Caring for curly hair is as much art as science. To help you along, we’ve put together this guide.
Curly hair can be tricky. Thanks to its coiled shape, natural oils have a hard time traveling through the fibers to keep them moisturized. Your hair and scalp can feel like they are in constant danger of drying out.
But there are ways to make sure that it’s as healthy as possible.
How often should curly hair be washed?
This is probably the biggest question around curly hair, and the general consensus is typically “as little as possible,” to avoid over-drying the hair.
But there are also concerns with this approach. Even though your hair may not look greasy in-between washes, it still might be time for a shampoo.
In fact, your scalp can actually need to be cleansed long before your hair looks “dirty.”
Of course, our scalps produce oil every day, and this helps moisturize our skin and hair.
Unfortunately, over time, oils on the skin’s surface oxidize and break down into substances that can irritate your scalp.
When this happens your scalp feels itchy and uncomfortable. It can also easily lead to problems like dandruff.
So, let your scalp tell you when it’s time to wash your hair. To keep it comfortable, try to use a moisturizing anti-dandruff shampoo once a week.
Massage this into your scalp to clean away as much oil as you can.
Keep it in shape with conditioner
A good conditioner for curly hair will help smooth your curls and fight frizz.
A conditioner that’s designed for hair and scalp will help keep them both moisturized; massage from roots to tips.
This way, you’ll be able to tackle problems that start at the scalp like dry scalp and dandruff.
In fact, an anti-dandruff conditioner will lock-in the dandruff-fighting power of your shampoo – unlike beauty conditioners which can actually wash off the scalp care ingredients your shampoo provided.
Blow dry with a diffuser
Blow drying with a regular nozzle can focus too much heat on one spot of your hair.
If you have curly hair, this is especially dangerous, as it is prone to drying out already.
A diffuser will dry your hair more evenly without disrupting your curls.
Here are some other blow dry tips:
- Use a low heat setting to avoid damaging your hair and scalp. It should be comfortable on your hand
- Don’t focus on one spot for too long, as this can still cause heat build-up, even with a diffuser
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