Anyone with curly hair has heard it: “Your hair is so pretty, I wish I had curly hair!” It’s meant to be a compliment, but curly girls know that having a good curly hair day is so much harder than it looks. Curls can be unpredictable, unruly, and difficult to control, and there are days when your wild curls probably feel less than enviable.
The difference between fighting with your curls and loving your curls really lies within your hair care routine. Finding the right products and hairstyles makes managing curly hair so much easier, and treating your curls right makes your hair so much healthier, in turn. Below, you’ll find simple tips that will keep your waves and curls looking shiny and strong. Then, advance to seven easy curly hairstyle ideas you can tackle before the morning coffee’s ready.
Best hair tips for styling curly hair
Curly hair is different from other hair textures. It requires more hydration, less washing, and, if we’re being honest, more patience than straighter hair types. But curly hair doesn’t have to feel like a curse! These tips, products, and pointers will help you find the best curls of your life with minimal effort — some will even give you better hair while you get your beauty sleep.
1. Always comb your hair from the bottom up.
Detangling hair from the bottom up allows you to gently detangle each knot, rather than compounding knots toward the bottom and yanking your way through. To protect hair from damage and to detangle efficiently, our experts strongly advise that you always rely on a wide-tooth comb, never a brush, to rake through curly hair.
“Curly hair is the most fragile type on the block, and each curl is a potential breaking point,” explains Renee. “Using a wide-tooth comb is the gentlest way to detangle curls and it doesn’t disrupt the natural curl pattern as much as a brush would.” That means you should save brushes for straight styles, or just taming flyaways.
2. Get regular trims to avoid split ends.
Damaged hair is never a good look (not to mention split ends can make your hair frizzy!). If you want healthy curls that look bouncy and fresh, head to the hairstylist every six to eight weeks for a quick trim.
3. Use product “cocktailing” to define and hydrate curls.
“Product cocktailing is simply mixing two or more products together to meet your specific styling needs,” explains hairstylist Ange Moidan. His two favorite cocktails: smoothing serum plus mousse, and coconut oil plus styling gel. Together, these products allow for supreme hold without leaving your hair dry or crunchy.
If you don’t have the patience for cocktailing, your best bet for a one-step solution is a serum, which helps to not only smooth your curls but gives them definition and separation. “Use three or four pumps at a time. Emulsify the product in your hands and gently take it through your curls,”
Alternatively, you can apply styling cream to hair with wet hands: the combination of the product plus the water ensures that curls stay frizz-free while refreshing the curl pattern, and styling cream is great because it helps curls hold their form without giving any crunch.
4. Incorporate a conditioning treatment into your regimen.
When your hair goes through a dry or dull phase, what you don’t want to do is weigh it down with a ton of product. Simply use your fingertips to apply a dime-size blob of styling cream or oil to your ends (wet or dry hair is fine!), giving them extra moisture and bounce.
If you — like most curly girls! — find that your curls are routinely looking dried-out or frizzy toward the ends, you should probably incorporate a leave-in conditioner into your product cocktail. If your hair is thinner or you’re looking for a lightweight hydration, spritz an easy-to-use conditioning spray all over the hair, focusing on the ends. For more hydration and definition, smooth a cream-based leave-in conditioner onto soaking wet hair, being careful to use the “praying hands” method as not to disrupt the curl pattern.
5. Try the “pineapple trick” to keep curls defined overnight.
“Pineappling” is a technique in which the hair is loosely gathered at the highest point of the head, usually before sleep. This protects the curl pattern while helping your hair maintain natural volume while also preventing excessive bedhead. Simply take the pony out and give hair a shake when you’re ready to wear it down.
To keep hair looking even more pristine between wash days, our experts recommend using a scrunchie for this technique to prevent hair breakage and ponytail creasing. And if you’re not sleeping on a silk pillowcase already, it’s time to make the switch: These super-smooth pillowcases are proven to reduce bedhead by reducing friction on the hair overnight, which makes hair look sleek and hydrated day after day.
