Girls (and boys) with curly hair know that the “lather – rinse – repeat” formula doesn’t work as seamlessly as it would with straight-haired folks.
Curly hair can be unruly, fuzzy, and difficult to control. Hence, why many would seek out hair styling products and treatments to keep it at bay.
Here are 7 steps to manage and maintain healthy curly hair every day of the week.
7 Steps to Managing and Maintaining Healthy Curly Hair
1) Skip The Harsh Drying Equipment
Lay off the blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons if you want to maintain the strength and lustre of your curls. Misuse of these types of equipment can lead to the weakening of your cuticles and also adds to a messy, frizzy look.
Instead, let it dry naturally as you step out of the shower. If you must style it with heat, consider using a diffuser since it is gentler and distributes heat evenly.
How to diffuse? Start at the roots using circular motions, inching to the same direction as you go. Keep the dryer at a 90-degree angle to your scalp. Then, diffuse. Once your hair is dry, hit the diffuser’s cool button and rock your look with glamour.
2) Smooth Out The Tangles Before Washing
Scrubbing and piling your hair on your scalp as you shampoo is bad practice. It would lead to tangles that are difficult to maintain and fix.
Instead, you should aim to break down your tangles and curls. Before you rinse, divide your hair by clipping or twisting it into sections, around four is a good estimate (or more for extra thick hair). Apply a keratin hair treatment prior to adding small dollop of shampoo or conditioner per division thoroughly. After that, squeeze it along the lengths.
Rinse and repeat, from top to bottom. By the end of it, your curls will be damage-free — guaranteed.
3) For Shampoo, It’s Quality Over Quantity
The shampoo is the centrepiece of any hair care routine, even more so for people with curly hair. For a start, it’s recommended to shampoo curly hair thrice a week.
Shampoo is used for a variety of things, namely:
- Wash away excess oil
- Prevent buildup in scalp
- Remove dead skin cells
The shampoo needs of a curly-haired individual are vastly different from those rocking straight hairstyles. For instance, curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair. As this is the case, using a gentle, hydrating, and non-stripping shampoo, like Pump Haircare’s Curly Girl products, is essential to allow your curly hair to have a glossy look – without all the frizz.
4) Add Moisture and Bounce With Conditioner
With the wrong shampoo product, your curly may start to dry, dull, and frizzle out. That’s why it’s always a good idea to own a conditioner to balance dry spells out and promote a healthy pH level in your scalp.
Putting on a dollop of conditioner to your scalp smooths and detangles hair follicles, which reduces breakages and split ends. Aside from that, it also moisturises your scalp, weakening the chances of getting frizzy ends and loose follicles.
If your hair is prone to drying (and c’mon, curly hair girls like us know that it is), the right conditioner will moisturise your hair and give it the glow it deserves.
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5) Use Micro-Fiber Towels or a Soft Cotton T-Shirt
Using a rough towel can lead to frizz and tangled-up curls. Instead, look into using microfiber towels with a gentle finish or even a soft cotton T-shirt to extract moisture from your hair follicles.
Here’s how to do it: First, plop the microfiber towel down on your wet hair gently, which absorbs the water. Afterward, gently place your curls in the towel and twist it. When the towel is securely knotted on the curls, untwist, then tie it with a clip. After 30 minutes, remove the towel, and you got yourself frizz-free curls!
6) Invest In A Top Quality Comb and Brush
Unlike straight-haired girls, curly hair girls struggle to find the right quality comb for their hair texture. That’s why it’s important to know what comb and brush to look for to best fit your style.
A good brush is important if you want to separate and define wet curls seamlessly. Not all of them are built with curly hair in mind, so always do your research to ensure the brush you plan to buy fits your needs.
7) Turn Down The Water Levels
Hot water may be a prerequisite to a luxurious spa-like experience, but cold water is better if you want your hair to shine and to reduce frizz.
Showering with cold water comes with a lot of benefits:
- It invigorates the scalp
- Improves circulation
- Improves gloss and shine
- Reduce hair loss
So if you want your hair to look like that of a celebrity, consider a few minutes of being blasted with cold water in the shower for that frizz-free look.
No one said feeling glamorous is easy.
