When I was a little girl, I had pin straight hair. It couldn’t get any straighter. I didn’t think anything of it. As I started to get older into my teens, my hair started to frizz up. I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t know why my hair had to misbehave so badly. I straightened it everyday, but it still didn’t look good. Finally, by the end of my senior year in high school, I figured it out. My hair was curly.

What I originally thought was a ‘hair curse’ was in fact my hair going from pin straight to bouncy curls. I don’t have very tight curls, but with the right care of styling, they can be pretty bouncy.

Some people think curly hair is a bad thing. They call frizzy hair curly hair as if they are synonyms. They are not. Often curly hair is frizzy, but even straight hair can get frizzy if it isn’t taken care of right.

If you’re struggling with your curls, you’re not alone. Many people have curly or wavy hair that sometimes misbehaves. Use the following tips to help set up a curly hair care routine that will keep your locks looking fabulous.

What is Curly Hair?

Curly hair is curly due to the shape of the hair shaft. Curly hair is usually dryer and more prone to frizz. Hair is made up of the protein keratin. Hair grows, but the hair follicle is the only living part of the hair. Once it pushes through the hair follicle, it emerges out to become the part we see sprouting from our heads.

Types of Curly Hair

Not all curly hair is created equally. Some people have large, loose curls or waves and others have very tight or kinky curls. Some curly hair is fine and some is wiry. Curly hair in general tends to be thinner than straight hair. Some people mistaken course hair for thick hair when it is really just flatter than thick hair which is more cylindrical.

Does the type of curls you have matter? Usually, the tighter the curls, the dryer the hair is. Also, more product might be needed to keep curlier hair from getting frizzy. It doesn’t matter what kind of curls or waves you have, they can all be tamed with proper hair care.

How to Take Care of Curly Hair

Taking good care of curly hair means treating your curls right and using the right products. What’s good for straight hair is likely not-so-good for curly hair. It might take an extra couple minutes in the shower, but your styling time should drop. That is a pretty good trade-off considering how long it takes to straighten your hair.

The Cleansing Process

Since the recent curly hair revolution (that’s what I’m calling it!), shampoo has changed. It doesn’t sit on the hair care product hierarchy like it used to. Ordinary shampoo is not good for curly hair. It’s really not good for any kind of hair, but some straight and wavy hair can get away with it, and might need a little more cleaning action than curly hair cleansers.

Shampoo contains sulfates that damage and dry out the hair. Dry hair means frizzy, stiff, unruly hair. Do you think you need to shampoo everyday because your hair gets oily? You’re probably exacerbating the problem by using shampoo.

When you use shampoo, you’re washing away all the dirt and oil including good oils. Sebum, which is hair oil, is produced to protect your strands of hair. When you shampoo, you strip it all away which leaves your hair unprotected. Then, you try to make up for it by adding a half gallon of conditioner.

Your scalp begins to feel dryer over time. It thinks it has to produce more oil because it keeps losing it all. It’s just a repetitive circle. More shampoo means dryer skin which causes the scalp to produce more oil which needs to be washed away by more shampoo and so on.

When you first start reducing the amount of shampoo you use, your hair will probably feel oily. Stick with it. Your scalp will adjust. It will also be happier. Those who have dandruff issues will notice an improvement from less shampoo, too.

Some curly-haired individuals will reduce their shampoo use to once or twice a week. This is best for those with wavy hair or very loose curls. Some will choose to stop using shampoo because it works best for them. Don’t worry, this isn’t gross if it’s done right. Just because you’re not using shampoo doesn’t mean you aren’t cleaning your hair.

Conditioner Wash and Other Alternatives

A conditioner wash is just the process of using ordinary conditioner to wash your hair and scalp. Many find using a cheap conditioner such as Suave, VO5, or White Rain is perfect for this job. It’s cheap so they can use as much as they want, and it’s not as moisturizing so it will do a better cleaning job. There are also cleansing creams available on the market specifically for curly hair, but these are often more expensive for the same result.

To wash your hair with conditioner, first rinse your hair and scalp thoroughly with warm water while massaging it. Apply dabs of conditioner all over your scalp with the tips of your fingers. I find it’s easiest to do a little at a time and apply to each spot separately. You can apply it to the length of your hair if it feels dirty, or you can leave it be.

Let it sit for a minute or two if possible. Before rinsing, use the tips of your fingers to vigorously scrub your scalp all over. Be careful not to tangle your hair, and don’t use your fingernails. You shouldn’t scratch your scalp because this will just irritate it. You may find it is easiest to comb out your hair completely before you get in the shower because it makes the whole washing process easier. Plus, your hair will break less if you comb it when dry. When it’s wet, it’s stretched out and more fragile making it easier to break.

Thoroughly rinse your hair while continuing to massage your scalp. Be thorough rinsing out every last bit of conditioner. If your hair still feels dirty, do another wash. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to your conditioner to help get rid of the oil better.

You might find that your hair responds best when you use conditioner daily and use shampoo once a week, once a month, or once in a while. Experiment to find the best routine.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing is an important step that is accomplished through conditioner. In this step, you’ll use conditioner the same way you’re used to using it. You might not need as much as you normally would when you’re washing with conditioner because your hair won’t be as dry overall.

Try to stay away from conditioners with a lot of silicones. These are hard, often impossible, to clean out of your hair without shampoo. If you use them without getting rid of them with shampoo, they will build up and weigh down your hair.

Look for a good, thick conditioner. My favorite to use is Garnier Fructis Moisture Works, but you can also try other brands such as Aveeno Nourish Plus Moisturize Conditioner, L’Oreal Paris EverSleek Intense Smoothing Conditioner, or Aussie Moist Conditioner. These are all good choices. Most of them also have a ‘natural’ choice which is good for the earth and your hair and scalp.

Apply the conditioner, and let it sit for at least 1 minute to get the full benefit.Carefully rinse it out of your hair. Make sure the water is as cool as you can stand it. This will seal the cuticle and help prevent frizz. Leave a small amount of conditioner in the length of the hair, or reapply about a pea to dime size amount of conditioner to the length. The amount you use will depend on the length, thickness, and dryness of your hair.

Styling

What I love most about having curly hair is how quick and easy it is to style. It does take a lot longer to dry, but I’m okay with this. If you need your hair to be dry faster, use a diffuser on low heat or on the cool setting. A diffuser spreads the heat throughout your hair minimizing the amount of frizz and damage it causes. You can get a diffuser attachment for your hair dryer here.

When you are finished with your shower, leave your hair soaking wet. Apply your favorite styler. I recommend using a simple hair gel such as Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel or Fruit of the Earth 100% Aloe Vera Gel. I use aloe, and I like it a lot because it’s light and doesn’t leave a film on my hair. I also use the gel once and a while for a stronger hold.

Apply the gel, or another product of your choice, by pouring it into your hands, spreading it over the palms of your hands, and combing it through your hair with your fingers. Start from the root, if you get a lot of flyaways. If you don’t get flyaways, start further down your hair. Use a wide toothed comb to evenly distribute it. Make sure your hair is sopping wet at this point, don’t squeeze out water.

Next, squeeze the water out of your hair by scrunching up your curls toward your head. Some people like to flip their head over and scrunch their hair up that way. Try a few different ways to see what works for you. Use a microfiber towel to squeeze your hair in the same way and pull out any excess water. If you have time, scrunch your hair up toward your hair with the towel and tie it around your head.

Avoiding Damage

Avoid further damage to your hair by staying away from heat whenever possible. Use a diffuser on low heat if you need it. Don’t use a flat iron or curling iron. These will fry your hair and damage it. If possible, stay away from hair dye, too. If you do dye your hair, use more conditioner. Use a deep conditioner at least once a week.