Care of Natural Curl

Most curly hair is typically dry hair. When naturally curly hair is over worked, it often leaves the hair with a lot of frizz. Over shampooed curls can result in drying to a state of dry tangles and frizz.  Shampooing has a tendency to leave the hair and scalp on the dry side.  Most people with naturally curly hair can go up to 3 days between shampooing….but that depends on the level of sebum (natural scalp oils) produced and to what quantity builds up on the hair and scalp over a matter of days between a shampoo and conditioning.

Always use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and avoid anything that will promote a build up in the hair….But nothing too heavy that will eventually weigh the hair down.

To obtain the smoothest frizz free curls you can, you first need to establish when you should shampoo, and when it’s ok not to.  On those days it isn’t necessary….you have it easy!  You can take a spray bottle and mist the hair back to a moisture level where you have the hair in its ultimate condition to form the firmest curl possible….when it is dripping wet.  Dripping wet hair forces the hair strands to fall in natural strands and clusters of curls, where the arc of the curl is formed in its natural capacity.

Once the hair is to a drippy point, this is when it’s ideal to work in the curl hold product of your choice….always work from the ends of the hair, towards the scalp….making scrunching type fists of hair.   If you don’t hear the product in your hair making a “liquidly” scrunching noise as you are working it in….you need to add more product).

Taking small sections at a time, pull out a section your damp curls and hold a dryer with a diffuser attachment (absolutely essential to have a diffuser!) under that section without moving the hair around.  Do not put any tension on the hair while it’s drying…..instead, use a lot of slack in the hair from scalp to ends…..This allows the curls to form on their own shape. 

Note: the more you move curly hair while it’s drying, the more frizz and volume you will build into the finished style.

To add volume to hair in less fuller areas, try drying that section with your head held upside down…..That way, the curls form with the beginning part of the curl, the arc, pointing away from the scalp, so as to provide a lifting away effect from the scalp.

Once the hair feels all the way dry, then gently run fingers through the hair to loosen up the dried product in the hair, leaving the curls with a softer, dryer, yet firmer appearance.  As a last touch, add a few drops of smoothing/styling oil starting from the very ends and working up towards the scalp to take any fly aways  out of the picture….spray with finishing spray if needed for desired hold.