Caring for Curly Hair. Lots of girls spend hours straightening their hair every day. They have the most beautiful curls, yet struggle with caring for them. Frizz and volume are seen as the ultimate enemies.
While taking care of curly hair is a bit of a handful, once you know how to do it, you have nothing to worry about. Curly hair is unique, so you will never find your hair looking the same way it did a few days ago. Below you will find the ultimate guidebook to caring for curly hair:
1. Use a Sulfate and Silicon-Free Shampoo
The key is to find shampoos that cater specifically to curly hair. Alcohols, sulfates, and silicon are to be avoided at all costs as they dry out the hair and soak up all the moisture.
Curly hair, by definition, is dry. It needs an extra boost of moisture that other hair types may not need. This is why it is crucial to oil curly hair every week and do a deep conditioning treatment- this could include a banana or an avocado mask.
2. Comb Your Hair in the Shower
Have you ever combed your curls when they are dry, only to see an explosion that looks like the nest of a thousand birds?
Never, ever comb your hair dry. This will lead to more breakage and tangles and overall painful experience- who wants that, right? After shampooing your hair, lather on some (a lot) of conditioner, wet your hair again, and slowly finger comb it. Start from the tips and work your way to the roots. Once your hair is tangle-free, run a wide-tooth comb through it.
Make sure to be patients as wet hair can break very easily if you tug and pull too much.
3. Dry Your Hair with a Microfiber Cloth or Cotton T-shirt
For starters, never use a conventional towel to dry your hair. This will cause the cuticles to open, in turn making your hair frizzy.
Gently scrunch excess water out of your hair using a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt. Not only will this help your hair dry faster, but it will also help define the curls as they absorb the water being scrunched in.
4. Leave-in Conditioner is Your Best Friend
Textured hair requires moisture. The easiest way to get that moisture is through your conditioner. After washing out all that shampoo and conditioner in your hair, take some amount of conditioner into your palms again and smooth it onto your hair, slowly scrunching it in.
Leave-in conditioner nourishes curly hair and forms a protective barrier that keeps frizz and breakage away, while also protecting the hair from UV damage.
5. Protect Your Hair When You Sleep
While it might take some time getting used to, this step is the ultimate game-changer. Cotton is too hard a fabric not just for curly hair, but for all hair types. It sucks the moisture out of the hair and strips it of its natural oils.
Switch to a silk pillowcase and wrap your curls in a silk hair scarf every night- this will preserve the curl pattern, reduce friction, and you’ll wake up with beautiful shiny curls!
For more information on how Missouri College of Cosmetology can help you, contact us today.