Ask anyone and they will tell you that their hair type is the worst. Usually, those with curly hair seem to be the loudest in the room when it comes to hair issues, and with good reason. Those with curly hair have to find a routine and hair care products, keep away frizz or shrinkage and don’t even get me started on straightening and the damage it can cause.
You also have to remember that no two curly girls are the same. Hair porosity, density, and texture all go into what products work for your hair and the type of hair care routine you will have. However, there are a few hacks curly girls should know to make their hair more manageable.
1) HAVE A WASH DAY
Your curly hair journey should include a “wash day” routine. People with curly hair don’t need to wash their hair every day like those with naturally straight hair. That’s because the natural oil produced by people with straight hair can easily go down the hair shaft. It can give their hair a greasy look and feel if they go days without washing their hair.
On the flip side, natural oil for people with curly hair doesn’t travel down the hair shaft as easily. They often need to add oils to their hair to help seal in moisture.
Frequent hair washing can also dry out the hair making it brittle and dry. Having a set day also cuts down on over-manipulation.
2) USE THE RIGHT SHAMPOO
Since we’re talking about your washday, the shampoo you use is an important part. If you are doing a deep dive into curly hair maintenance you may hear something called the curly girl method. This is a good place to start building a hair care routine.
The CGM suggests using a co-wash or sulfate-free shampoo. I say skip the co-wash. You need shampoo to remove the dirt and product that you’ve built up from your last washday. A co-wash may not be enough to do that. If you find your products are just sitting on top of your hair, you may need to use a shampoo instead of a co-wash.
If you are looking for a shampoo, you want one that is sulfate-free. Sulfates are usually listed on the ingredient list as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). It is what helps the product to lather up in your hair.
3) KEEP HAIR MOISTURIZED
Curly girls should also make sure their hair is moisturized. For me keeping my hair moisturized has many phases.
On washday, that includes using a deep conditioner. I usually skip the regular conditioner and go straight for the deep conditioner. Using a deep conditioner helps prevent damage and will give you moisture down to your hair shaft.
I will also use a leave-in conditioner before adding gel. You want to make sure your leave-in is sulfate-free. You don’t want any harsh products sitting on your hair for long periods. From there you can find conditioners to fit all your hair need from moisturizing to strengthening. Since I detangle my hair at this point in my washday routine I also look for a leave-in with a good slip.
Don’t forget about the water. Water is key to all of these steps in terms of retaining moisture. I make sure my hair is dripping wet before applying the product to my hair. It helps to distribute through my hair and keeps me from having to use too much. Once washday is over you can apply water to any dried-out or frizzy areas to redefine or reactivate the products in your hair.
4) KEEP HAIR DETANGLED
Detangling is key for curly girls or women with natural hair. Since the hair is naturally curling around each other it is easy to tangle and form knots. For naturals, if left long enough the hair can even begin to dread. This may take hours to comb out or the knots may have to be cut out and no one wants that.
Detangling should only be done on wet hair. I recommend combing through the hair on the washday. Pick one time during the process to detangle, like when you are deep conditioning or styling.
I don’t detangle again until the next wash day, but if you choose to do another style rewet the hair. The hair doesn’t have to be dripping wet, but damp.
Another tip to keep the hair from getting tangled is to keep it off your shoulders or other areas where it can rub and tangle, like the back of a chair.
5) PROTECT HAIR WHILE YOU SLEEP
The last and final tip to manage curly or natural hair is to protect it while you sleep. The best way to do this is sleeping with a satin scarf or bonnet. This will keep your hair from getting nagged by the fabric on your pillow. If you don’t like sleeping with something on your head you can also use a satin pillowcase.
You should also put your hair up in a bun or use the banding method. This will also protect your curls.
For me, all these steps help me to stretch my wash-and-go for a whole week, sometimes two. What are some things you do to help manage your curly hair?
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