Congratulations if you recently noticed that you have curly hair or just want to embrace your curls with all your might!
While learning to care for and nurture curls seems pretty intimidating, remember that your first aim is not to feel overwhelmed.
Have an open mindset and slowly go through these simple steps!
1. Use the perfect shampoo and conditioner
When buying your shampoo and conditioner, ensure those are curly hair products. The shampoo must be free from sulfates. These shampoos are a bit more expensive than their regular counterparts, but that’ll make all the difference in your locks!
Most conditioners have a common ingredient – silicone. But it’s not curl-friendly at all. Instead, the silicone coating on curls builds up, making your hair greasy and limp.
To avoid weighing down your curls, go for products free from silicones. These products are not always expensive. However, you must thoroughly research product ingredients to ensure no silicone.
2. Dry with an old soft t-shirt
You’re damaging your curls if you use the same quality towels for your body and hair.
However, that doesn’t mean you must discard your old towels and shop for new ones.
Instead, go through your wardrobe and find an old yet soft T-shirt you don’t wear anymore. This material is perfect to avoid frizz – unlike regular towels.
To use it correctly, follow the plopping method. In this, you bend forward and lower your hair on the front side. Then, wrap your hair with the T-shirt and secure it on your head.
Depending on how long your hair needs to dry, keep the t-shirt tied for around 10-40 minutes. Meanwhile, the T-shirt absorbs all the water but doesn’t disturb your curls, which are clumped together.
Another way is to try micro-plopping – a much more time and effort-consuming method. In this, you keep the t-shirt in one hand, remove a clump of curl from the hair mass, and scrunch it gently to get rid of excess water.
The process repeats until you do the same for all curl clumps. Unlike the previous method, your hair will take longer to dry in this.
However, if you want to splurge, you can get a microfiber towel and use the same methods.
3. Invest in the right styling products
There are tons of styling products for curly hair. In 2021, the curly hair care styling product market was valued at around $9716 million. It was estimated to grow to $15654.8 million by 2031!
You’re not just spoiled with choices – you’re also bound to be confused!
However, to simplify it, there are three primary styling products for your hair.
Gel: This product helps preserve your curl when you apply a gel cast on wet hair. The cast catches the curl. You can remove the cast by scrunching your hair once it is completely dry. The curls stay defined even after removing the cast.
Cream: This beats down frizz but doesn’t define your hair like gel. It’s best to create soft curls and volume.
Mousse: This works great for curl definition and volume creation – especially when applied to hair roots. Mousse is not sticky and is mostly lightweight. So, once your hair dries, you don’t feel you’ve applied anything!
Here are some tips for choosing the right styling product:
- Weigh the pros and cons of each and determine which one you want to try the most.
- There’s no need to use all of them together. As a beginner, use only one.
- Once you become used to defining your curls with one product, you can collect the rest and experiment. You can also apply all three products in layers, then.
- Don’t blindly bag any styling product that says “for curly hair.” Check its ingredient list and avoid anything with sulfates, silicones, parabens, petrochemicals, and alcohol.
- Apply the styling product on completely wet hair – not damp – and scrunch your hair to the roots.
- Ensure your wet hair looks good; the same style will stay when the hair dries.
4. Use a diffuser
It’s best to air-dry curls and avoid heat completely. However, if you’re in a hurry, always use a diffuser on low heat and gentle settings. Sometimes, dry your hair 100% and sometimes 80% to experiment.
5. Deep condition once in a while
Deep condition at least once every 1-2 weeks to hydrate your dry curls. This also helps detangle your hair faster.
Use the product post-shampoo, put on your shower cap, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
If you don’t see much difference, apply the deep conditioner or oil on dry hair for 30 minutes before shampooing. Then, apply shampoo and regular conditioner and wash as usual.
Conclusion
While you provide the best care for your curls, don’t forget to take a few pictures before starting the journey. Take pictures even when you experiment with the same routine. These will help you figure out what works best for you quickly!
