Just because curly hair is more prone to drying out, frizz and tangles, it doesn’t mean you cannot rock a curly hair style and enjoy the look all day long. Learning to style curly hair is all about the three Ts, technology, technique, and tools.
Voluminous ringlets that make every other girl envious are easy to create and maintain whether they’re natural or treated. And this post shares nine of our top tips on how to style curly hair and maintain your desired look!
Invest In Good Flat Iron
A good quality flat iron with ceramic or tourmaline plates allows you to achieve a smooth, straight style without damaging your curls because the plates use the minimum amount of heat needed. As a bonus, ceramic and tourmaline plates reduce frizz and flyaways.
Pro-tip: Flat irons with features like ionic technology that will add shine and strength to your curls while reducing frizz because they produce negative ions stopping water from absorbing and causing curly hair problems.
Diffusers Are A Girl’s Best Friend (If You Have Curly Hair)
Using a diffuser attachment on your hair dryer enhances and defines your curls rather than just blowing them straight like you would with your hair dryer. The diffuser sends the heat over a larger area to prevent frizz, and the prongs separate and lift your curls to give them more volume and bounce.
Go Out On A “Trim”
Getting regular haircuts keeps your curly hair looking healthy and makes it easier to maintain the shape of your curls. This is because the split ends and breakage are routinely being trimmed so they cannot spread upwards.
Regular hair trims help prevent split ends from spreading, so you’ll have a healthier look and less frizz, not to mention enhance your natural curl pattern. As a bonus, your stylist will be able to help keep your locks bouncy and luxurious with expert advice and new trends for styling curly hair.
Your Towel Matters
To dry your hair, choose a microfiber towel over cotton or terry cloth, because microfiber is more absorbent which protects your curls. Microfiber dries your curls faster so you’ll have less frizz, breakage, and tangles.
Pro-tip: To dry and style your curls even faster, gently scrunch them upward. This encourages your curls to clump together, and the water has less surface area to evaporate from.
Avoid The Big 3 in Styling and Cleaning Products
Avoid sulfates, silicones, and parabens when you style your curly hair, because these products do more harm than good.
- Silicones make your hair shiny, but also block moisture from entering your hair while weighing it down.
- Sulfates remove the good oils from your hair.
- Parabens (which are listed with the prefixes methyl, propyl, butyl, or ethyl), are a type of preservative intended to increase a product's shelf life, but don’t actually help your hair at all.
Bottoms Up
When you start at the bottom of your hair and brush your way up, you gently detangle your curls without pulling on them too much. Pulling on tangles can cause hair strands to stretch and break. If you style your curly hair by brushing roots down, you push the tiny knots down which causes snarls.
Pro-tip: When styling curly hair, always use a paddle brush or glove designed for detangling. The less stress you put on your strands, the less breakage your hair will suffer and because your hair is detangled faster and you’ll save time.
Wet Is Best
Combing or brushing your curls while they are still wet allows your curls to dry in their natural pattern keeping your curls well defined because the cuticle is raised. Wet hair helps your comb or brush glide through your hair more easily minimizing tangles and breakage. It also distributes hair products more evenly to better define and enhance your curls.
Prevent Frizz Overnight
Two tricks to avoid frizz with curly hair overnight are:
- Pineappling your hair. This is when you gather your hair on top of your head and secure it with a hair tie before going to sleep. This technique prevents frizz by keeping your hair in a smooth, contained position while you sleep preventing tangles and knots as you toss and turn.
- Satin or silk pillowcases allow your curls to slip and slide over the top, so they don’t become damaged.
Pro-tip: Use a spiral hair tie as the design is less likely to get stuck or snag, and they are more comfortable to sleep with compared to elastics which pull and rip.
Turn Up The Volume
To make your curls look fuller and bouncier, wash your hair and wait until your hair is about 70% dry. At this stage your cuticle will be more malleable and open to add in clips and ties. When you place your hair clips, set them as close to your scalp as possible wherever you want volume.
The trick is to get underneath your hair strands for better root access and to not disturb your ringlets. Once your hair is completely dry, remove the clips. Because your cuticle is closed it will hold the volume and enhance your curls.
Learning to style curly hair is easy when you have the right tools, techniques, and technology. Whether you switch to a flat iron with ionic features, or use the right type of towel, you’re ready to rock your curls all day while preventing frizz, flyaways and split ends.
