Curly hair is beautiful, edgy, and a hassle. For all my naturally curly haired Fashionistas out there, this is for you. Let’s bask in the struggle of accepting our natural beauty by enhancing it, not hiding it. I’ve struggled with my naturally curly hair all my life, but hopefully, my story and tips can help you boost your confidence too.
First Steps
Knowing your hair type is crucial in understanding how to take care of your unique curls. When I search the Internet for curly-hair tips, I rarely find any tutorials that actually benefit my hair. After some research, I know now that I have Type 3 Hair. This discovery led me to beneficial tips and wonderful curly-haired beauty gurus.
I discovered my hair type a little too late in the game, so my hair has definitely been on a long journey, and I’m still learning. Because I was uneducated on how to treat my hair, it did not grow in the past two years. My hair had two awkward layers: the bottom was short and curly and the top was long and stringy with no curl definition. A month ago, I realized this had to change. I faced my fear and cut my hair.
Now that I went shorter, my hair is healthier than ever. I am gaining back my curl definition and hair growth seems possible now. Finding better styling-products was the next step.
I have used mousse every day since sixth grade, but it wasn’t until this summer that I found out the hard truth. Mousse has alcohol in it which dries out natural curls, so for years I was slowly ruining my hair and I had no idea.
1—What products should you use?
My go-to products now are dry shampoos, sculpting crème/gel, wide-toothed combs, and a keratin anti-frizz serum. You also want to look for shampoo and conditioner with water as the first ingredient.
2—Need a little moisture?
Sulfate-free products are always the way to go. Finding a great conditioner is crucial because natural curls are always dying for moisture. My stylist also suggests a leave-in conditioner.
3—Want to avoid frizz?
Try to avoid putting any heat to your hair. However, if you can’t live without your blow-dryer, use the cool setting and don’t forget a diffuser to protect curl-definition. After washing or wetting your hair, do not towel dry, use a T-shirt.
Years ago, I wouldn’t believe I could be saying this but here it is: frizz is not always a bad thing, and you should never feel the pressure to live frizz-free. Embrace your natural curls, Fashionistas!
Since cutting my hair and ridding it of dead ends, I have made way for new beautiful curls. Every day I feel more confident after finding products that actually suit my hair type and letting go of the frizz-free mentality.
What has your hair journey been like? Let me know in the comments below!
