Imagine soft and defined curls with minimal frizz – that is the dream hairgoal of many Curly Girls. As difficult as it may be to achieve the look, especially with mixed or loose and tight curl patterns, there are ways you can easily identify your curls and optimize your routine to achieve optimal results.
1. Start with a Clean Slate
When caring for curly hair, the key is starting with a clean slate – this means using appropriate products and techniques when shampooing and conditioning, especially since wrong methods could leave it feeling heavy or greasy. Avoid harsh manipulation when shampooing. Scrubbing, rubbing or swirling your locks causes their strands to unravel, leading to frizz and tangles. Instead, use a comb equipped with anti-snag teeth after shampooing to gently detangle.
2. Give Your Hair a Cool Rinse
Rinsing curly hair should never involve using hot water; heat strips away natural oils from your scalp and strands, leaving curls dry, frizzy and susceptible to tangles. Cold water rinses help seal hair cuticles to lock in moisture for soft, shiny locks without tangles or frizz.
When washing your hair, select products designed for its curl type and texture. Furthermore, regular trimming should be conducted to eliminate dead ends that could lead to breakage of your curl pattern and keep its look looking its best.
Make an attempt to sleep with plaits or loose ponytails to reduce friction between your hair and pillowcase, and prevent curls from being pulled and tangled upon awakening. This may help avoid unwanted morning surprises!
3. Apply a Curl Activator
Utilizing curl activators will enhance your natural locks to make them fuller and voluminous, keeping your scalp moisturized between wash days. Plus, these products help make sure that your natural curls stay healthy! Curl activators are great tools for helping define your curls and prevent frizz. There are numerous products on the market to choose from; stylists suggest selecting something sulfate- and silicone-free as well as including ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter or honey in its formulation.
An excellent product to try is the AG Hair Curl Trigger, designed to create bouncy and springy curls while being packed with tomato extract and amino acids to strengthen and condition strands for stronger, healthier-looking strands. In addition, this incredible tool provides intense moisture without weighing hair down, making this an absolute must for curly girls!
4. Brush Through Your Curls
Understanding and accepting your curly hair texture may be difficult, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. Decoding your curl type is made much simpler thanks to hairstylist Andre Walker’s hair typing system. Once you understand your curl type, a few key tips can help ensure that your locks remain in their best possible condition and look their most stunning.
For instance, those with type 4a springy coils that are fine textured and tightly wound (think pen) could potentially benefit from using an oil-rich co-wash or cleansing conditioner with high levels of conditioning ingredients; this may help reduce dryness, frizziness, while maintaining light sheen according to NaturallyCurly.
Brushing wet curls is also beneficial, helping reduce breakage while working out any kinks with less strain on the strands. Use a wide-tooth comb and work in sections for easier detangling.
