Are you taking care of your Curls properly?
Hi! Happy 2026!! At least I hope it’s on a happy trend so far… and speaking of happiness, how happy are your curls? If only our hair strands had feelings, right? We would definitely pay more attention to what we are doing to our hair on a daily basis. For those of you with curly hair or wavy hair, you know when your hair is happy and when it is not! No need for a voice as it will let you know!!
What are some things that affect your curly hair’s mood you may ask? Well, let me throw some things at ya that you may (or may not) already know! Starting with the moment you wake up, did you sleep with your hair in a silk bonnet or with your hair “contained” in a couple soft scrunchies or hair ties? Or did you sleep like a wild person who let’s it “all hang out” and the hair was loosely all over the place ?? It is important to sleep with your textured hair contained in some way. Whether it is in a braid or two, twists, buns, or even a pony tail if you do not own a bonnet. Why does this matter?? Well, the material of your pillow case and sheets or blankets ( most likely some cotton there) actually scratches the outside layer (the cuticle) of your hair strand and this weakens the hair over time. Also, you are indirectly separating the “s pattern” or curl grouping causing the appearance of frizzyness?
Next, we will move on to what is the first thing you do once you wake up? Do you brush your hair or do you use a wide toothed comb? Be honest…. If you use a brush on your curls: STOP! Along with materials scratching your hair surface, a hairbrush that is not intended for curls will do the same only on an extremely high level. Causing hair to break and rip if you have knots! Disrupting that “s pattern” and causing extreme frizz to appear. You should only use a detangling brush on DAMP hair right before you are going to wash your hair IF you happen to have any knots or have not used a comb in a long time to detangle.
Lastly, what happens when you shampoo is key!! Are you using a “sulfate free” shampoo?? If the answer to this is “no” then you need to change that immediately. Also, how often during the week are you washing your curly hair? Your HEAD may need some cleansing, but your hair itself may not. Utilizing dry shampoos and products intended for cleansing the scalp only will be your bff’s. Curly hair needs as much moisture as it can get and hold on to. Washing your hair too often can lead to dryness and disruption of your curl pattern. (see my previous blogs) Unfortunately, so many of us have fallen victim to believing what the commercials and mass produced products out there have told us we need to do and when regarding products that may not be best for our hair…they just care about you using it more often to replace it more often. There are so many products out there now and within the 10 years that focus solely on the curly to coily haired people walking the planet. So many products also have minimal silicones and more natural ingredients in them aiding to the moisture levels and overall health of the hair, let alone the shine and appearance everyone strives for. Once you are out of the shower (or bath) and you are ready to start your styling routine: make sure you have a MICROFIBER towel!!! Again, the cotton towels of yesterday are actually scratching and DAMAGING your hair!!!! You should be using a microfiber towel that will absorb a great amount of water and also use a “scrunching” or squeezing motion to keep that “s pattern” together and your curls in a controlled, together state. Squeeze, squeeze, and squeeze until 80% of that water is out of your hair and then apply the appropriate product for your hair texture, thickness, and curl type.
Key tips I can share: I ALWAYS start and finish my curly hair clients’ styling routine with the application of an oil of some type. Davines’ OI Oil or L’anza healing keratin oil will keep the hair moisturized and protected. I also love the Morrocan Oil Hydrating Cream to soften the hair while providing moisture and heat protection for curls that don’t want or need a lot of product. To get that perfect cast that will encapsulate your curl pattern, I love Davines’ Curl Building Serum or their Curl Defining and Moisturizing Mousse!! I use a good amount of each of these products before using a diffuser on my blow dryer to lock in the style!
If you have curly hair or have a loved one who does and you are not sure where to start with maintaining these hair strands, please reach out with any questions and I would love to offer a complimentary consultation to help you figure it out about what aspect of your routine needs a tweak.
