Define Curly Hair
Ever been frustrated by frizzy, flyaway curls? Read on to learn tips and methods for getting perfectly defined curls.
Steps
- Gather the materials listed in the Things You'll Need section.
- Wash and condition your curly hair. It is important to use a gentle shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner in the shower. These products will clarify and maintain moisture in the hair.
- Detangle your hair, gently, in the shower with a wide-toothed comb. Make sure to do so when your hair has a good amount of conditioner in it. For a little added moisture try adding honey to your conditioner, but be sure to rinse most of it out.
- Rinse your hair the final time with cool or cold water to seal the cuticle. This adds shine and prevents frizz. For a little extra root volume try rinsing upside down.
- Apply a leave in conditioner or cream by smoothing it onto your hair. At this point, make sure your hair has no tangles left. If it does gently untangle with your fingers and then give your hair another rinse in the sink, making sure to reapply your conditioner. While you can skip a leave in, it's best to use one so your hair stays moisturized, and frizz free throughout the day.
- Smooth on a light, liquid gel or serum. Make sure this is well distributed on the whole hair. Products like these are key for preventing frizz in high humidity.
- Apply a holding product such as gel or mousse. Smooth the product on with your hands, making sure to evenly coat every section. Experiment with products and amounts of products until you get the right combination for your hair.
- Shape your hair with your hands. Here are two methods, so see which one works best for you.
- Scrunching: Cup your hair in your hands and scrunch in an upwards motion. The more you scrunch, the curlier your hair will be.
- Twirling: Twist a section around your finger, making sure to go with the natural curl of the section. This method will produce perfect ringlets, and a detailed explanation is included in the video below.
- Remove water from the hair by scrunching with paper towels or cotton cloth (aka t-shirts). Generic towels are made of terry cloth, and the little loops that make up the cloth tend to catch on curly hair and cause frizz. Once you have removed as much water as possible, you might want to plop while you apply makeup or put on your clothes.
- Dry your hair. Air-drying leads to the least amount of frizz, but if you don't have the time make sure to blow dry with a diffuser attachment.
- Avoid touching your hair until it is completely dry. Once dry, scrunch out any crunch from your products, and enjoy your frizz free spirals!
Tips
- Hair reaches outwards and frizzes when it is looking for moisture, so it makes sense that the more moisture you put in your hair, the less it will frizz.
- Some days now matter how religiously you follow your styling regimen, you will still get frizz. Instead of putting your hair up though, embrace the frizz and let your hair be a little more wild that day.
- To make flirty waves, tightly braid your hair when it is damp and sleep on it. In the morning you should have wavy hair!
- Apply a nourishing hair mask once a week for glossy curls!
Warnings
- Don't touch your hair until it is completely dry! Playing with wet natural hair will cause lots of frizz. If you do notice a curl that has to be fixed however, just use a little water and reset it.
Things You'll Need
- Leave in conditioner or cream
- Mousse or gel
- Paper towels or cotton cloth
- Blow dryer and diffuser (optional)
Related Articles
- Follow the Curly Girl Method for Curly Hair
- Curl Hair with Foam Rollers
- Make Curly Hair Scene
- Treat Dry, Rough and Wavy Hair
- Plop Your Hair
- Turn Frizzy Curls Into Beautiful Twirls
