Whether you have waves, spirals, or coils, you know that your hair requires special care to avoid breakage, splitting, and frizz. And you know that the curls you have today may look completely different tomorrow. One day they might be bouncy and full of definition, then the next day you have a complete frizzy mess. On top of that, you may have different types of curls on different areas of your scalp. Caring for curly hair is definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of strategy. While it’s best to seek the advice of a hair care professional on the optimal routine for your hair type, below are some guidelines for maintaining curly hair at its best.

How Often to Wash Curly Hair

Washing frequency really depends upon your type of curls and how dry your hair feels after washing. Too frequent washing strips the natural oils from your curls and makes it harder to retain moisture. If you have waves or loose curls, you typically can wash your hair two to four times a week. For coily curls, we recommend weekly co-washing along with a monthly deep cleansing shampoo. Tight curls like spirals usually do well with shampooing or co-washing every three days.  

Prep Before Washing

To prevent breakage and frizz, take time to detangle your hair before you shampoo. How you detangle depends on your type of curls. You may be able to just use your fingers if you have waves or loose curls. For tighter curls, you might want to try a detangling spray with a wide tooth comb or a detangling brush. Don’t apply shampoo until your hair is tangle free.

Pay Attention to Products

Using the right styling products for your curly hair type can make all the difference in how your hair looks and feels. But, those products can build up. If you regularly use styling products, be sure to use a clarifying shampoo to help remove them. If you don’t, a moisturizing shampoo should do the trick. When choosing a shampoo, stay away from sulfates that strip the hair follicle of natural oils, and instead opt for shea, cocoa, and murumuru butters which help soften the hair. After shampooing, apply a moisturizing conditioner. Make sure to thoroughly rinse the shampoo and the conditioner as failing to do so can not only leave your hair greasy, it can also impact the effectiveness of your styling products. Now choosing the right styling products is where it gets a little tricky and you would benefit from a consultation with a hair care professional. Selecting a product requires not only knowing your curl type, but also the texture and porosity of your hair. Tighter, coarse curls with high porosity tend to respond well to larger amounts of creams and gels, while fine to medium looser curls and waves with lower porosity benefit best from lesser amounts of lighter foams and mouses. Ask our hair professional which product is best for your hair type.

How to Apply Styling Products

To get the most benefit, apply your styling product to soaking wet hair. Be sure to work it through evenly, then either curl or scrunch your hair using your fingers depending upon the look you are trying to achieve. 

Care Between Washes

• To help keep your curls looking their best DON’T touch them! Touching your hair can pull out the curls, as well draw moisture away causing frizz. 
• To keep frizz and breakage away while sleeping, use a silk or satin pillowcase, pile your hair into a pineapple using a silk or cotton scrunchie or protect it with a silk scarf.
• Mist your hair to reactivate any product to refresh curls.