Tips for curly hair

I know curly hair can bring you a lot of struggle: it's frizzy, big, uncontrollable, and sometimes you just want to shave your whole head off... believe me, I've been there.

Some people resolve this issue by damaging their hair and putting all of these dangerous chemicals in their head just for it to be somewhat straighter. But even though I know the struggle of it, I've learned how to work with my hair and loving it instead of changing it. Don't get me wrong, I still straighten my hair, but know only in special occasions and very rarely.

You might be wondering: how do you work with your hair, your curly, frizzy hair. Well, it's your lucky day because today I'll be showing you the tips and hacks I've been gathering over the years in how I tame my curls and give them the definition that I want without damaging it.

TIP #1: Double condition

I once read about this tip on a magazine and it made complete sense to me. Curly hair is very dry. Because of the form of the hair strand it's harder for the natural oils that your head releases to get to the ends. This causes curly hair to be drier and more delicate, and that is why it gets damaged easier.

This tip consists of "double conditioning your hair" that means you condition once, then you apply your shampoo (and try to look for one that is hydrating), and then you condition again (the second one can be a hair mask or the same conditioner once again). This tip will not only bring extra hydration to your hair, it will make it stronger and shinier. Plus, the hydration will help reduce the frizz and cause your curls to be more defined.

If you don't know what a hair mask is, it's basically like a face mask but for your hair. There are a lot of hair masks out there, you don't necessarily need to splurge on one, there are a lot very affordable ones you can find in the drugstore and work wonders.

TIP #2: Finding the right products

I think this is one of the hardest things to find because every hair is different and even though one product works for me, it might not work for you. But, I'm sharing with you my favorite method that works for me no matter what products I use. What I do is apply these when my hair is damp that way the hair can soak up all of the products.

What really works for me is the L.O.C. method. The L.O.C. stands for Leave-in, Oil and Cream.

1. Leave-in

A Leave-in is a sort of spray that you can put in your hair and has different benefits depending on the product. So if you want your hair to be more define or curly look for one that has the curling power or if you want your hair to be more hydrated or less frizzy, you name it! I'm sure they have it on the market.

2. Oil

Look for a hair product that is an oil. An oil is perfect because it brings shine and hydration to the hair. The only downside to it is that if you put too much, your hair can end up looking greasy. So, it the amount you should apply obviously depends on how much hair you have but you can start by applying a pea size amount and build it from there. Just keep in mind that you aren't able to see the oil on your hair if it's damp.

3. Cream

Any type of styling or curling cream will work. What I love about creams is that you can re-apply them when your hair had dried and is feeling a bit frizzy, it's like a shot of definition for your hair and it works every time, trust me.

TIP #3: Air dry

The final tip is to keep yourself from over-damaging your hair. Once you get out of the shower and after you've applied your styling products, what you want to do is let your hair air dry and don't, DO NOT touch it. Touching it only makes it extra mega frizzy it really is the worst thing you can do to it, just let it dry and meanwhile watch a movie or do something else. This tip really makes all of the difference ever, when I started applying this tip it really changed my hair in the best way possible.

This tips are the ones I swear by and have changed my hair radically, and what I like about them is most of them are things that you can and don't require a lot of money for it. Just keep in mind that there are a lot of other factors that can affect your hair, especially if it's really damaged. So try and rock your natural waves and hopefully you found this helpful!

- LM