Dear curly hair girl, you almost always have the spotlight, don’t you? And while you get all the eyeballs and compliments for your unique locks, you also dread managing it! We understand how dry, coarse and frizzy your hair can get.
If there is a thin line between untamable curly hair and good curly hair days, it is a good hair care routine. Yes, right products, right care and right hairstyles can up your curly hair care game. Read on to find out how you should be dealing with it.
What Expert Says
"Natural oils are a rich source of vitamin E and fatty acids. These fatty acids help to lock the moisture in your hair. That’s how natural oils control frizz and improve the manageability of curly hair. Massaging natural oils on the scalp boosts blood circulation and promotes hair growth.”
Prutha B Nawale, Product Development Executive, SkinKraft
Highlights:
How To Take Care Of Your Naturally Curly Hair?
1. Choose Shampoo Wisely
Washing your hair is the first and foremost step in any hair care routine irrespective of the hair texture. Washing or cleansing ensures that there is no dust, excess oil, dead skin cells and product buildup on your scalp.
Use a mild shampoo free of toxic chemicals like sulfates, silicones, alcohols and parabens that can irritate your scalp. Sulfates are lathering agents while parabens are preservatives used in your hair care products. Switch to mild surfactants, fragrance-free, sulfate free, silicon free and paraben-free formulas in your shampoos.
Pro Tip:
Dilute your shampoo and low-lather cleansing conditioner in water before you let them work on your hair. This will ensure you don’t use up too much product at once, which is good for both your hair and pockets.
2. Avoid Excessive Shampooing
Curly hair tends to become dry easily. Excessively shampooing your hair can suck out its natural moisture. Also, look for moisturizing ingredients in your conditioner. Conditioning makes sure that your hair cuticle is sealed and protected against environmental damage.
3. Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Pre-shampoo treatment is a bliss to those with curly hair. It helps in detangling and removing the frizz from your hair.
Apply a hair mask or a conditioning oil to your dry hair by separating out sections of hair. Leave in the conditioner for 20 minutes. You can put on a shower cap or a towel to trap some heat and open up the cuticle. This ensures that the conditioner penetrates your hair well.
4. Never Brush Curly Hair
Resist the urge to brush curly hair. Use a wide-toothed comb on your curly hair before shampooing. After washing your hair, simply run your fingers through your hair. Never ever brush your wet hair as it is more prone to breakage and damage.
5. Hair Styling With Moderate Heat
The high temperature from heat styling tools can remove the natural texture of your curls, making them dull and lifeless. Limit the use of heat styling and use a good heat protectant spray whenever you can't avoid it. Use moderate heat and a diffuser to protect your naturally beautiful curls.
6. Use A Very Wide-toothed Comb
Use a wide-toothed comb to remove the tangles in your curly hair. Comb from bottom to up to remove the knots if any. Each curl can be considered as a potential breaking point, handling gently is the way to go. A hairbrush can mess with your natural hair texture and can cause damage to your hair.
7. Always Use Cold Water For Hair
Hot water showers strip off the natural oil or sebum from your scalp and hair. It can also open up the cuticle making the hair strands prone to frizz and breakage. Coldwater rinses are your safest bet whether you are shampooing or conditioning your hair.
8. Trim To Avoid Split Ends
Get your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks to get rid of the split ends and damaged hair. Curly hair too needs to look and feel healthy.
9. Curly Hair Sleep Routine
Haircare experts swear by the pineappling trick as part of the sleep routine for curly hair. Pile all your hair on top of your head into a bun or a loose ponytail. This way, there is less friction between your hair and the pillowcase. Switch to satin or silk pillowcases instead of cotton cases to reduce the friction.
10. Try Natural Treatments For Healthy Curly Hair
Use hair masks containing natural ingredients for your curly hair:
- Make a mask of olive oil, eggs, vinegar and mayonnaise and apply it on your hair. Rinse with a mild shampoo after 30 minutes. While eggs provide protein to your hair, mayonnaise adds moisture and shine to the dry curls.
- Avocados are rich in vitamin B, E and good fats. Mash a ripe avocado with a tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of olive oil. Apply this mask on to your curly hair and leave on for 30 minutes. Wash off with a gentle shampoo.
Apple cider vinegar, milk, fenugreek seeds and hibiscus are all great natural treatments to have healthy curly hair.
11. Oils For Curly Hair
No matter what the hair texture or type, the basic rules of hair care remain the same. Oiling your hair improves blood circulation to the scalp and promotes healthy hair growth.
Our product development executive, Prutha B Nawale says, “Natural oils are a rich source of vitamin E and fatty acids. These fatty acids help to lock the moisture in your hair. That’s how natural oils control frizz and improve the manageability of curly hair. Massaging natural oils on the scalp boosts blood circulation and promotes hair growth.”
- Use light and non-greasy coconut oil for curly hair. Use your fingertips to massage the oil onto your scalp. You can apply coconut oil before bedtime and wash the morning after. Alternatively, you can also apply oil an hour before shampooing your hair.
- Olive oil is a great treatment for your curly hair. It adds a lot of moisture to your dry locks. Take 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and heat for a minute. Apply evenly on your scalp and hair with your fingertips. Wrap a warm towel over your head and rinse off the oil with a mild shampoo after 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Castor oil is a lesser known ingredient when it comes to oiling your hair. The reason being its stickiness. But castor oil is a wonder in itself. It can moisturize your curly hair and add shine. Haircare experts recommend using castor oil before bedtime and washing the next morning.
Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, rose oil and ayurvedic oils like amla, brahmi, neem and bhringraj can also be used for curly hair.
What Should You Not Do With Curly Hair?
- Do not wash your curly hair every day as it can remove all the natural oils.
- Never sleep on a cotton pillowcase as it can create friction between the strands.
- Do not do heat styling often as it can strip off the moisture from your curls.
- Do not let your hair remain in tight ponytails all the time. The pulling can cause scalp pain.
- Never settle for one-size-fits-all products. Go for products that are created for your hair type.
- Most importantly, do not compare your hair with straight hair or other hair types. Learn to embrace your curls.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hair If You Have Curly Hair?
Wash your hair once every 2 or 3 days. Washing every day removes all the natural oils from your hair. If you are a gym-addict, wash your hair with a conditioner in between your shampooing sessions.
How Do You Keep Your Hair Curly?
- You can skip the conditioner once in a while to keep those curls intact.
- Use a curl cream on your hair to define the curls. Avoid using too much product as it can weigh down your hair.
- Use sponge rollers or hairpins to roll up your hair.
- Hair sprays and hair gels can also keep the curly hairstyles in place.
What Hairstyles Are Best For Curly Hair?
1. The Classic Updo
- Let your hair air-dry first. Apply a serum suited for your curls. Tie your hair into a ponytail between the nape and crown of your head.
- Wrap the ponytail around the base of the hair tie to form a bun.
- With the help of bobby pins, secure the updo firmly. You may want to use a hairspray to manage the flyaways.
2. Ultra-High Ponytail
- Get your hair together at the crown of your hair and secure it with a rubber band.
- You can use bobby pins at the sides of the ponytail to keep it tight.
- To enhance the curls in your ponytail, use a curl-defining cream before you start out.
3. Side Braid
- Part your hair into three sections at one side of your head.
- Start braiding and finish off with a pretty-looking hair tie.
4. Messy Half Buns (The Most In-Vogue Hairstyle Right Now)
- Take the section of the hair near your ears and make a ponytail.
- Coil the ponytail until you have a bun and don't bother keeping it neat. Messy is fun.
- Secure with bobby pins.
You can also opt for french plaits and french twists to manage your curly hair while showing them off too.
Wrapping Up
Gentle hair care, limited heat styling and all the above tips are all it takes to keep your tight coils or looser waves in shape. Avoid excessive shampooing and flaunt your curly hair with the hairstyles mentioned above.
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