The Do’s and Don’ts of Curly Hair Care

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Curly or wavy? Type 2B or 3A? These are questions every girl with curly hair asks themselves, especially with the so-called “curl police” taking over social media. While I can’t tell you what type of curls you have, I can offer advice about what is helpful (and not) to help maintain your mane. 

DO use:

• Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Defining Curl Cream
• Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Curl Activating Mousse
• Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil
• Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask

These are all products I’ve used before and still use today. I love Not Your Mother’s because it’s not too heavy for my hair type (type 2B/2C). If you really want your curls to last, I recommend Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Sculpting Gel because it gives a thick cast and is easily broken with oil. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, your hair will feel crunchy after the gel, so you need to use hair oil to bring back the softness because the gel is supposed to lock in the curl pattern. My hair gets dry sometimes, so the Moroccanoil hair mask helps revive my curls and makes my hair feel so soft and healthy after. 

DO:

• Plop hair with microfiber towel
• Let air dry
• Diffuse when hair is damp, not sopping wet
• Brush when wet to detangle/spread product

All of these are suggestions, and this is just what works for me. I like plopping my hair for about 20 minutes after I wash it and put in my products because it helps to keep my curls tighter. I’m one of those people who suffers from frizz, so diffusing after your hair has time to dry is a MUST. I prefer to brush out my product so that I’m not scrunching my hair and reinforcing the knots if it’s already tangled. My overall suggestion is to plop and let it air dry because it has given me the best results.

DON’T do:

• Use heat without heat protectant
• Brush when dry
• Wash everyday (dependent on hair type)
• Use too much product

Before I realized my hair was not in fact straight, I would brush out my hair and pretty much look like Hermione Granger for the rest of the day, no matter how much water I put in to maintain it. For people with looser waves, this might work for you, but as someone whose hair changes everyday, brushing it out is not in the cards. I also refuse to straighten my hair without hair protectant or even wash it everyday because it dries out my hair so easily. Obviously, wash days depend on your lifestyle, so don’t let yourself have gross hair for days just because other people tell you not to wash it. Using too much product can also contribute to an oily scalp, so consider your hair texture and porosity when applying. 

At the end of the day, do what you feel is best for your curls. I’m still figuring out how to maintain my hair and still dread sleeping on it because it never comes out the same the next morning. It’s not always the easiest to manage, but if you learn to love your curls, it’ll show.