Everything Curls
Curly hair isn’t easy but with the right care and effort, you too can rock the gorgeous and unique hair type. Is your hair just poofy and frizzy? If so, you most likely have curls. Brushing the hair when dry, not using leave-ins, heat, and overall treating hair like it’s straight, all lead to frizzy and mixed hair types. Some strands might be stick and straight and some might be wavy and poofy, that’s a key indicator of a wave and curl pattern.
Step 1, put down the heat tools! I know it’s hard but heat changes the keratin in your hair. If you must use heat, make sure it’s not a constant pattern and use heat protectants! Step 2, experiment! You're not going to find the best products and techniques the first week of treating your curly hair. It took me a year and a half to get to where I am. That’s why I’m here to help! Step 3, understand not everyday your hair is going to be perfect. Curly hair will always have bad days. Some strands won't curl the way you want them too, some might frizz up, and some just might do their own thing. That does not mean your hair is unhealthy.
In the first couple of months of washing, deep conditioning, and treating your curls, they are going to constantly change. Some days might be wavy, some might be curly, it all depends on weather, how long it has been since you've last washed your hair, and the techniques you used. Your hair type plays a huge role in the products you need to invest in and the techniques you need to learn.
In the world of hair, there is a chart commonly referred to as a “Hair Type Chart.” It's arranged by numbers and letters and describes how curly someone's hair is. 1 is stick straight, 2 is a bit of wave, 3 is curls, and 4 is coils. 2,3,4 also have letters to describe the amount of wave or curl a strand has. For example, I have 2c and 3a curls. Most girls have multiple curl types on their head, some ranging from 2 to 3 and others from 3 to 4. 2a is a very slight wave, 2b is a little more defined, and 2c is a very defined and distinct wave. 3a curls are about the width of a cork, 3b is about the width of a large marker, and 3c curls are about the width of a pencil or a straw. 4a coils are about the width of needle, 4b coils make a slight zig zag pattern, and lastly, 4c coils are an extremely tight coil and zig zag, sometimes indiscernible to the eye.
Type 2a-2c: stick to lightweight products. Make sure you're not using thick and rich curly products because that will result in greasy and heavy hair. Moisture! Wavy hair tends to frizz up a lot so make sure your products quench your hair with moisture, not weight.
Type 3a-3c: this curl type is definitely not easy. These curls tend to be crunchy, frizzy, wavy, etc. In order to keep shine and moisture, use organic products. I personally recommend shea and coconut but use what is best for you. Stick with curl creams, not gels. These curls are really easy to make crunchy and that's not what anybody wants!!
Type 4a-4c: having this tight of curls is definitely a struggle. Jojoba oil is an extremely popular ingredient girls with this hair type use, so look out for that! When it comes to gel, stick with the ones that are moisturizing and not crunchy. Find leave ins and products that are intended for kinkier and tighter curls.
Lastly, why does my hair curl? When your hair grows through any follicle, it gets coated by a protein called keratin. Hair that grows through oval follicles tend to have more keratin on one side then the other, causing the hair to curl. Less than 20% of the population has curly hair, embrace it!
