So, hair is something that I have struggled with for a while now. When I was younger I just went for a pony tail and pulled the problem to the back of my head so I didn’t have to deal with it but that is no way to live. For years now I have been experimenting with my hair and the best ways to look after it to get the results I want.
Curly hair is a tricky one. It’s very unpredictable and sometimes you can end up with a complete mess and having to start again, but the good news is there is a simple solution when you do need to start again; water.
When I was thirteen I would sleep with my hair in twists and then wake up in the morning and have spiral curls, although through out the day, my hair would all come together and I’d end up with three big spirals in my hair and look like I had wandered in from another era. I could tell many stories of my hair failures to you, which is something I may do in the future for your entertainment, but for now I am going to share with you the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way.
ONE Don’t brush. Whatever you do, whatever you put in your hair, never brush it. Brushing dry hair is the worst thing you can do and a crime for breaking all those natural curls. I keep away from the brush until I wash my hair, when and only when I have conditioner in my wet hair, I will brush out the knots in my hair. Remember to be gentle at this point and use a wide tooth comb or a brush that isn’t going to be too harsh on your hair. I have read great things about the shower tangle teaser and it’s something I am thinking about trying out, but I am not sure if I want to spend £11 on a brush when the one I use at the moment is doing just fine. However, I have heard about Super drug doing their own version for £2.99 which may be worth trying out.
TWO Tight bun. This is my go to when my curls are a little bit frizzy and just a bit BLAH! I tie my hair up on top of my head in a tight bun for a few hours and this normally controls my hair a little and gives me the texture I want. I have no idea how this works, I couldn’t tell you why or what it does but it just sorts it out for me. I am not sure if this would work for other people, but I thought it’s just worth a try and it would be a harmless attempt since it’s cheap, cheerful and it’s not going to damage your hair. Just something to think about.
THREE Look after your hair. The best way to keep your curls in tact is by looking after your hair. Every once in a while treat your hair. Whether that is to a hair mask or literally just rubbing coconut oil through your hair. Whenever my hair is feeling a little icky, I cover my whole head in coconut oil and then wash my hair the next morning, and it makes my hair feel 10x better and makes the curls a lot less frizzy. Although, I would limit treatments like this to once a week, since you don’t want to add too much product and dry out your hair.
FOUR Length. For me, the easiest way to control my curls is by keeping my hair long. Long hair means it’s heavier giving me the curls that I want. However, if you’re looking for more bouncy and tight curls than you should consider having shorter hair. The weight of your hair will effect how your curls turn out. For me, I prefer longer hair as it is less work, I kind of just let it do what it wants and most of the time it turns out looking good.
FIVE
Don’t wash your hair everyday. This is something I am sure everyone knows but it’s true. Curly hair is full of natural oils which you should be using to your advantage. Washing your hair means washing out these natural oils and it dries out your hair at the same time, which by the way will make your hair even more frizzy. For me, I find that the day after and sometimes even day 3 hair is a lot nicer than freshly washed hair. I think finding out what works for your hair is important. If you think you’re going to get greasy hair by not washing it everyday, you need to cut that habit and train your hair, the less you wash it the more you hair will adapt and stop getting greasy as much and as early. It’s really a process. P.S remember dry shampoo can be your best friend at times.
Some of the products I use on my hair
SIX Finally, and quite an important point. ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR HAIR FROM HEAT. Whether that is when styling your hair with heat and using a heat protector or, getting a hair SPF while you’re in the sun, the dryer your hair the more frizzy it’s going to get. The key with curly hair is to keep it healthy.
SEVEN A little bonus tip, at the end of washing your hair, rinse some cold water into your hair and get all of the hot water out. I am not sure how this works but I have found that when I do this, my hair dries a lot less frizzy. It’s not a pleasant feeling in the shower but for me it’s always worth it.
For right now, this is how I handle my hair. However, this does tend to change through the seasons and depending on the length of my hair. But I hope you enjoyed this post and found something that may help you with your luscious locks.
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