also use Aloe Vera gel or juice (for moisture) and Jojoba, grape seed, or almond oils (for shine)
Baking soda isn’t an oil, but is good for balancing pH levels and removing product buildup.
These natural ingredients can help soften the curls as well so that it is easier to brush them out in the morning.
3. Sleeping with a silk pillowcase
A silk pillowcase is beneficial because it reduces frizzy hair and breakage.
4. Sleep with a silk or satin bonnet
Wear a silk or satin bonnet when you sleep. Not only will it keep your hair from getting tangled, but it also helps prevent breakage of hair.
5. Use a Ceramic hair dryer
Using a ceramic hair dryer is one of the best ways to preserve your curls. Ceramic driers are designed specifically for curly hair because they emit far-infrared heat which helps lock in moisture.
What products are good for natural curly hair?
The best products for curly hair are made with natural ingredients.
Hair sprays without alcohol or silicones to protect your curls from damage when styling them.
Coconut milk can be applied after washing hair in place of conditioner to moisturize it and bring out its natural curl pattern.
- Curl Keeper
- Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus line
- DevaCurl products
- SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil line
- Kinky-Curly products
- Cantu Shea Butter for Natural Hair product line
- Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine Leave-In Conditioner, Daily Detangler, or Styling Creams lines
- Carol’s Daughter hair care products for natural hair types such as the Monoi Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner, African Black Soap Dandruff Control Shampoo, and Marula Oil Healing Hair Mask lines;
