Curly hair requires a lot of attention. Many people see well kept curly hair and they go, “oh wow! You have beautiful hair”. What most of these people don’t know is that the amount of effort and time that goes into taking care of the hair is pretty significant.
It’s like a pet or a baby. It always seems to have enough presence of mind to draw your attention, but not enough to take care of itself. And if you wish that there was an easy way to reduce the struggles of maintaining healthy curly hair, your wish has come true.
In fact, there isn’t just one way. There are a good number of tips and tricks that make managing your curly hair very easy.
1. Don’t Shampoo Too Often
Shampooing your hair is a good habit. But if you do it too often, you risk drying out your hair. And dry hair is a breeding ground for dandruff and scalp irritation. So, you need to reduce your shampooing to about once a week.
You might even go for longer before you shampoo. But! If you don’t shampoo your hair for too long, dirt would accumulate in it and cause more irritations. So, don’t wait for too long in between shampooing.
If your hair gets dirty quickly, restrict your shampooing to about 6 to 8 times in a month. And if your hair doesn’t get dirty quickly, four times (or less) in a month should do.
And when you’re shampooing, spend more time on the roots of your curls. That is where most dirt accumulates.
2. Condition Your Hair Often
Hair conditioners make your hair softer, shinier, and untangled. And since curly hair seems to tangle up of its own free will, hair conditioners are your new best friend. Use the conditioner every time before you shower.
Conditioning your hair while it is yet dry allows your hair to absorb enough conditioner. Getting your hair wet before you condition means that your hair has to struggle to absorb the conditioner after it has absorbed lots of water.
So about 20 minutes before you shower, apply the conditioner to your hair, and wear your shower cap. Wash your body before you rinse off your hair. And as you rinse your hair, try to untangle it from the root to the ends.
3. Use After-Shower Cream
After-shower creams are the unsung heroes of curly hair. While shampoos clean your hair and conditioners keep it soft and untangled, shower creams help you to maintain beautiful looking curls.
This is often what makes the difference between the attractive beauty pageant curly hair and the boring looking, not-so-curly-yet-not-so-straight-but-definitely-messy curly hair.
Besides that, after-shower creams help you nourish your curls and make them look fuller. After you step out of the shower and comb your curls, apply the after-shower cream from the root to the ends.
4. Occasional Use of Hair Masks
Hair masks keep frizz away from your hair and make your curls look healthier. But unlike the after-shower creams and conditioners and shampoos, you can easily make hair masks right from your kitchen. Oil extracts like coconut oil and olive oil are usually the primary ingredients.
You may apply hair masks to your hair once or twice a month.
5. Don’t Expose Your Hair to Heat Without Protection
Before you blow-dry your curls or try to use a flat iron to flatten them, apply heat protectant sprays.
When you apply heat directly to your hair, you risk damaging its growth and making it dry.
Dry hair attracts dandruff, which is not what we want. So before you expose it to heat, spray your hair with a heat tamer spray.
Conclusion
There you have it! The tips to having beautiful looking curly hair. The kind that draws second glances from strangers.
But if, by any chance, you grow tired and want to straighten your curly hair, you definitely need some of the best hairbrush straighteners to help you through the process.