Curly hair tends to be drier and more prone to tangles than straight hair, so you’ll have to be careful about washing, conditioning, and styling your hair. You should limit how often you shampoo, and use products to keep your hair moisturized.
1- Use shampoo and conditioners designed for damaged hair.
Curly hair is dryer than regular hair, and because of this it’s more prone to damage. It’s a good idea to baby your hair slightly during the shampooing process if you have curly hair. Purchase shampoos made for damaged hair, which include milder ingredients that are less taxing on hair.
- Make sure to buy salon products and not drugstore products; drugstore shampoos and conditioners are often diluted, making them less effective.
- If you can’t find a shampoo for dry or damaged hair, some stores sell shampoos for curly hair specifically. The formula in these shampoos are similar to the formula in most products sold for damaged hair.
2- Limit shampooing your hair.
If you have curly hair, you should not shampoo it every day. Because curly hair is typically also dry, it doesn’t need to be washed as often as straight hair. Shampooing too frequently can dry out your hair and cause it to look frizzier.
- Shampoo your hair no more than twice a week.
- When you do shampoo, you can expect some tangles afterwards. Curly hair is very prone to tangles. Brush it gently to avoid damaging your hair
3- Co-wash your hair regularly.
Co-washing simply means conditioning your hair in the shower but not adding shampoo. This can be particularly beneficial to curly hair, as it needs moisture replenished more often than other hair types.
- Read product labels before choosing a conditioner. Products that contain silicone-based ingredients, which are ingredients that end in “-one”, should be avoided. Such products will be very harsh on your hair.
- After conditioning your hair, see how it feels. If you hair feels spongy or mushy, you may be overdoing it. You usually only need a quarter-sized drop of conditioner.
- If you have dermatitis, co-washing may make your condition worse. Talk to a dermatologist before you begin co-washing.
- Keep in mind that while co-washing is great for adding moisture to your hair, it doesn’t clean it.
4- Deep condition when your hair feels dry or damaged.
Deep conditioning treatments are important to replenish moisture in curly hair that has dried out. If your hair starts to feel frizzy and dry, do a deep conditioning treatment and see if it helps.
- Apply a conditioner to your hair before getting into the shower. Place a shower cap over your head, covering your hair completely. Shower with the cap in place. The heat and steam from the shower helps lock in the conditioner’s moisture.
- When you’re done, rinse out the conditioner and brush as usual.
- For a deeper conditioning treatment, sit under a heated dryer while the conditioner processes
5- Use a towel over a t-shirt for drying curly hair.
Curly hair may not take well to being dried with a towel. A towel can irritate your hair, causing frizz. Instead, use a light t-shirt to gently dab your hair dry.
- Ideally, you should go for a t-shirt made out of a lighter material.
