If you are blessed with curly hair, then you know this blessing comes with its pros and cons. On the one hand, curly hair is beautiful, eye-catching, and never boring. On the other hand, taking care of curly hair can feel like a full time job.
The truth is that everyone’s hair is different and requires different means to take care of it. That’s especially true for people with curly hair which can, excuse the pun, go in a lot of different directions. Curly hair generally requires more moisture, specific styling methods and tools, and a little bit of extra TLC.
But once you’ve got your curly hair routine down, the pros really start to edge out the cons. In this post, we’ll break down the science behind this curl pattern and how to take care of curly hair so it looks and feels it best.
Why Does Hair Curl in the First Place?
Let’s start with some hair health and science.
Understanding Curl Patterns and Hair Types
Have you ever wondered why some people have straight hair and others have natural curls? It all starts at the root. The shape of your curl pattern is actually determined by the shape of your hair follicle.
People with curly hair tend to have C-shaped hair follicles that produce ringlets and defined curls. In the hair care sphere, we have a few different ways of classifying these curls. The most popular is the Curl Type Chart, which measures curl patterns from 1A to 4C. 1A hair is stick straight, while 4C hair is tightly coiled.
A couple of notes on the Curl Type Chart: It’s not perfect. A lot of people have several different curl patterns on their head. They might have curlier hair around their face or on the back of their head. Secondly, curl charts tend to simplify hair needs. Hair porosity, texture, and elasticity also play large roles in curly hair care.
Curly Hair Wants and Needs
At the end of the day, it’s always a good idea to think about finding your healthy hair routine like an experiment. It may take more than a few tries to find something that suits you, your specific curl pattern, and your schedule, but once you do, your hair will thank you.
On that note, let’s take a step back and talk about some of the most common conditions of the curly hair type.
- Dryness: Outside of any products, hair is generally moisturized via sebum, the natural oils on your scalp. Because curly hair loops around, it’s more difficult for sebum to travel down the hair shaft, leading to dryer hair overall. You may have experienced a dry or itchy scalp for the same reason.
- Frizz: In addition to dryness, curly hair is often more porous, which can contribute to frizz. Hair porosity describes the distance between hair cuticles, or the outermost layers of the hair shaft. Porous hair can easily absorb moisture but it also has a harder time holding on to it.
- Breakage: Both of these conditions can lead to breakage. Dry hair is weaker hair and is also prone to knotting. If you’ve ever taken a brush through your naturally curly hair when it’s dry, then you’ll know what we’re talking about.
Caring for Your Curly Hair
So all that said, let’s talk about some ways you can best keep your curls intact.
Nourishing it From Within
You can watch all of the ‘how to take care of curly hair’ tutorials on YouTube, but if their only focus is on topical treatments, then you’re still missing a crucial step.
Healthy hair growth starts from within. Your hair cuticles require vitamins, minerals, and oxygen. Vitamin D, B vitamins like biotin and folic acid, and minerals like zinc are all tied to hair health. Deficiencies in them have also been tied to hair loss.
That’s why the best piece of advice we have for curly, textured hair is to take a hair supplement like Wellbel. Its formula is filled with the clean, vegan ingredients that help keep hair healthy. Every individual hair strand can benefit from these ingredients, becoming stronger and more resilient.
Drinking Enough Water
On that same note, it’s also important to make sure you’re getting enough water every day. Your internal hydration levels help determine the smoothness of your skin via its production of natural oils. As moisture is so essential to hair texture, make sure you’re getting enough water for your needs.
What’s nice about hydration is that it won’t just help your hair, it will also benefit every part of your body.
Choosing the Right Products
When it comes to cleaning your hair, there are some key tips for maintaining healthy curls.
Perhaps the most important is making sure that you’re not contributing to any more dryness. Lots of widely available shampoos contain ingredients like sulfates which help to create a lather but can also strip your hair’s natural oils. If you have a so-called moisturizing shampoo, make sure it contains no sulfates so your scalp can stay balanced and hydrated.
As far as your hair care routine, play around with it. Curly hair often needs to be washed less. We recommend listening to your hair and giving it what it needs on any specific day. If you just need to spray it with some water to revive lifeless curls, great. If a standard wash with a mild shampoo will do it, great. If your scalp is feeling heavy with greasy hair and product build up, try a scalp brush and a clarifying shampoo to give it a fresh start.
In any case, always seek out moisturizing ingredients.
Styling Your Curly Hair
Now it’s time to get into some curly hair styling tips.
Fall in Love With a Diffuser
As curly hair is already more prone to damage, you don’t want to make it worse with your blow dryer. Heat styling tools are curly hair’s nemeses, even with a heat protectant spray or serum. If you can, let your hair air dry, or use a diffuser on a cool setting to keep your curls smooth and reduce frizz.
A diffuser will help with your hair’s porosity. If it feels like it takes forever for your hair to dry, then this is definitely a tool worth exploring.
Reset Your Sleep Routine
A lot can happen overnight. If you’ve ever woken up with your hair sticking out in a million directions, then it’s possible you’re not giving your hair what it needs during sleep. Try a silk bonnet or wrapping your hair in a silk scarf to reduce friction on your hair and prevent knotting and breakage.
You can also explore a leave-in conditioner with argan oil to help moisturize your hair overnight. Just whatever you do, never sleep with wet hair. For us, please.
Choosing Safe Styling and Products
If you’re on hair-tok then you’ve probably seen various curly hair routines. We’ve tried it all so these are our top tips for creating your own routine:
- Don’t brush your hair when it’s wet. Instead, use a wide tooth comb in the shower while you have conditioner in.
- Drying your hair with a towel will create frizz. Instead, use a cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel.
- Hair mousse and styling products are great for curls, just make sure you seek out products with natural ingredients. We know gel is tempting, but sticking to milder products will avoid making your curls crunchy.
Embrace The Curly Lifestyle
The journey of figuring out how to take care of curly hair can be long and winding. What works for your friend won’t necessarily work for you. But if you focus on health and set aside time for your hair routine, you can help your locks look and feel their best.
We just hope you never feel afraid to wear your hair curly. Remember, your natural hair is gorgeous, it just needs some love. Give it what it needs with nourishment via a supplement like Wellbel that promotes hair growth and hair strength. From there, it’s all about moisture, moisture, and more moisture.
Sources:
How to Figure Out Your Curl Type and Why It Actually Helps | Glamour
