Your Ultimate Guide To Curly Haircare
Let’s put it straight; curly hair rocks! This is why we see a lot of straight-hair girls often trying to pull off the curly-hair look. It gives a super cool attitude and it is romantic and expressionistic. But same as straight locks, curly hair comes with its own set of needs. So to rock the look whether you are trying it for two days or you are naturally blessed with super beautiful curls, you need to give it the TLC it needs. Here is your ultimate guide to curly hair care.
1 || Pre-Washing
Detangle your curly hair before washing. You can detangle your hair using only water or for an easier process apply a detangling spray. If you have fine hair, gently run your fingers throughout the hair to detangle it without causing breakage. For coarser hair textures and tighter curl patterns, use a detangling brush or wide tooth comb.
2 || Washing Your Hair
The cleansing process is the most crucial part of any hair routine as it keeps your hair moistured and establishes a blank slate for a styling product to work most efficiently. If you have curly hair, you need to wash it at least once a week to maintain a healthy scalp. Make sure that every part of your hair is wet before putting on the shampoo. Make sure to get in deep with your fingertips to help shake the dirt out, then gently massage the shampoo into the rest of the hair before rinsing to give the hair a gentle cleanse.
Because your hair is naturally prone to dryness, washing it once a week would be great for holding on to the hair’s natural oils. And of course, you can wash less or more frequently depending on your scalp type.
3 || Steam The Hair
The key to defined and healthy-looking curls is moisture. Applying conditioner is a good idea to moisturize your hair, a better idea though would be steaming your hair with conditioner. The steam opens up the hair cuticle allowing the moisturizing ingredients of your conditioner to get inside the hair cuticle. That said, regular, deep conditioning is recommended for curly hair, especially on the lengths and ends.
4 || Condition The Right Way
If you have the habit of leaving the conditioner in for longer than suggested in hopes of getting softer, smoother hair, you are not alone. Guess what? Turns out that this move can do more harm than good. You need to know that most of the work that a conditioner will do is done within 15 minutes. After that, it does nothing but clogs the cuticle.
Also, make sure to rinse out your conditioner thoroughly to avoid making the styling more difficult. So to get things right, make sure to follow the instructions on the conditioner packaging. If your hair feels slimy with the conditioner in it, it means that the conditioner is evenly applied with the right amount of water and absorbed into the hair cuticle.
5 || Do You Know What’s Your Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity describes the hair’s ability to absorb water. And there are three levels of porosity — low, medium, and high. Knowing the hair’s porosity allows you to choose the right products for you. Lower porosities struggle with absorption, so it is recommended to use light products like foams and mousses to help the cuticle absorb the product. Higher porosities struggle with retaining moisture because the flaps of the hair cuticle stay open. For this type, you’ll need heavier products like creams and gels to lock in that moisture once it’s absorbed.
6 || Let’s Talk Styling
To define your curls and reduce frizz, it is best to apply your styling products to soaking wet hair. Apply the product evenly using a detangling brush or your fingers then scrunch or use the finger curl method to enhance the look of your curls. If you have a tighter hair texture, twist your curls after brushing them out to give them a cool finish. Keep adding water in sections if your hair gets dry while styling.
7 || Protect Overnight
Tie your hair while sleeping. How? Flip your hair over and very loosely tie it up high on the head with a scrunchie. Then wrap the hair with a silk wrap. Another overnight trick would be replacing your pillowcase with a satin one to protect your locks and reduce friction and frizz.
8 || No Touching!
Do your curls a favor and don’t touch them. Our fingers attract the moisture and product from our hair and create frizz. If you need to touch it for some reason, please wait till it is completely dry.
