A {short} Guide to Curly Hair

The reason I'm calling this a short guide to curly hair is because my hair isn't super curly. I don't have ringlet curls, but my hair is definitely textured. Before this last month, it had been years since I had actually worn my hair curly. I would try to, but end up straightening it in a hurry because I just wasn't happy with it.

As you can imagine, constant blow drying, straightening and then curling (to get more manageable curls) has done a number on my hair. It gets crazy frizzy and dry with the dreaded split ends. Well last month I was just over it. At work, my hair would grow bigger and bigger throughout the day because of all of the frizz and I knew I needed to give it a break.

So, I decided to spend an entire week leaving it curly. I wash my hair every other night, so now, after one of those washings a week I'm letting it air dry and wearing it curly for 2 days before I wash it again. 

Here's a few helpful tips for managing it controlling the frizz and looking out for the health of your curly hair.

one.

Get a leave in conditioner, whether it be a spray, as I have below, or something more traditional. Use it often. Curly hair is more porous than straight or fine hair, so it needs moisture and it'll absorb as much as possible. I use my leave in conditioner in my wet hair probably every other time I wash my hair.

two.

Use a comb to get out tangles and distribute product evenly, not a brush. Using a brush can cause damage, especially when your hair is wet and it can make it more frizzy.

three.

Shampoo less. Some nights when you wash your hair, skip the shampoo and just condition. You can buy sulfate free shampoos and all that fun stuff, but in general, shampoo strips and dries out the hair, so try skipping it!

four.

Buy a deep conditioner or a conditioning mask. In my last post, I told you guys about one that I've been loving and that I feel has made a real difference in the health of my hair. The more you can condition your hair and the more moisture it's able to absorb, the less it'll absorb when you're out in the world. Make sure to focus on the ends!

five.

As I said, I don't wear my hair curly everyday, but when I do I take a little mini spray bottle of my leave in conditioning spray and use it throughout the day. This helps provide extra moisture during the day and control any frizz that starts happening.

six.

This goes for anyone that gets frizzy hair, but try not to touch your hair during the day. I'm so guilty of constantly twirling my hair around my fingers and just messing with it through the day, but using your hands in your hair can add to the frizziness! The more you touch it, the more friction you add and it causes damage to the cuticle, resulting in..you got it- frizz!

seven.

I've read articles that say to let your hair air dry, and others that say not to let it air dry and to use a hair dryer. I let my hair air dry about 70% of the way and I blow dry it the rest of the way. If you blow dry, use a diffuser because it'll distribute the heat more evenly to your curls.

eight.

When you get a hair cut, get it cut dry. Even though I don't wear my hair curly everyday, I still need a dry cut because I do wear it curly sometimes and obviously the curls make it shrink up. A dry cut will make sure you know exactly what you're getting!

nine.

If you're out in the middle of the day with nothing to help tame it if it's getting out of control, use a little water! Like I said, curly hair can be dry and dry hair needs moisture so a little water will calm it down by providing some moisture and won't be obvious if you don't use too much.

Alright, that's all I've got. I hope this helps some of you curly haired girls, or any of you prone to frizzy hair!