I’m so excited to share be continuing this series where we cover curly hair styling tips. I think this series is really going to help you party curly hair!
Last time, I covered the challenges of naturally curly hair as well as products to use.
Today, I’m sharing my curly hair styling tips.
But first, there are 2 important guidelines to follow when dealing with curly hair.
1. Don’t brush your curly hair. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, the dryness of curly hair makes it more prone to breakage. Also, there is a propensity to frizz up. We don’t like frizzies. You can use a wide-tooth comb in the shower when your hair is full of conditioner. Never brush your hair when it is drying.
2. Don’t blow dry your hair. Of course, you can blow dry your curly hair if you intend to straighten it, but if want it to have your natural curl shine through, you need to unplug the hairdryer. I for one do not like looking like a wet dog but a blow dryer will just cause your hair to frizz and poof up. (it can also damage it) When you see how I recommend styling, you’ll realize why a blow dryer is your enemy. One thing though, *if you really need to speed up your hair drying* use a defuser and try not to blow your hair around.
There are 2 basic routines I follow for my hair.
1st Up *Wash* Days
Wash Hair With Conditioner. I talked a little about how to wash your curly hair WITHOUT shampoo here. Remember this is the time to comb your hair (when it is full of conditioner). Most of the time I just use my fingers but, again, you can use a wide-tooth comb. When rinsing your hair, you want to leave a little bit of conditioner in it. This helps with frizzies and dryness.
Remove Excess Water. After you have rinsed, you are going to squeeze the excess water out by scrunching your hair. I grab a large section of hair at the end and scrunch it up towards my scalp. All the while, you want to squeeze the excess water out. This helps to relieve weight off of the curls and aid in them going to their natural curly bounce. Next, I wrap my hair in a towel for a few minutes. The Curly Girl Handbook recommends a microfiber turban. I used that for a while but didn’t notice much difference from my regular terry cloth towel.
The main thing to keep in mind is you don’t want to work with overly dry hair and the right amount of moisture is important. I try to get my hair out of the towel and fixed while it is still wet by NOT dripping. If it is too dry, it is frizzy and less cooperative for styling.
Apply Oil to Hair. Next, apply Shea Moisture Argon oil onto the hair. This product comes in a squirt bottle, but I find it’s better to just pour small amounts and smooth it directly on the hair. Pay special attention to the dryer areas of your hair (mine happen to be around my face, the hair ends, and the crown of my head).
Apply Styling Gel. After the oil, use an appropriate amount of styling gel (I like Tresemme). Personally, I have very thick, long hair so I need to apply about half of a palmful but adjust as needed. Avoid placing gel near your scalp and instead focus on your hair lengths and ends.
Part Hair. Once all the product has been applied you’re going to section your hair in half. Below is a picture of my hair at this stage. Everyone’s curls are unique this is just to give you an idea of what my hair looks like at this stage.
Twist Ringlets. After parting, grab chunks of hair about 2-3 fingers diameter and start twisting the sections to form ringlets. Alternate the direction of the twisting to get a more random look. At this point, you will be able to tell if there is either too much or not enough gel. Generally, if there is not enough gel, the curls will not hold their shape from your twisting and will un-twist. Apply more gel as needed.
This is how my hair looks after I’ve twisted all the ringlets on the one side.
Let Hair Air Dry. Do NOT touch your hair until it is dry. The more it is touched and messed with, the more frizzy and out of control it will become.
Separate Curls. The look you have going now is similar to Shirley Temple. You may like that, if so, leave it but it doesn’t fit me. So you’ll separate the curls. Here is my hair dry before separating…
And here is my hair dry AFTER separating…
It is a subtle difference, but matters in my opinion.
So that’s it for how to style Day 1 Curly hair.
Now for the Day 2 or Day 3 Hair
BUT FIRST…
If you have long curly hair, and plan on not *washing* your hair the next day, it’s important that you sleep with your curls protected.
You don’t have to get all crazy about it but if your hair is long enough, you want to do a very high loose ponytail so your curls sit safely at the top of your head.
This way the curls are relatively intact the next morning and you can restyle it without having to *wash* hair again.
The next morning, take your hair down…
It’s not terrible…but definitely bedhead.
For Day 2 and Day 3 Hair, I use this product…
Shea Moisture CES (Curl Enhancing Smoothie)
(I PROMISE I don’t own stock in Shea Moisture, I just love all their products that I have tried).
Take a small glob of the CES and smooth it over hair to get tame down any dry or frizzy sections. Some sections of hair will likely need to be re-twisted. Add a little gel and water to those sections and if the CES doesn’t help form those stubborn curls.
After I’m done smoothing out my hair it looks something like this…
At this point, it’s still a little wet and I try to leave it alone while it dries. The end product is this…
On Day 2 Hair or Day 3 Hair, I often use a claw clip to loosely hold my hair back. Some days my curls last and I’m able to wear my hair down just as I do with Day 1 Hair.
For my hair, I *wash* it every 2 to 3 days.
So that is it for my curly hair styling tips. It was a quick run down through years of trial and error.
Part 3 of the 3-part series is next, where I cover haircuts for naturally curly hair.
Blessings,
These curly hair posts have been so helpful! I use a thirst to dry hair instead of terry cloth…the cotton seems to reduce frizz a bit.
Yes…I agree..I use a teeshirt to wrap my hair in after washing…definitely cuts down on frizz you can get from towel…really makes all the difference in the world!!
Incredibly helpful guide to low fuss styling. I have use the curly girl method for almost 10 years now. And wow did things get easier once I stopped stripping my hair with shampoo. I hate the smell of vinegar so I use a drop of rosemary oil in a light conditioner as my cleanser.
I love Shea products too, but in high humidity I find coconut oil gives me more softness & frizz reduction. And most of all, you’ve inspired me to start twisting my hair again. =) I style at night, since going out with wet hair on a dark Alaska morning is not fun, then pile the semi-damp twists atop my head & pin. By morning they’re 90% dry. Before I separate them, I mist my hands with that same Argan oil, or a little olive oil. This adds shine, & prevents frizz. Can you see a theme with my nemesis, there? Also, boy are you -right- about the short layers. I’ve spent years asking for long layers, before realizing that those were recommended when we all used hair dryers and mouse, & were an attempt to weigh the hair down for control. With twisting & air drying, & cream & gel, shorter layers let your curls feel lighter & more springy. Yay for curly girls!
Thank you Alicia! There is definitely a technique to dealing with dry curls and I’m so grateful to be out of the troubleshooting phase! 🙂
Thanks so much for so many great tips for natural curly hair. I went out and bought the Shea Moisture variety pak and tried your suggestions and it really does work. Thank you. I wanted to know what you would suggest for an all over spray for after your hair is dried and you just want to give it an extra hold. thank you.
You bet Debbie! And I so love Shea Moisture. I tried another brand and it was not near the quality that Shea Moisture has been. I don’t use a spray when my hair is dry…but that would be a great addition to keep my hair a little more contained. 🙂
Can I just say THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I definitely have to try this out because everytime I find a blog or “advice” in how to style curly hair , the person has THIN wavy hair which does not help me at all lol but again I definitely have to try this because in the last year my hair has lost some of its curl so it’s just thick, frizzy fluff on my head so I hope this twist method works!
You’re welcome! 🙂 I hope it works for you too Damaris!
Thank you so much for all the great tips and information on how take care of curly hair!
I just have a small question – I apologize if you already have answered this – does the gel create a hard coat/layer on the hair or does the hair absorb it?
Thank you in advance!
I feel like the #4 TreSemme Gel isn’t crunchy or hard at all. (#5 is) It is the perfect amount of control without coating the hair. Hope this helps!
Love this guide! A lifesaver to be sure! One question though: for day 2 do you brush your hair in any way or do something to get the tangles out? Are there any?
Hi Hanah, I don’t worry about brushing my hair and I only get tangles out when I “wash” my hair and it’s wet. I usually “wash” my hair 2 or 3 times a week. If I was to brush through my hair, it would be very frizzy and puffy. Hope this helps!
Love this post!! You have beautiful curls 😉 similar curl pattern to mine so it’s nice to see what you do. Question: Do you ever color your hair? If so, what do you use? I just color to cover grays but I’m worried that it relaxes my curls a bit??
Thank you so much Rebekah! I have not started coloring my hair yet. The other day I noticed a few gray hairs so I think my days of not coloring are numbered. I think I’ll do Henna when the time comes. From what I hear from friends, Henna is great for hair and doesn’t damage hair a bit.
I stumbled across your blog on pinterest. You have beautiful hair. My hair curls very similarly to yours. After 23 years, I am FINALLY embracing my curls! Until recently, I made the mistake of brushing my hair after I get out of the shower…. It seriously ruins all curls.
Also, you should try coconut oil. I’ve used a small amount after a shower or used it as a hot oil treatment. It has truly changed the way my hair looks… (Although my hair is on the mend from 5+ years of everyday straightening.)
Anyways, thank you so much for the advice!
Cara 😀
Thank you so much Cara! I haven’t tried coconut oil…but I’ll give it a try!
Hello Julie,
I was not aware of your website therefore I viewed your it after I had washed my hair. I tried the overnight step(Since I do have long hair) The next day my hair was part straight and part wavy. I followed your instructions as you mentioned. I lightly wet my hair and applied a very small amount of my sulfate free gel, leave in conditioning product. I created the ringlets and allowed them to dry. Later I separated them and my hair was a bit wavy and flat. I am not quite sure if it is because I had a *keratin treatment 3 days prior, because I washed my hair differently or because I have one length fine hair. Your professional advice will be welcomed. Thank You for your patience, time and attention. Yeni *My hair was extremely frizzy. I visited a high class stylist and I mentioned to her my issue. I highly emphasized that I would like to keep my curly hair. She recommended a salon keratin treatment followed by professional products such as shampoo and conditioner.
I believe the main problem for you is the Keratin treatment. I used a Keratin type conditioner (testing out a new conditioner) and my hair was more wavy than it’s been in a LONG time. 🙁 Sorry, I know that is sort of “bad” news but I would think that your treatment would eventually wear off and your curls return. Just my thoughts. I’m not a professional but I know what that simple conditioner did for me.