Does your hair always dry frizzy after washing? You might have curly hair! Try to find what works for you, and work with your hair rather than against it. Put down the heat products and embrace your curls and waves!
The first step is to find out your curl pattern, which can be pretty complicated. Something I have struggled with is having different curl patterns for different strands of my hair. Most people have a range of curl patterns in their hair, but your most common pattern is what you can use to define your hair as a whole. Look at the picture below and find what pattern matches your hair the most. Once you find what hair type you have, then you can use it to find what products work best for your specific hair type.
For tighter, curlier hair, heavier products work better to help control and maintain curls. For looser curls and waves, lighter products can help bring the best out of your hair. An easy mistake to make for looser curls is using a heavy product, which can weigh your hair down and not suit it well. Curl Smith, Ms. Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls, and SheaMoisture are amazing products to use for a range of hair types. The product I use, which can be used for any hair type, is the SheaMoisture Curl Cream. For looser curls, take a little bit of product and dilute it with water so it doesn’t weigh your hair down.
The beginning of your curly hair routine starts in the shower, where you should comb your hair through when it’s wet. This is only advised for people with curly or wavy hair as combing your hair in the shower can damage straight hair. For the best results, start with soaking wet hair, right out of the shower, take your curl cream, diluted or full strength, and rake it through your hair. The method I use is to comb your curls through with your hands so the product evenly distributes to all parts of your hair. I try to keep the product away from my roots so that it does not weigh my hair down. If you want extra defined curls, you can put any gel on after you’re done styling, while it’s still wet, to limit the amount of frizz.
Once you have your curl cream in your hair, there are two methods you can use to start defining your hair. For more definition and less volume, I would use finger curls. To finger curl your hair, find one clump of hair and follow it all the way to the end. There will be a slight curve one way at the end of the strand. With that bend take both index fingers and pinch it in between your fingers. Following the direction of the bend, start rolling your fingers, almost like a hair roller, all the way up to your roots. Hold it up there for about 5-10 seconds, letting it set. To let it go, slip one index finger out of the curl and follow the pattern of the curl all the way down with your other hand–and you’ve created one perfectly defined curl! With this method, you will have to repeat the finger curls individually for all the strands on your head.
Another option to curl your hair is to use a brush, specifically a denman brush. To start, separate a clump of your hair and bring it away from your head a little. Place the brush under your strand of hair at the root and start to comb it down, keeping tension all the way through. Do not be alarmed if your hair looks almost completely straight right after you comb through. To get the curl to come up, hold the strand at the root and shake it a little. This will allow your natural curl pattern to come through. To maintain your hair after the first day, I would recommend investing in a silk bonnet or pillowcase to sleep in. Combing your hair after it is dry is not advised as it will make you lose most of your curls, so trying not to comb it will be your best bet.
There are pros and cons to both techniques. Personally, I prefer the finger coiling technique when I style my hair for an event and I want perfect, picturesque curls. However, the downside to the finger coils is that they are much more time-consuming than the brush technique. Finger coiling my whole head takes me around thirty minutes, while using a brush only takes about 10-15 minutes. The brushing technique also gives a lot more volume because you start styling at the root, which lifts the hair from the root.
These are just tips and tricks that have worked for me when finding the perfect curly hair routine, but it will take trial and error to find the perfect recipe for curly hair.