How to Manage Curly Hair

 Amanda Blain

Just how do you manage curly hair? I think anyone with naturally curly hair would agree that curly hair is a mixed blessing. Sometimes we love our curly hair and other times we wish we could make it smooth and straight. If we could only maintain those smooth defined tendrils that got us so many complements as a child. But alas, as we mature our adorable baby curls often can become an uncontrollable frizzy mess. So just how do you manage curly hair?

First let’s examine what makes hair curly in the first place. Whether your hair is straight or curly depends on the shape of the hair shaft, which is determined by the shape of the hair follicle. A cross section view of a straight hair would appear round, while a similar view of a curly hair would appear oval. This shape is determined by a genetic pre-disposition. The hair type you have is likely going to be the same for your life.

How to tips for styling curly hair

To achieve smooth well defined curls on medium to long hair, shampoo your hair and leave it wet. Remove tangles with a wide tooth comb and a good detangling product.  Sound easy enough?

To style curly hair straight takes a little more effort. First shampoo your hair and remove tangles. Begin styling while the hair is very wet. Divide into one inch sections starting at the nape of the neck and work your way up to the crown of your head.  This soothes and temporarily straightens hair while protecting it from the effects of heat styling. Be careful to keep the air flow from your dryer away from you scalp and towards the ends of your hair. When the hair is completely dry you may finish with a ceramic flat iron. The result will be smooth, shiny and straight hair that will stay that way until your next shampoo.

How to manage Curly Hair Best Tips

1. Don’t use Very hot Water

Cold water keeps the cuticle of your hair closed so you can keep more moisture in your hair. Hot water can dry your hair out. So try and keep the hot water down. It might not be the best shower experience but your hair will thank you with shinier, less frizzy locks.

2. Use a lot of Hair Conditioner

More so that straight hair you will loose moisture. Try out a deep conditioning treatment for best results. Apply to hair and put on a plastic cap for 10 minutes out of the shower and then rinse clean.

3. Use satin bed sheets

Rough bed sheets can cause your hair to break.  Even though your cotton bedsheets feel nice and smooth your hair might feel otherwise. Use satin sheets for the best results to minimize breakage while you sleep. Another option is to purchase a satin sleeping cap or scarf and use that.

4. Stop using heat tools

Everyone know heat tools cause damage to your hair… So stop using them! Blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons are out! Try out our tips for creating no heat curls instead.

5. Skip daily shampooing

Curly hair doesn’t need to be shampooed daily. If you shower every day, skip the shampoo and still apply the conditioner. Your hair will thank you.

There you have it! Curly hair can be a lot of work. You might wish it was super straight and flat. Curly hair is both a blessing and a curse. With a few straight forward and easy tips though you can keep your curly hair manageable and beautiful so give some of these tips a try and let us know how it goes!