Thursday, February 6, 2020
If you have curly hair, you already know how freaking ~moody~ it is. You can kiss it and hug it and load it with all the best creams, gels, and conditioners, yet it can still poof out, frizz up, deflate, or look like you’ve neglected it for the past five years (is this what having kids feels like?).
And although you’ve probably got a good handle on what your curls and coils do and don’t like, that doesn’t mean you can’t play around with a few new tricks to live your best curl life. Which is where I come in. I rounded up the 13 tips, hacks, and products you really, truly need to know (or, realistically, be reminded of because you keep ignoring them). Give ’em a skim, learn something, and get ready for really, really excellent hair. Truth: I use about 80 percent of these tips to get my curls below:
1. How to Detangle Curly Hair
THE TRICK: USE A CURL-SPECIFIC DETANGLING BRUSH.
In the most ideal of worlds, you wouldn’t detangle your curly hair when it’s wet. Why? Because hair—especially fine or damaged hair—is extra fragile when it’s wet, leading to breakage, split ends, and even more tangles. Instead, before hopping in the shower, gently brush through your dry curls with a detangling brush specifically meant for your coils (they usually have longer teeth at varied lengths).
While in the shower (or after towel-drying your hair and adding your curl products), gently detangle your wet hair again with a wide-tooth comb to distribute the products without breaking up your curl pattern.
2. How to Prevent Breakage on Curly Hair
THE TRICK: BRUSH FROM THE BOTTOM LIKE YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD.
No, this isn’t exactly a secret, but I’m willing to bet you never actually follow the rules, so, hey, I’m repeating it again. And again. Don’t start brushing your hair from your roots or even from the middle of your hair, or you’re basically begging for breakage and split ends.
Each time you start brushing from your roots, you push tiny knots lower and lower until you create a big ol’ snarled mess. Instead, brush from the ends, gradually and gently moving upward. Your curls will thank you.
3. How to Deep-Condition Curly Hair
THE TRICK: APPLY YOUR CONDITIONER TO DRY HAIR, NOT WET.
It sounds insane, but the key to keeping your curls really, really moisturized is to use your deep conditioner on dry hair to help maximize its potency. “You don’t want your conditioner to compete with water for space in your hair cuticle,” says Mona Gohara, MD, dermatologist at Yale University.
Basically, if your strands are already saturated with water, they won’t be able to absorb as much conditioner. So before stepping into the shower, rake giant blobs of deep conditioner through your hair, twist and clip it up, slide on a shower cap, and wait 20 mins. Then, hop in the shower, wash your body, do your shaving (if you’re into that), and let the steam from the shower help the conditioner penetrate your strands. Finish by washing your hair as usual.
4. How to Wash Curly Hair Without Stripping It
THE TRICK: MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANSING CONDITIONER.
An annoying thing about curly-hair products: They’re often way too heavy for anyone with fine curls. But on the flip side, most “regular” shampoos are often too drying. So instead of playing a game of risk, try making your own cleansing conditioner that will gently cleanse your scalp while moisturizing your curls.
Just mix a squeeze of sulfate-free shampoo with a few squeezes of your favorite conditioner in the palm of your hand, then massage it into your roots before rinsing. Make sure to still use a conditioner on your ends for max moisture.
5. How to Take Care of Really Dry Curly Hair
THE TRICK: SKIP THE SHAMPOO AND CO-WASH INSTEAD.
If you have extra-dry curls (or if you have type 4 hair), skip the shampoo completely and try co-washing—aka washing your hair with only conditioner or a specific co-wash formula. Co-wash your curls once a week or as often as needed to keep your hair moisturized without drying it out.
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