Straight hair might be the most consistently fashionable hair texture in the past three decades, but curly hair, when styled properly, can be equally alluring, if not more so. The biggest blunder most curly girls make is allowing frizz to conquer their locks, but with some care, frizz can easily be eliminated. Here are some tips for maximizing your hair’s bounce and minimizing flyaways.
*Never brush your hair dry: Unlike straight hair, which should never be brushed while wet, curly must ALWAYS be brushed when wet, or at least damp. Curly hair is already naturally brittle, so brushing it while dry will only tear it up. Instead, wet your hair and apply conditioner before you brush it. The viscosity of the conditioner will help the brush glide smoothly over your hair and will make knots easy to untangle.
*Find the right brush or comb: Never brush your hair with a fine-toothed brush or comb. Fine-toothed brushes and combs are intended only for thin, straight hair and will therefore damage curly hair. Be sure to buy a wide-toothed comb instead; the curlier your hair, the farther away each tooth should be from its neighbor. Also avoid steel-toothed brushes. Your brushes and combs should only be made of plastic or wood. Steel-toothed combs are too harsh for curly hair and will make it frizzier, even if the hair is brushed while wet.
*Be smart about shampoo and conditioner: Never buy conditioner or shampoo intended for all hair types. Curly hair requires very special treatment so only buy hair products made specifically for it.
*Always condition: Every time you shampoo your hair, you should also thoroughly condition it. Because curly hair is naturally dry, it is in constant need of moisturizer in order to look fresh and clean.
*Use pomade: If you want to define your curls, you must use pomade or a stiff styling gel while your hair is still wet or damp. First pour the desire amount into the palm of your hand and then rub your palms together vigorously until the pomade is warm. Then spread your fingers and run your hands through your hair until the pomade is evenly distributed. Avoid applying the pomade to the roots of your hair, otherwise the hair on your crown will fall flat against your hair, which look odd with the rest of your hair fanning out.
*Braid your hair after applying pomade: Never blow-dry curly hair, as the heat will only further dry up your hair and cause it become frizzier. Instead, always air-dry your hair. After you have washed it, brushed it, and applying pomade, create two chunky pigtail braids if you want bigger curls and thinner braids if you prefer smaller curls.
*Apply hair spray: After braiding your hair, you may want to apply light hair spray to hold your hair into even better place. You should wait until the hair has dried a bit, otherwise the hair may stick flat against your scalp. Re-apply the hair spray throughout the day to preserve your curls.
*Do not “pick” at your hair while it’s dry: As tempting as it may be to detangle knots in your hair while waiting for the bus, it’s better to wait until you have time to wash and brush your hair, otherwise, you could end up damaging your hair even more. If your hair is truly knotted, just pull it up into a bun and the knots will hardly be noticeable.
*Avoid using hair dye: The more often you dye your hair, the more damaged it becomes as the processing strips your hair of the few natural oils it has. Excessive dying will even make straight hair frizzy, so imagine what it can do to a curl girl’s tresses.
If you want your curls to be comely corkscrews, rather than resemble the tangled mess your cat hacks up, remember that curly hair deserves special care. Putting in the effort to de-frizz it will produce lovely results straight-haired girls can’t help but envy.
