Many women who have afro or curly hair use special products to make it straighter , but progressive touch-up and straightening often end up damaging it. These chemical processes thin the hair and leave it brittle, dull and lifeless , in some cases hair loss may occur, thus reducing its volume.
The straightening ends up generating problems that are sometimes irreversible such as permanent alopecia and hair thinning.
So this article is for those who want to stop applying straightening, or who just want to take better care of their curls .
To cheer you up, look at these photos that show that frizzy or afro hair can be very beautiful.
If these girls straightened their hair, they certainly wouldn’t look so good. They are undoubtedly more attractive with their natural, frizzy hair. The example below is frizzy, long hair with natural volume.
Follow these tips to keep your curly or afro hair healthy and with reduced volume.
Index
How to care for afro or frizzy hair?
1 – Weekly hydration
Hydrate your hair every week, or up to 2 times a week, to replenish moisture . Afro and frizzy hairs, due to their curl or snail shape, do not allow the moisture and natural hydration of the scalp to spread over its entire length. For this reason they tend to be drier. Try to use specific products for your hair type, preferably with formulations that include aloe vera, panthenol, and vitamins. Check our article with 15 recipes with aloe vera for skin and hair .
2 – Hair oils
Once a week, if desired, soak your hair in moisturizing oils . These will help improve hair texture, lower volume, and tame curls. The coconut oil or olive oil extra virgin are ideal for this type of hair. In this article you will find more types of essential oils that you can use in your recipes to hydrate your hair.
3 – Monthly rebuild
Get a reconstruction a month with keratin and amino acids that repair and restore damaged hair. You can even use liquid keratin, but then you will need to apply a reconstructive mask. Read the article we have on how to rebuild hair at home.
4 – Do not comb the hair in the morning
When you wake up, run your fingers through the curls using a product to activate them. They can be oils or creams to comb without rinsing . Don’t comb it so the curls hold their shape.
5 – Take care of it at bedtime
In order not to spoil the curls, tie them at the top of the head and release them in the morning . You just have to straighten them and apply a styling product. This technique is known as “pineapple” due to the shape of the curls tied on the head.
6 – Wash it with water at room temperature
Washing your hair with hot water dries it out , and the secret to keeping it looking healthy and beautiful is keeping it hydrated. But you will not do anything with applying creams and suitable products if you wash your hair with hot water, because it will not respond to the treatment.
7 – How to wash afro or frizzy hair?
After shampooing your hair, apply a conditioner all the way to the ends and style it in the shower to detangle it . Gently squeeze dry with a towel and use a curl activating styling cream. Ideally, you should comb it with your hands from the bottom up until you reach the scalp, but if you prefer, use a wooden comb and wide bristles.
8 – Dry it naturally
After applying the styling cream, let the curls dry naturally and then use complementary products like a hydrating gel or intensifying spray to prevent dryness. These are products that protect the dryness caused by the environment (wind, sun, etc.), and help to reduce the volume. Pomades, waxes, silicones, and hair oils go a long way in preventing frizz.
9- How to blow-dry afro or frizzy hair?
Drying curls naturally makes them defined. But if you want to use a blow dryer, first apply a thermal protector to the hair and attach a diffuser to the blow dryer . Do not comb it while drying to prevent it from losing its shape.
10 – Don’t sleep with wet hair
You cannot have this habit. The curls are very close to each other and close, which favors the proliferation of fungi and bacteria on the scalp .
11 – Use curlers
If you have short curly hair, this is good advice. Wash hair and blow dry 60%, then wrap hair in small rollers and finish drying to further define them. Leave the curlers in the hair for hours, or as long as possible, finally remove them and straighten the curls with your fingers. When styled like this, curls usually last until the next wash.
12 – Cut It Out
A good cut is one of the main weapons against volume and in the case of curly hair, it helps to eliminate dry ends. Every hair has its own technique, but stylists agree that a straight cut should be avoided . With all the hair at the same length, the volume accumulates at the tip, the result is a triangular cut with little volume at the root and too much at the ends.
13 – Eat well
Maintaining a balanced diet with plenty of protein , fresh vegetables and water helps maintain the vitality of the hair. A good option is to consume avocados , but without overdoing it. This fruit contains fat and helps maintain the oiliness of the hair.
Afro and curly hair products
We are going to leave you the best products for curly hair in each category, so you have to avoid searching and wasting more your time, that is, there is no order or preference, you should already know that it does not serve the same for everyone , so it is best to try several and choose the one that suits you best.
Best shampoos for curly hair
- BABARIA KERATINA & ARGAN curly hair shampoo 400 ml.
- Pantene Perfect Curls – Shampoo for curly hair, 675 ml.
- Franck Provost – Expert Reparation + – Professional shampoo for dry, damaged hair – 750 ml
- Pantene PRO-V Perfect Curls Shampoo for curly hair 270 ml
- Llongueras – Color Protection – Shampoo for curly colored hair – 700 ml
- Hair Expertise Color & Straightening Shampoo
- Revlon Professional – ProYou Texture Substance Up – Volumizing and disciplining concentrate – 350 ml
- Garnier Fructis Hidra Curls Shampoo 300ml
- L’Oréal Paris Liss Shampoo Pure Curly, Indomitable 250 ML
- Garnier Fructis Nutri Repair 3 Shampoo 300ml
- Hair Expertise Nutrition & Hydration Shampoo
Best conditioners for curly or afro hair
- Pantene – Hydrocream Curls New 145 ml
- Pantene Pro-V Perfect Curls – Conditioner for curly hair, 675 ml
- Matrix Curl Please – Curly Conditioner, 1000 ml
- salt-free keratin hair conditioner
- John Frieda – Curly Hair Conditioner 250 ml FRIZZ-EASE Curl Around® Conditioner
- Curls Pantene Pro-V Hair Conditioner Pur for curly hair, 6-pack (6 x 250 ml)
- L’Oréal Hair Expertise – Ever Color – Moisturizing smoothing cream for colored hair – 250 ml
- Anti-Poof Moisturizing & Smoothing Conditioner – G 426
- Matrix Bio Cleansing Conditioner for Curly Hair – 500 ml
- Hair Care Set Bundle for Wavy and Curly Hair, Including Garnier The Tamer Straighten Frizz Tamer Shampoo and Conditioner, John Frieda Wand, Tangle Attack, Hair Brush Claws Clip
Best masks for frizzy hair
- Mica Derm – Sublime Curls Mask – Wavy or curly hair – 300 ml
- L’Oréal Professionnel Expert – Curl Contour HydraCell – Cream with anti-frizz action for curly hair – 150 ml
- Alea Curly Hair Mask – 400 ml
- L’Oréal Paris Total Repair 5 Reconstituting Mask 200ml
- L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERT CURL CONTOUR HYDRACELL mask 200 ml
- Curl Activator 200ml Kin Kinactif Stimulating Curly Treatment
- Hair mask for curly hair – cameleo BB – 500 ml
- L’Oréal Paris Elvive Color-Vive Mask
- Kin Kinactif Liss Repair and Smoothing Mask Treatment for unruly or frizzy hair – 200 ml
- Kin Kinactif Curl Repair and Hydrating Mask Treatment for curly hair – 200 ml
We hope that the article has been very useful and you take care of your curly hair in the best possible way, always with care and perseverance, to have an unbeatable appearance. Tell us how it went and share if you liked it !!!
I apologize to fans of straight hair , but curling when kept well is fascinating. I like hair to have a lot of volume so curling is my favorite style.
Curly hair grows directly in clumps and loops are formed throughout the hair. The curls of the hair prevent the oils produced in the root from reaching the ends so this type of hair ends up being dry, brittle, rough and shapeless. However, if the necessary precautions are taken, the curls can become beautiful, loose and defined.
Main advantages of curly hair
Curly hair has more volume and looks good with different types of hairstyles. Also, it doesn’t get greasy easily. On the contrary, it tends to be drier so it requires a moisturizing care .
Another advantage is that it does not need to be combed every day. Even frequent brushing can break it and make it lose its shape.
Main problems of curly hair
Curly hair has very specific problems. It all starts with the structure of the follicle that is irregular. Therefore, curly hair is more fragile and porous, reacting worse to the application of chemical products since it absorbs them more and ends up being damaged more easily. However, some tend to be thicker, which makes up for this problem.
On the other hand, the uneven structure of the hair does not allow the natural oils to be distributed through the hair and this dries them out. Lastly, its tendency to frizz means that blow- drying and brushing does not last long.
How to care for curly hair
- Avoid washing it with very hot water , because it dries out the hair.
- If you wash every day, use only specific and quality products.
- Massage the scalp while washing to stimulate the production of the hair’s protective sebum.
- After washing your hair, remove excess water with a soft cotton towel instead of a towel to prevent frizz . Unlike shirts, towels absorb too much water. The texture of this garment will help soften the curls.
- With the hair still wet, apply a small amount of styling cream and spread it through the hair.
- If the hair is dry , you can apply small amounts of styling cream during the day but being careful not to use too much, because it would leave the curls dull and immobile.
- Avoid dry combing. Do it when the hair is damp to keep its structure intact.
- Separate the curls carefully, always starting from the tip to the root.
- Use intensive care moisturizing masks , as needed (at home or in the beauty / hairdressing salon).
- You can use finishing products like silicone, glitter, repair spray, and creams.
- Cut the hair periodically to remove dry ends.
- If you have extremely dry hair, you should not use shampoo and only use the dryer once a week. If the hair is not greasy, wait to use the shampoo until the next wash. Take a look at the co-wash technique .
- Apply coconut oil to your hair before showering for deeper hydration. If your hair is very dry, you can use the oil as a tip repair.
- To define curls naturally , without chemicals, you can use flaxseed .
Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.