Curly Hair Tips: A ‘Must-Know’ Guide

Does it seem those curly locks of yours do what they want when they want rather than what you want them to do?

It can be a struggle alright. Yet you can actually maintain great looking curls by following some simple, if mostly unwritten, rules.

Julie Keifer should know. She has luscious looking curls. You know the type. They cascade just below her shoulders in glossy coiled loveliness.

No wonder she is used to getting a lot of compliments on her hair.

That is until her ‘do suddenly began to frizz out. Her usual stable of hacks for styling those lush tendrils no longer worked. She needed help and fast.

Crazy as it sounds, Julie discovered a new way to tackle that frizz. “I just mix some honey and water and lightly smooth it over my hair,” she smiled. “How much honey used depends on the state of things. But now my curls look amazing.”

Oh and if you don’t have any honey handy, yet you want to tame those unmanageable curls, here are some additional tips and tricks for those struggling with hairstyles for really curly hair.

Caring for Tousled Textured Curls Made Easy

First it helps to work some mousse through your conditioned mane when styling, for full bodied, healthy, frizz-free curls.

Then for curls that fall better, rinse your hair after shampooing while tilting your head back under the shower. Your curls will turn out amazing after they’ve dried.

Or you could embrace the squish to condish method. We delved deeply into that hydration technique and answered six or seven questions it if you’re curious.

Some feel success starts at the salon thinking a bit of layering works wonders.

If you have yet to embrace layers, you may want to test out layering or at least discuss it with your stylist. If she knows how to cut hair like yours she can help you decide if layering might help. In many cases it makes the unruliest ringlets easier to manage.

Yet if you’re worried about curly layers, don’t be.

Julie reassured, “Just so long as your stylist realizes that after they cut it wet, BOING! the hair will shrink when it’s dry you’re okay. Layers cut right will give you lots more volume to work with without feeling heavy. It totally takes the weight out and cuts down on the tendency for things to poof out on you too.”

Keifer added, “Two tips that really worked for me include “blot drying” my hair after shampooing using a t-shirt rather than a terry cloth towel. And when I do use styling lotion, I put it on in sections to make it easier to work through thoroughly.”

The One Thing You MUST Avoid Doing

“Of course the very best tip you can follow is don’t touch curls any more than you have to. Whether you diffuse or air dry, mousse or gel, the more you touch the less volume you’ll have and the more frizz you’re likely to get. So when it’s wet get it into the shape you want it to end up in, and then leave it alone,” Julie advised.

You can also use product to bring out the best in your hair.

When it comes to products curl defining cream can help. Rub it on your hands and then scrunch it in.

Or you might see what serum can do for you. You may find that it helps smooth and make your tresses look better groomed more under control. Just use a little on those wild ends if you do try it.

Others swear by a conditioning regimen that they follow as religiously as a Kardashian might. Because a proper deep conditioning routine will moisturize your strands and help tame the frizz.

Plus it helps make any detangling process after you step out of the shower go smoother.

Julie prefers using a natural approach. “Often I tie everything up when deep conditioning and then take it down after a couple of hours. It’s a good way of getting soft curls naturally. When I’m in a hurry, I’ll dab on some gel and scrunch a bit.”

Thanks Julie. Yet as good as some of those pointer are there are more.

Next let’s turn to the video for…

15 Everyday Tricks For Curly Hair

Terrific’s Takes:

As is pointed out on the video, since you can’t do anything about it, it’s wise to embrace your curls and learn to love them. While it isn’t easy living with curly waviness, believe it or not, the glass half full says you have vastly more versatility than girls with pin straight strands. You can wear yours curly, straight, or wavy.

The one mistake curly tops can avoid right now is brushing too much or at all.

For sure it’s something you never want to do when your hair is dry. (Although some find the Tangle Teezer brush to be a life saver with wet curls. You may find it’s a very low impact brush in that it doesn’t rip your hair out in clumps. With the Tangle Teezer, take a section to be detangled, let it rest on the palm of your hand and brush it as it rests your palm. Hope that explains it good enough.)

Of course in most cases it’s really best not to brush those curls but to use a wide tooth comb instead – but let’s not split hairs.

Speaking of using a wide tooth comb, it’s still best if used only after applying your conditioner unless you want to risk a lot of breakage. Since as you know this type of hair has a reputation for breaking very easily.

Styling wise, do what you have to do to it when it’s wet and as little as possible when it’s dry. If you don’t heed this bit advice you’re going to cause an epic frizz out.

Any Shampoo and Conditioners You Use Should Do This…

Hopefully by now you’re likely aware that any shampoo you use should be moisturizing. You need to constantly be laying on the moisture so your curly locks don’t get dehydrated. Look for words on the label like “moisturizing”, or “for dry hair”, things like that.

And when it comes to products to use this will be a continuing theme. Because dry hair is porous. Such strands are more prone to sucking up moisture from the humid summer air which as you know can lead to more unwanted frizz.

• Leave in conditioner is a “go to” product. You must use that. It’s the moisturizing thing again.
• Beware of excessive styling gel. Since it’s hard to see a crunchy curl as sexy gel should be used sparingly most of the time.
• Yet curl defining mousse and serum can help. Something like BioSilk Silk Therapy can both soften and keep the frizz level in check.

Unexpected Frizz Fighter: Got a bad case of the frizzies? Take hairspray and lightly spray around your crown or wherever the frizz is. Then using your fingers, gently stroke your tresses pushing the frizz down. While this won’t solve the underlying problem causing the frizz it will make your ‘do look better.

Hot styling tools, read straighteners, are not good for your mane. Yes, you end up with the desired level of straightness but at what cost?

Usually it’s at the cost of loss of moisture. And you don’t want to do anything that tends to dry your already dry curls. The end result is frizz and dull, lifeless looking locks.

Too much shampooing leads to a dryer mane so the idea is to lather up as little as you possibly can.

And this isn’t as gross as you might think since curls are naturally drier anyway. If you can get away with shampooing once a week – all the better.

Usually you can go longer between washings because you won’t develop anything resembling grease ball on your head.

But if you go to the beach, pool, are active in sports, work out regularly or whatever it’s likely you can’t go a week between washings. But you can still likely go several days.

Moisture again. To insure your strands are getting enough, you need a deep conditioning routine.

This would include deep conditioning once a week for at least 30 minutes.

It’s better still if you can leave it in overnight.

What you use doesn’t necessarily matter. You can even use warm olive oil or mayonnaise if nothing else. But deep conditioner is all the more important if you choose to use hot styling tools on your tresses. The idea is to saturate them with the conditioner.

Get a trim every six to eight weeks but only if your ends tend to get raggedy. To pull this off properly you need a stylist who knows how to work with curly hair. Fact is it needs to be shaped differently than straight hair.

Getting a trim when your mane is wet is best. Reason being the stylist can see the shape your curls naturally take.

Again, layers are good. Because having different length strands helps you to avoid mushroom head. You know where it poofs out into that dreaded triangle shape?

One more moisturizing point you’ve heard again and again. Drink plenty of fluids. Preferably water. Which is not only good for your hair, it also helps improve your skin, your eyes become clear and you’ll just glow.

Having A Good Curly Hair Day Is Much Harder To Do Than It Looks

Clearly frizzy roots, random curls, wild dry ends can be frustrating.

There’s not a lot you may be able to do about any of that at times.

Or it may be that it’s the same ole same ole struggle day after day that you hate.

Fact is it can take a lot of work to get your mane curled to perfection. Or even anything close to perfection.

All of which might explain the constant search for useable advice, tips and tricks.

Yet any hacks you read (even these) are certainly not absolutes.

How those swirling strands of yours respond may be quite different from the girl sitting next to you.

Your curls may respond differently than even your sister’s too.

But these tips are still likely useful, if nothing else, as a reminder of the things you can do to tame your curly locks.

Please follow our curly hair board on Pinterest for more easy to follow styling hacks, tricks and tips like this.