Every curly-haired girl will tell you that her own journey when it comes to loving her natural curls has not been an easy one. Whether you’ve got bouncy curls, healthy kinks, frizzy coils, or ringlets, it’s kinda hard to love the hair you’ve been given—unless you’ve been gifted a soft and beautiful mane like Blake Lively. Since I’m a carbon copy of my father, along with his questionable humour, I’ve also gotten his untameable curly hair.
My entire childhood was spent, fearing hair washes, hairbrushes and the heat and humidity—why? Well, imagine a smol tiny girl with frizzy, haywire and opened-out curls that resembled a tiger’s mane. But with my youth, and the lack of product availability and well, the internet, I had no idea how to style and wear my curly hair. And when I did start reading magazines, I thought that cutting down my volume was the only solution to manage the frizz—boy, oh boy, was I wrong!
After a lot of trial and error, I *think* I may have nailed down the ultimate routine for my hair. And in the interest of helping another curly-haired girl reading this, I’m going to share a couple of tips I’ve learnt along my 28-year journey. Read on and hopefully, you can incorporate these tips into your routine:
Tip #1 Try Oiling Your Hair Once A Week
It can be either coconut or castor oil—but the goal is to nourish and soften your dry ends. I usually apply it from my mid-lengths to the ends (often I apply it to my scalp as well for a deep head massage) 2-3 hours before I go for a shower.
Tip #2 Use Creamy & Hydrating Conditioners/ Masks
This is one of the best things I’ve found for my hair. Instead of just using plain ol’ conditioners, use a mask… They’re thicker in texture and will give your hair better hydration.
Tip #3 The Most Ideal Time To Detangle The Hair Is In The Shower When You Have Conditioner On
While it may seem like your hair is falling out—it’s not because it’s normal to have at least a 100 strands of hair fall daily. However, if you comb or brush out your hair while dry, it could lead to more breakage.
Tip #4 A Microfibre Towel Will Be Your Post-Shower Bestie
Another important investment is a microfiber towel. Since the towel helps absorb the moisture out of your mane so much faster than a regular terrycloth towel, it ensures a frizz-free and soft mane.
Tip #5 Ditch The Serum & Use A Curl Cream Instead
If you’ve always wondered why your curls seem dry and lifeless once airdried and styled, well it’s because of your post-shower product use. While serums help smoothen the hair, a curl cream is way more hydrating for your curls.
Tip #6 Always Keep Bobby Pins & Hair Ties By Your Side
You never know when wind and the humidity can get to your locks. So, you’ll find a silk hair tie and bobby pins (for my flyaways) in my handbag.
Tip #7 (Probably The Most IMP) You Must Refresh Your Curls Everyday
Sleeping on your curls can cause them to become limp, flat and open out. So the best way to refresh your natural curl to reactivate them. You can do this by spritzing the hair with water until it’s damp and then scrunching hair from the bottom upward. Sometimes I tend to mix a little curl cream to give it some moisture and revive day-old curls and some natural movement.
Let me know how you take care of your curly hair in the comments below!
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