I have fought a battle with my hair my entire life.
Exhibit A:
Kindergarten smile aside, this is how my hair looked 100% of the time. My poor mom had straight hair her whole life, so she had no idea what to do with a curly headed little girl! Those bangs, though.
I'm hoping it was an accident because....
Yikes.
So as things naturally go, it got worse before it got better. Middle School was a terrible time for my hair. I fought back with stronger weapons, parting it down the middle and wielding it into place with gel. I must have done a thorough job ridding our household of the pictures taken during this time, because I could not find a single one to show as proof. (You're not missing anything, except maybe a good laugh.) Apparently it was bad enough that my mom attempted to gently tell me I looked like a hot mess. She did her best to make me look less embarrassing in public, but she was unable to make much progress. It was a few more years before I taught myself how to use a round brush and blow dryer to smooth my hair into straight, silky locks.
Slightly washed out, but you get the picture. No more lion's mane.
However, this post isn't about straightening your curls, but how to embrace them and make your curls look their best. (If you're interested in seeing how I straighten my hair, I can do a post about that too...let me know!) While it's perfectly fine to straighten your hair every now and again, it can open up a whole new world when you learn to manage your God-given texture. You'll save your hair from tons of damage, cut down on time styling your hair in the morning, and maybe clock in a few extra minutes of sleep!
I am going to share my favorite curly hair products and my best tips I have learned over the years. Some of the products I've mentioned before, but some are new discoveries. Disclaimer: I am no hairstylist or professional, these are just the techniques and products I have found work best for me. My hope is that some of these things will work for you too, and maybe you can come to love your hair's natural texture!
Let's Start with the products.
DevaCurl Light Defining Gel ($19) has been my favorite curly hair gel for years. I try other products all the time, but always come back to this one. I've never tried the Ultra Defining Gel, but I've been thinking about giving it a go when I run out of this one. I always get the best results when I use this gel. It smells so fresh and fruity, kind of like Sprite or 7UP. It's not sticky at all. I use about a half-dollar coin sized amount, starting at the ends of my hair and using what is leftover at the roots. Once I have that worked into my hair, I use a tiny bit more, maybe a dime-sized amount to scrunch my hair upside down. The
DevaCurl website is also a great resource for curly girls. They have lots of how-to videos and tips on styling and caring for curly hair.
Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream ($6) is a great product you can find in most drugstores. This cream has a bit more hold than the DevaCurl Gel, and it gives you more defined ringlets. The only thing I don't like about this product is that the cream has a slight tackiness to it and can feel slightly heavy in the hair, but this helps give the cream the great hold it has. I've noticed that this one can be hard to find. I went to 3 or 4 different stores before I found it in stock at Ulta. Walmart carries the line as well.
Pantene Pro-V Curl Defining Mousse ($4) is another awesome drugstore find for curly hair. This non-sticky mouse defines my curls without feeling crunchy. It gives great volume (especially if used with a diffuser) and makes curls soft and bouncy. If you prefer a mousse, pick this one up next time you're at the store!
Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish ($29) is a new product I discovered about a week ago thanks to an awesome Sephora consultant. This spray is very light and airy, but don't be fooled. Dryspun delivers amazing volume and texture with a few quick sprays at the roots. I like to use it to mess up my hair a bit. It's the perfect product when your curls seem to be falling or looking a little limp. Be warned: you WILL love it, but it goes fast! Try to use as little as you can to get the look you're going for.
Other curly hair essentials:
Wide tooth comb
Diffuser (the bigger the better)
Hair oil (Your choice. I like Moroccanoil Treatment.)
Microfiber towel, Turkish Cotton towel, or Tshirt
Curling iron (A 1" curling iron matches my natural curl pattern, and I use a normal curling iron. Not a tapered wand.)
Now that you've got your favorite products, give these techniques a try.
Start in the shower. ALWAYS use conditioner. Dry hair=frizzy curls. If you have tangly hair, use a wide tooth come while you're in the shower. If you brush or comb your hair after you get out, you will break apart and straighten the hair's natural curl pattern. You can also begin scrunching your hair in the shower to encourage the curls before you even step out.
If you're going to wrap your hair in a turban, pick the right fabric. My hair holds a TON of water, so I get water everywhere when if I don't put my hair up in a towel after a shower. However, choosing the right fabric is so important!! The loops in the normal terry cloths used to make regular bath size towels can pull hair and rough up the hair's cuticle. This means frizz! Microfiber and Turkish cotton towels don't have the same loops. This allows the towel to help sop up extra water without snagging the hair. Tshirts are also perfect. (Obviously use a clean one). Just be careful to wrap the hair very loosely to minimize crushing the curls. If you're able to get away without wrapping your hair, that's even better.
Don't leave the turban in forever. Try to limit turban time to about 15 minutes. It's more difficult to work with curly hair that has dried too much than damp or wet hair. If it's a little too dry when you take it down, you can re-wet it with a spray bottle or leave in conditioner.
Be gentle when working the product through the hair. When you're working the product into the hair, start at the ends, being careful to not pull the curls straight. Once you've finished with that step, flip hair over and give it a good scrunching. I always like to use a tiny bit more product to scrunch upside down. Scrunching upside down gives the hair more volume and bounce.
Air drying is best. Some products work better when trying to air dry than others. The DevaCurl gel is the best product I've found when I know I'll be air drying my curls. The gel gets slightly crunchy while drying, but it's designed to work this way. The crunchiness helps hold the curl but disappears after a scrunch or two. The cream also works really well when air drying, but I've noticed the mousse tends to be a bit hard and crunchy if you don't use a diffuser.
A diffuser is a curly girl's best friend. If you don't have time to air dry your curls every day, a diffuser is a must have. I have found the bigger, the better. The one I am currently using is very wide and round. This allows the air to be diffused over a wider area so that the air is blowing with less force when the air hits your hair. Without a diffuser, the air can blow the curls out of shape and leave them looking a bit frizzy and crazy. I like to use a diffuser just long enough so that it's not dripping wet (about 3 minutes). I start by focusing on the ends, then flip my head over and scrunch lightly upside down. Slowly flip your hair back over, and lift the hair at the roots to get just a little more volume. Then don't touch! The more you touch the curls, the frizzier they will become. That is all I normally do to my hair when I wear it curly (starting from the first tip).
Note: It is totally worth the investment to find a hair dryer that comes with a diffuser attachment. I have tried "universal" diffusers, but without much luck. Most do not stay in place and shoot across the room as soon as your turn the dryer on. Save yourself the trouble and buy a dryer with a diffuser attachment.
Use a curling iron to tame the curls that have gone awry. It's bound to happen. A curl or two will go completely straight or look completely wacky. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of the ends out, and wrap the rest around the barrel of the iron for a few seconds. Leaving the ends out will create a more natural looking curl instead of a perfect ringlet that was obviously styled with hot tools.
A little oil can go a long way. After your hair has dried, a little oil on the ends can help manage frizz and make your hair look really healthy. Just don't overdo it. Too much will weigh down the curls and look greasy. No thanks!
Experiment. My curls are loose; some are spiral-shaped, and others are more S-shaped waves. Try different products and different techniques to see what works best for you. Air dry it one day, and try using a diffuser the next. Try twisting individual curls to create a tighter curl. Mix and match products, or don't use any products at all. There is no one way to style curly hair. Find what works best for you!
Hopefully you've found something helpful or a new product to try. I'd love to hear your favorite curly hair products and styling techniques! Let me know in the comments below!
