Curly hair can be gorgeous, from barely-spiralling waves to tight, African-American corkscrew curls. Unfortunately, women with curly hair often end up with a frizzy mess, lamenting their curls and trying to straighten them into oblivion with damaging heat and chemicals. The reason is simple: the traditional shampoo-conditioner-blowdry-brush-style method of hair care is geared towards straight hair.
How Curly Hair is Different To Straight Hair
Strand for strand, curly hair tends to be weaker than straight hair. This comes as a surprise to some people, as curly hair is often thick and thus looks robust. However, the tighter the curl, the weaker the hair.
Curly hair is also more prone to frizz. While fussing over straight hair can make it neater, handling curly hair too much tends to disrupt the natural curl pattern and break apart each distinct curl into a layer of fuzz. Curly hair also frizzes noticeably in humid weather.
How to Detangle Curly Hair
A curly-haired woman’s hair care routine should start with detangling – never wash tangled hair! Ripping a regular comb through curly hair (or anyone’s hair, to some extent) will cause breakage and split ends. A wide-toothed comb is one option; detangling using the fingers is another; or there is the popular hairpick, a wide-toothed decorative comb with only a few tines. The idea is to remove knots one at a time without breaking up each curl more than necessary. Fortunately, washing the hair will “reset” the curl pattern, so a little frizz at this stage is fine.
How to Wash Curly Hair
Curls need moisture: lots of it. Many people with curly hair find shampoo is too drying, leading to a cycle of overdrying and greasiness as the scalp produces more and more sebum to compensate. Shampoo-free hair washing methods are definitely worth trying, especially those that impart a lot of moisture – many women with curls have great success with conditioner-only washing.
When washing curly hair, do not scrub at the curls “upside-down” or pile them on top of the scalp. Leave the curls in their natural position as far as possible.
How to Dry Curly Hair
Once the hair is washed, the principle of “leave it be” comes into play. Never dry curly hair by rubbing it in a towel, scrunching it or blowdrying it. A towel worn around the shoulders should absorb most of the excess moisture as the hair dries slowly. Try not to fiddle with the curls, and definitely don’t brush or comb them. However, if styling products are desired, now is the time to apply them – as gently as possible.
How to Get Defined Curls
Adding heaps of moisture to the “diet” of curly hair and refraining from touching or brushing the curls unnecessarily will help a lot in frizz reduction and curl definition. Gels can be used for additional definition – one natural trick is to use a small amount of aloe vera gel while the hair is still wet.
More Tips for Great Curls
- African-American hair in particular benefits enormously from oiling, such as coconut and olive (for coarser hair) or jojoba and apricot kernel oil (for finer hair). It is important to apply oils while the hair is damp, or they will lock moisture out, not in. Apply only a small amount – the barest drop at first – to avoid oily-looking hair.
- Curly Girl, by Lorraine Massey and Deborah Chiel, is the definitive work on managing curls. The book addresses the psychological aspect of curly hair as well as practical ways to improve curly hair.
- Lifeless, dried, overprocessed hair often exists in a state somewhere between curly and straight – not wavy, but awkwardly frizzy with irregular bends and breakage. Once hair has found its perfect routine, with plenty of moisture and no damaging heat treatments, it will often find a more regular and pleasing curl pattern. A lot of “straight” hair is really wavy hair looking for a chance to shine!
Finally...
- Approach any piece of hair care advice with the question “Was this written about curly hair?”
Sarah Tennant - Sarah Tennant is a onetime English major who lives in New Zealand with her husband and two small children. Her interests range from ...
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