How to Take Care of Curly Hair – Expert Tips
Anyone with curly hair knows how difficult it can be to maintain. Staying on top of your tresses’ daily needs is a struggle when they have a mind of their own. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to keep your curls looking gorgeous without damaging them in the process.
In this article, we’ll be covering how to take care of curly hair and maintain the curls for the long term — with tips for keeping frizz under control, getting perfect waves, and saving money.
Minimize Brushing
No matter how tempted you feel to use a brush on your curly hair, don’t do it. Instead, opt for a wide-tooth comb as it can gently detangle the curls before shampooing. After shampooing, style your curls with your fingers or the same comb you used before to keep the shape of your curls intact. It is best to avoid brushing wet hair as it can cause breakage and damage.
There is an exception though. That is when you have the conditioner on as combing ensures all the strands of hair are well coated with conditioner. Remember to choose a hairbrush with bristles made from natural materials instead of plastic.
Pre-wash Treatment
One of the most popular hair treatments for curly or wavy hair is a pre-shampoo treatment. You can apply a regular or leave-in conditioner and put on a shower cap and wait for 10-15 minutes before moving to shampoo. It will prepare the hair for washing and helps eliminate frizz while preventing split ends.
Watch Out for Heat
Heat styling tools can damage your curls. Avoid heat styling and use a good heat protectant spray whenever possible to help keep your curls looking shiny and healthy. When drying your hair, remember that it doesn’t need to be completely dry before it dries. It is suggested you use a diffuser as it’ll distribute the heat evenly, but don’t overdo it and leave some of the water in to dry naturally.
Choose the Right Products
When buying hair care products, pick the ones that are specifically designed for curly hair. Look for products that include natural oils, plant extracts, and butter. Go for shampoos that are mild and contain gentler conditioning and cleaning agents. We have had a good experience with products from Bumble and Bumble and have their curl lineup readily available at our salon.
Pro Tip: Using too much shampoo or conditioner is not good for your curly hair (and pocket) as it can quickly drain the natural moisture. To prevent this, dilute the quantity you are planning to use in water and then use it.
Embrace Cold Water
Hot water is good for your skin to help flush out toxins, but not so much for your curly hair. Hot water rinses can strip the natural oil/sebum from your hair and scalp. So it’s best to use cold water to retain more moisture and strength in your curls. Cold rinses also helps to seal the hair cuticle.
Good Sleep Routine
When you sleep on your back, you place too much weight on the hair follicles, which can lead to more frizzy and messy hair. To avoid that you can either sleep on your side or stomach. Or better yet, tie your hair into a bun or a loose ponytail to reduce the friction between your hair and the pillowcase. To reduce the friction further, you can opt for silk or satin pillowcases instead of cotton.
You can also consider using a hair mask, curl maintenance oils or leave-in conditioner before bed to lock the moisture in your curls as you sleep.
Bonus Tips
Here are some additional tried and tested tips that will help in keeping your curls:
- Avoid washing your hair daily as it removes natural oils. Instead, do it once every 2 or 3 days.
- Use a hair cream or gel designed to keep curly hairs moisturized and in place. Use it in moderation as too much of it can weigh down your hair.
- Roll up your curly hair using hairpins or sponge rollers.
- Keep the curls intact by skipping conditioners once in a while.
Easy Hairstyles for Curly Hair
10 Hairstyles that you can easily try with your curly hair:
Takeaway Message
The key thing to understand about curly hair is that they need more moisture than straight hair as they dry out easily. Secondly, invest in genuine products that improve curl health. We at Nalu Salon are equipped with such high quality curl maintenance products that our experts can suggest according to your needs.
That was it for this article. Get in touch to book an appointment and get the best haircut for your curly hair in the Birmingham, MI area.
Call us on 248-566-3900 or step into our salon to grab the latest hair care products at:
Nalu Salon
887 E. Maple Rd
Birmingham, MI 48009.
