5 Basic Hair Care Tips for Curly Hair
Curly hair is an exciting and vibrant hairstyle brimming with personality. It gives many women a striking and unique appearance that is bound to turn heads. However, pulling off this zesty look isn’t exactly easy. It requires a lot of personal grooming and maintenance at the hair salon to keep curly hair looking radiant.
There’s a scientific reason why curly hair can be more difficult to maintain. Our scalps produce natural oils that lubricate the hair strands as they grow. Naturally, these oils have a harder time travelling through a curly hair strand than its straighter counterpart. The result is dry and frizzy hair that can be frustrating to tame.
If your hair is naturally curly, you can follow a couple of basic hair care tips and make life easier for yourself. These five grooming tips will help you to maintain curly hair in a smart and sensible way:
Hair Care Tip #1: Apply hair treatment regularly.
The best time to apply hair treatment is right before you begin shampooing. Ideally, it is meant to soften, condition, and detangle your hair. This avoids unnecessary hair damage during the actual shampooing process, especially for hair that’s immensely tangled.
The basic hair care treatment can be done in several steps. First, partition your hair into several sections depending on how thick it is. Next, apply conditioning oil into your hair while using your fingers to separate the curls. Once done, leave the product on for around twenty minutes. If your hair is super entwined, try wearing a plastic cap or a towel to increase the temperatures around your head. This will open your cuticles a lot faster and allow the conditioner to seep deeply into your scalp.
Hair Care Tip #2: Use deep hair conditioners.
Usually, the deep hair conditioners are applied after you finished shampooing. Start by applying the conditioner onto the sectioned hair. Do not focus too much on the scalp since it doesn’t really need moisture. Next, comb through your hair to ensure even distribution of the conditioner. Once this is done, put on a plastic cap and get into the hood dryer for about ten minutes. Let the heat do the rest of the work.
There are different types of hair conditioner on the market. For dry curly hair, you should pick conditioners with a moisturizing formula and contains humectants like glycerin, glycol, and high-quality oils. For weak curly hair, pick a conditioner with protein reconstructing ingredients such as keratin and amino acids.
When you use a moisturizing conditioner, there may not be a need to rinse your hair afterwards. On the other hand, protein conditioners can cause brittleness and lead to hair breakage if left on for too long. In this case, you should give your hair a rinse after applying the conditioner.
Hair Care Tip #3: Wash your hair carefully.
How often should you shampoo your curly hair? This is among the most commonly asked questions. The answer differs based on your personal hygiene needs. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t shampoo too frequently, since it may end up stretching the fragile hair strands. This creates a phenomenon called thirsty curls, where your hair looks extra frizzy and untamed.
Pay close attention to the type of shampoo products you use. Go for a gentle shampoo or a low-lather cleaning conditioner. These products will refresh and bring your hair to life without extracting too much of the natural oils and moisture.
After applying the shampoo, it’s important to wash your hair thoroughly. Try dividing your hair into sections and then wash each part individually. Start by applying a small amount of cleaning conditioner onto your scalp. Afterwards, lightly squeeze it all the way down the hair lengths. Do this for each section and rinse it in the same sequence.
Hair Care Tip #4: Comb your hair correctly.
When you have curly hair, you will understand the importance of combing your hair correctly. This is not a task that you can perform hazardously. Otherwise, you might get caught up in a tangled mess that is annoying, unsightly, and potentially painful to resolve.
Invest in a wide toothcomb and use it to gently detangle the curls. Avoid using a brush on your curly hair, because it usually creates split ends. In addition, the correct way of combing is from bottom to top and not the other way around. This way, you can slowly detangle each knot and comb your hair comfortably without heaving out your hair at the root.
Hair Care Tip #5: Go easy on the thermal hair products.
If possible, steer clear of thermal tools such as flat irons, blow dryers, and curling irons. This serves mainly as a precaution to avoid doing permanent heat damage to your hair. Once damaged, the hair structure loses its original form, which is particularly visible when you have curly hair.
To avoid heat damage, you should only use high-quality thermal products in moderation or try seeking other alternatives. Diffusers are good options due to their ability to spread out the heat evenly. You should also apply a heat protection product before styling your hair thermally.