10 Things To Learn About Curly Hair That Will Change Your World

Sick & tired of managing your frizzy wavy & curly hair and always reaching for the straightening iron when there’s an ‘important event’?

What if I told you you’re taking care of it completely wrong?

It’s unfortunate that we didn’t grow up learning what I have listed below because we could have saved us years of hurt and confusion.

Our hair texture is beautiful, wild, perfect; you just need to learn how to take care of it properly.

And to do that you need to understand first- why it behaves so differently from our straight her sister.

Which is why this post is incredibly important to read if you have wavy or curly hair.

Prepare to be astonished!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNQJfpnndV/

Curly hair is naturally/structurally/inherently DRY

Because of the hair strand’s spiral structure, the natural oils from your scalp can’t reach the ends. 

It is also why so many of you complain – my scalp is really oily and ends are dry. This gives you rough brittle hair & split-ends, even more so with longer hair.

That is why conditioning is the most important part of curly hair care- NOT your shampoo. 

The picture above is my mom’s hair that has her natural hair on the left, just shampooed. The picture on the right is taken just 3 hours later after following the tips I talk about in this blog.

Using a regular shampoo will damage your hair

You know how detergents affect your skin? After you wash your clothes, your palm feels rough & really dry? It’s because of harsh sulphates that make the soap.

The same is used to make shampoos and this strips your scalp of it’s natural oils, when it was already not able to reach the ends!

So what’s the solution?

You need to either shampoo less (like once a week but that’s difficult if you stay in a tropical humid country like India) OR use a shampoo that is gentle, usually one without sulphates.

This is part of a global technique called CGM or Curly Girl Method. Read more about this method here: What is CG Method? Do I Use This?

Want recommendations for shampoos? Find them in this post: Curly Hair Products in India

or check out my Amazon store that I’ve curated for Indian curlies 🙂

Don’t comb curly hair dry daily

When you brush or comb naturally wavy or curly hair dry, the curly clumps get separated forcefully & cause frizz! So don’t comb your hair dry daily- even though all your upbringing has taught you the opposite. See my picture below to see the difference in results.

So when can you brush or comb curly hair? You can

1. after applying some oil right before you shampoo
2. right after applying conditioner inside the shower
   and
3. after applying a leave in conditioner/curl cream on wet hair outside the shower.

You might worry- Won’t combing wet hair cause breakage?

Yes, if you’re harsh! Which is why step 1 with some oil is important- it becomes even easier if you use a gentle detangling brush or a wide tooth comb.

Next, the conditioner you use should ideally make your hair slippery. This will make detangling pain free without breakage!

This tip keeps curly hair clumps hydrated and defined. Look at the two pictures of my hair below, taken a couple of years ago.

The picture on the left is when I would comb it dry and not use a leave in conditioner. The picture on the right is after combing after conditioner & leave in conditioner!

Quite the difference na? 🙂

So what do you do the other days because you can’t comb your hair daily? You ‘Refresh’ it every morning with some water and product. Watch how I do that here.

Curly hair shrinks

Pull a curly strand straight down & measure – that is your actual length. Curls elongate when they’re wet and shrink when they dry because of its shape.

Remember this when you go get your hair cut next!

The hairdresser will wet your hair and comb to cut it. But when it finally dries, it’s shorter than you thought it would be!

Heat damage, Keratin & smoothening treatments is a curly girl’s worst enemy.

Our hair thrives with water, not heat.

After having a naturally dry texture, frying it even more with straightening irons, blow dryers will lead to heavy breakage and roughness.

Chemical treatments will also last only a few months and you will soon have a lot hair fall, breakage and a very weird texture.

I got smoothening done one and regret it to this day.

In the picture above, the left one is taken a year after I got a keratin treatment done. You can see how wonky it became and how much thickness I lost. But thankfully, I found what to do.

If like me you have gotten this done and want to get your healthy curls back, read this post: Transitioning from Chemically straightened hair to Curly Hair

And yes, those everyday ten minutes of “harmless” straightening of your bangs to make it look “neat” also damages your hair shaft leaving it dry & rough.

Why not just put in that time and effort to take care of your natural hair & love your true authentic self?

Conditioners, leave in conditioners, hair masks will become your best friends

Keep products that provides moisture to your hair close!

When readers come to me and ask ‘what shampoo should I use for my curly hair’ with no intentions of ever conditioning, I sigh, deeply.

That’s not what your hair needs to be healthy! Remember less shampooing, more conditioning!

Read: What is a Leave-in-Conditioner and how do I apply it

Texture Typing – different types of natural hair exist

Is it wavy, curly or coily/kinky? Will it like light stylers or heavy rich creams? Will be it be easier for you maintain short or long hair healthily?

All of this can be found after you learn more about your individual hair type.

I have a mix of 3A & 3B hair type that tells me I need to hydrate and moisturise it well AND comb after a leave in conditioner. Wavy hair or loose hair types should comb after conditioner but avoid it after applying styling products for fatter clumps.

See why knowing this is so important?

Find out your curly hair type here : Texture Typing Quiz

Normal towel causes frizz

Don’t dry your hair with a normal towel. It will create friction with your hair strands and you’ll end up with more frizz.

Instead, use a microfiber towel or an old  T-Shirt (my go-to) after you’re done styling your curls. I

If you scrunch up with the t shirt after styling with a leave in conditioner/curl cream/gel, your curl pattern gets activated & becomes tighter.

A t-shirt is also used in a technique called plopping which really helps your curls to coil better. You can check this out to learn how to do it : How to Plop Curly Hair

Avoid touching or playing with it

 

Leave your hair alone after you’re done styling! Let it dry naturally or use a diffuser with your hair dryer.

Messing with your hair before it dries will make it super frizzy. And you’ll be left wondering – I did everything right and I still have frizz!

The next few days avoid touching it too much too- just keep your hands to yourself girl! 😀

You are incredibly lucky to be a curly girl!

Natural is beautiful & professional. You can grow to love the hell out of it. Maybe just stop hating and wishing it to be something else and learn how to make it thrive!

And considering most Indian women, especially have curly, wavy hair, let’s learn to flaunt it, not reduce it to a haystack with chemical straightening & blow drying.

Give it a chance, watch how from frizzy waves & curls, they transform to healthy, soft & bouncy curls !

Ready? Here’s what you should do next:

Read my posts – Curly Hair Tips for Beginners & 20 Tips to Reduce Frizz.

This will teach you all the easy techniques that I incorporated that will transform your hair too!

Then, hop on over to this post where you can choose curly hair products in your budget: Curly Hair Products in India or check my Amazon Store.

If you don’t want to read, get a crash course by watching my video tutorials on my Youtube channel.

You can also ask me any questions you might have on my facebook group- Ask Jalebi or Dm me on my Instagram @thecuriousjalebi!