15 Things to Remember When Taking Care of Your Curly Hair

Most people who have curly hair find it really difficult to style, care for and wear their hair in a presentable manner. It is true that there are quite a lot of problems associated with curly hair, but with a few simple curly hair care tips, you can easily manage and wear your hair like you want to. Curly hair is prone to being brittle and fragile and hence breaks easily. It is also coarse in texture, dry, frizzy and thick which makes it even more difficult to manage this hair type.

Chemically straightening the hair seems like the only solution for most people who have given up trying different hairstyles and styling techniques to manage their hair. The tips for curly hair mentioned below will make your hair so beautiful that you will surely fall in love with it all over again. Read more on how to manage curly hair.

Here are some tips and tricks to turn unruly curls into beautiful sleek hair.

1. Find a good moisturizing conditioner that won’t flatten out your curls. Try to avoid anything which strips curly hair. Try something that smells yummy, but will add moisture or shine.
2. Don’t wash your hair with shampoo every day. This kind of hair needs the natural oils from your scalp to reduce frizz. No more than four washes every week is good. For your off days, use the rinse and condition regimen.
3. Hop into the shower, rinse your hair out with cool water, and apply shampoo if needed. As an alternative you can choose to not use shampoo and scrub your scalp with conditioner instead. Always clean your hair after swimming in chlorinated water using a non-sulfate shampoo or a homemade recipe
4. Distribute conditioner throughout your hair. Comb your hair out, parting it as you go. Try a semi-cold rinse, that seals the hair cuticle, making it extra shiny. Let your hair drip after your shower is done and do not comb it through any more.
5. Avoid wringing or rubbing it with a towel. Gently scrunch out most of the water with your fingers while you’re still in the shower.
6. Let it air dry for about 15 minutes, but do not touch or comb your hair. If your hair is very thick or frizzes easily you may want to put in hair products immediately after getting out of the shower.
7. Choose a good leave-in-conditioner or cream. Apply to bottom 3/4 of hair. Spread product onto both palms and scrunch in gently. Leave-in-conditioner can be reasonably priced.
8. Scrunch in a liquidy gel designed to combat frizz (this step is optional).
9. Put in some curl-defining mousse or gel. Spread product onto both palms and scrunch in gently. Alternatively, rake in the product with your hands and then scrunch the curls back in. This is good for wavier hair types. Also experiment with scrunching upside down to give your roots a lift.
10. Shape the hair by scrunching it some more and twirling pieces around a finger.Also, if you wait till the hair is still fairly damp but you can see the hair going curly, take hold of an individual curl,get some gel (wet-look works well)and spread it through the curl. This really stops frizzing.
11. Let the hair air-dry preferably. Do not touch while drying or your hair will frizz. If you must, blow-dry your hair on the coolest/slowest setting with a diffuser until it is about 80% dry to avoid frizz.And do not blow dry hair every day; it will damage and dry out hair. Only do it if you really need to.
12. Choose a hairdresser experienced in curly/dry hair. A lot of hairdressers who are more experienced with mainly straight hair don’t understand the needs of curvaceous cuties.
13. Have your hairdresser help you choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain- preferably one that just requires a wet-and-go approach. Long layers are often create a great shape and make the hair easier to untangle.
14. Visit your stylist at least three times a year to trim split ends and reshape your hair if it is healthy (more if not). Don’t let your hairstylist use a razor to layer your hair (although long layers good). Razors cause ratty looking ends which will contribute to split ends.
15. Avoid heat at all costs. Don’t straighten your curls very often – curly hair is much more fun to look at, play with, and to twirl! Also, do not brush curly hair dry, unless you want a ‘fro.