Monsoons aren’t a curly girl’s best friend, let me tell you that. Why? FRIZZ! Lot’s of it! Over on my Instagram, I often get messages like below:
ย “My hair isn’t really curly but dry and frizzy. “
“My curls look great when they’re wet but they become poofy and frizzy when they dry!”
“My curls look good only on wash day! Next day it’s a cloud of frizz.”
Okay my curly haired fam – here’s the deal – Curly hair is naturally frizzy. We’ve got the driest texture of the lot & frizz is just a happy camper aboard the wavy & curly hair express. You gotta get okay living with it! Embrace it, life will get easier this way ๐
You can obviously reduce the poofy halo though. Follow the tips below – few are mentioned in my post on dry curly hair that I have repeated for this post ( to drive the point home in your heads ๐ ) & few are new! If you personally have a tip that will help other curly hair peeps, don’t forget to comment below!
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Table of Contents
- 1 Don’t brush your curls dry
- 2 Don’t shampoo everyday
- 3 Switch to a moisturising conditioner and leave in conditioner
- 4 Increase quantity of conditioner and leave in conditioner.
- 5 Switch to a CG friendly routine
- 6 Check for glycerine & alcohol in your products
- 7 Deep condition every other week.
- 8 Add Honey or Glycerine to your DIY hair masks
- 9 Apply Leave in Conditioner & gel to wet hair
- 10 Add a Gel to your Routine
- 11 Change Styling Technique
- 12 Seal with oil
- 13 Use a t shirt to scrunch and dry your curls
- 14 Rinse with cold water
- 15 Diffuse on cold
- 16 Cut down/Avoid Heat
- 17 Don’t touch your hair
- 18 Protect your hair While Travelling & Sleeping
- 19 Plop Your Hair
- 20 Don’t overdo oiling
- 21 Share this:
- 22 Like this:
Don’t brush your curls dry
When you comb your curls dry, you disturb it’s pattern & this results in frizz. So comb it wet after you’ve applied conditioner inside the shower. Outside, add a leave in conditioner when hair is still wet & comb again.
Tip: If you have too many tangles, detangle your hair with a little bit of oil before your shower. This way, when you condition and comb, less tension is put on the hair and consequently less breakage!
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Don’t shampoo everyday
Cowash ( use a light conditioner to cleanse) if you have to wash your hair more than thrice a week. The less you shampoo, more moisturised your curls will be.
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Switch to a moisturising conditioner and leave in conditioner
If you’re following the first tip & still struggle to detangle, it’s time to switch to something that remains more hydrated. My go to leave in currently are either of these three: As I Am Leave in Conditioner, Cantu Curl Activator or Miss Jessie Leave in Condish.
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Increase quantity of conditioner and leave in conditioner.
You understand just how much you need by trial and error. Drench your hair with conditioner. From a dollop to a palm full of leave in conditioner – listen to what your hair needs.
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Switch to a CG friendly routine
If you’re following all these tips but still have dry hair, switch to a routine that has no sulphates in your shampoo ( this dries out your curls) & no silicones in your conditioner ( which builds up on your hair & needs sulphates to remove). You can read more about it here.
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Check for glycerine & alcohol in your products
Glycerine free products perform better in humid conditions and products with it perform better in hot, drier season. So choose your leave in conditioner accordingly.
Also, look for products without common alcohols (Ethanol alcohol, Ethyl alcohol, Propanol alcohol, Alcohol denat, Isopropyl alcohol, Isopropanol alcohol
Benzyl alcoholor ). If it does have any of these, make sure it is in the bottom of the ingredients list. In this regard, do not use gels with alcohol in them, CG or Non CG.Tip: The closer ingredients are to the top of the list, the more concentrated they are.
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Deep condition every other week.
Huge reason why my frizz that I had, especially at the crown reduced over time. You can read more about deep conditioning curly hair here.
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Add Honey or Glycerine to your DIY hair masks
Honey is a natural humectant and glycerine helps draw moisture back in your curls. Add a spoonful to your homemade masks depending on if its dry or humid season.
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Apply Leave in Conditioner & gel to wet hair
I’ve noticed I have more frizz when I apply it on hair that has partially dried. If you have thick hair and apply leave in conditioner in sections (another tip to reduce frizz), keep a spray water bottle handy to re-wet the next section before you apply products.
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Add a Gel to your Routine
The amount of frizz I cut down by using a gel! Definitely add one to your routine & apply it right after your leave in conditioner. You can either comb after applying the gel as I do or scrunch in an upward direction. My go to gel at the moment is Ecostyler Gel.
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Change Styling Technique
If you find combing your curls after leave in conditioner gives you more frizz you can STC- Squish to Condish. Check out this video to learn.
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Seal with oil
Serums have silicones. Instead, take a light oil like almond or Jojoba & coat your strands with it. Not only will your hair shine, it will form a barrier between the strands & the environment.
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Use a t shirt to scrunch and dry your curls
A normal towel increases frizz. Either use a plain t shirt or alternatively use microfiber towels.
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Rinse with cold water
Doing this closes the hair cuticle & prevents the strands from absorbing water from the environment.
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Diffuse on cold
A diffuser spreads the air uniformly, making it less harsh on the curls. It is also my favourite way to get more volume for my curls! You can watch how I diffuse my hair in this video here.
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Cut down/Avoid Heat
The more you use the straightening iron, curler & blow drier on heat, the more you fry your hair strands & make frizz a frequent visitor.
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Don’t touch your hair
Especially until it dries. I know looking at my videos, it looks like I don’t follow this rule ๐ but I don’t mind a little bit of frizz. If you want to reduce frizz, adopt a no hands approach.
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Protect your hair While Travelling & Sleeping
Don’t let hair get trapped between bag straps while you travel. This will also increase breakage. Simply protect your hair & keep it out of the way when you travel with a lose pineapple or a ponytail.
While sleeping or napping, use satin pillow cases at night or a satin bonnet. This is especially important if you have more frizz on day two & three. Check out my nighttime routine here.
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Plop Your Hair
Before you diffuse & after you finish styling, use a t shirt to plop your hair for 10-15 mins. This will keep your hair out of the way when you finish dressing & applying make up.
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Don’t overdo oiling
If you completely drench your hair in oil, you will need more shampoo to remove it. I find giving my scalp a good oil massage and applying generously to my ends makes it a less drying affair.
Oh and if you have frizz only on the crown, smooth down some leave in on the hair but make sure you don’t apply it onto the scalp!
How many of these are you following for your hair? Try them out and let me know the results!
As always, subscribe to my Youtube Channel, & follow me onย Instagramย & Facebook to stay updated!
24 Comments
Judie
atMy problem is that when I take a shower and the next day it looks so fresh and amazing but once it hits the wind it becomes poofy, how do I fix it
Pallavi Juneja
atI hope you’re styling and using a leave in conditioner at least. It will take care of the poofiness quite a bit
anonymous
atDoes using a lot of conditioner cause hair fall
Pallavi Juneja
atNope, please read this- https://thecuriousjalebi.com/2019/06/28/natural-hair-journey-beginner-tips/#Conditioners_or_CG_Method_doesn8217t_CAUSE_hair_fall
Sally
atHey guys, Iโve heard that silicone and sulfate products are enemies for curly and wavy hair. Try some essential oils or grape/mustard oils to make your hair sparkle
Acacia
atI’ve been living with the dreaded ‘crown halo’ since puberty. Even thick hair gel won’t hold them down unless I apply a lot (my hair’s very coarse and not flexible). I’m getting my big chop on the 20th and really worried about how the top half of my head is going to look. I don’t know if these short hairs are just regrowth or if they’re damaged and broke off. They stick straight up in the air! Anyway, I’ve been using a very rich moisture shampoo and conditioner (my scalp gets itchy and smelly without a shampoo unfortunately), applying leave in, and I’ve just ordered myself a CG approved curl cream, plus a humectant and anti-humectant hair gel. I’ve also ordered a protein treatment to use once a week or fortnight, but not sure if I actually need it. I’ll have to ask my hairstylist what she thinks. Fingers crossed!
Pallavi Juneja
atHow did it go? <3
Hana
athi pallavi! how long did it take for your hair to transition from a frizz ball to frizz-free using all these methods?
Pallavi Juneja
atA few months for some drastic change after I got my straightened section cut, then many months because I didn’t realise how to style or comb properly. Ive shared my journey here- https://thecuriousjalebi.com/2017/02/22/get-back-curls-after-chemical-straightening-heat-damage/
rainbowshines
atI have very curly hair and I already follow all these tips however I would like to wear my hair smooth and not curly. I don’t flat iron I just blow dry. However When I use a brush during blow dry thats when it goes completely goofy and frizzy despite the deep conditioning and leave in products. I have tried a wide range of products. How can I wear my hair smooth (not necessarily sleek) without the frizz and poof.
Pallavi Juneja
atCan’t help you there since I dont do this! It’s just too much damage, breakage and hair fall if you continue to do this each time. Better to get Keratin or Cysteine if you want low maintainence sleek hair. But since that’s not permanent, you’ll need to keep getting it redone very 3-4 months
Rooshi
atHow to control frizz on travel i mean bus travel or bike with heavy wind
Pallavi Juneja
atJust wrap your hair with a satin scarf! That will look chic and protect your hair
Annie
atI tried all possible way to order moisture after watching loads of videos…. But the shipping and customs are double the rate…. Plz advice where and how can I order these stuff…. I’m located in Bahrain but even if it is available in India I’ll go for it…
Pallavi Juneja
atHi Annie, they are available online mostly. Amazon, flipkart and such ๐
I googled and found the following sites for curly hair. Hope they help!
https://www.nasserpharmacy.com/bh-en/mixed-chicks
https://bh.cosmostore.org/catalog/brands/devacurl/
https://bahrain.desertcart.com/products/1741278-shea-moisture-coconut-amp-hibiscus-curl-amp-style-milk-8-oz
https://m.facebook.com/Mumsinbahrain/posts/678192235526611
https://www.reddit.com/r/curlyhair/comments/3ntb6a/any_curlies_living_in_the_middle_east_i_need_your/?st=jde05pzn&sh=39f1e035
alberttrotter
atjojba oil is proved really good for me
Neha
atBut na I always find that my lower strains get frizzy as compared to my upper strains and it’s so much look like coconut hair
Pallavi Juneja
atHi Neha are you detangling your hair when it’s wet with conditioner or dry?
Gunashree
atThank you so much.. Much needed post.. Hope I can control my frizz
Nisha
atWow ๐ณ Thanks a ton, 2 months since gone curly, absolutely loving it. These tips will surely help๐
Cheers ๐
Deepika
atWhat is the best way to style low porocity hair so that the moisture penetrates into the hair and not on top of the hair strand ?
Pallavi Juneja
atHeat! Use lukewarm water as the last rinse so that when you apply the leave in, it penetrates your hair faster. ๐
Elizabeth Alex
atI did not know the tip about glycerin ๐ฎ And about leave in to smoothen frizz on the crown. Thanks for sharing this, once again, wonderful article!
Pallavi Juneja
atThank you Elizabeth! <3