The "curly-haired police" can't stand me: here are five crazy ways to change my wavy, curly hair
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I used to hate my hair. I think almost every girl in the world with wavy or curly hair has gone through the same thing. They hated their hair and didn’t know how to take care of it. And that happened to me, too. For years, I straightened my hair, thinking it needed to be “fixed.” I didn’t know it had texture. I just knew my hair was so frizzy, unruly, and unmanageable. When I was younger, I almost always got keratin treatments.
But eventually, I got tired of hating my hair, and on top of that, it started falling out because of all the damage. That was my wake-up call. I decided to finally start taking good care of it, and that’s when I discovered that I actually had wavy-curly hair. It took quite a while before I really saw any progress, and I know it would have gone faster if I hadn’t stuck so strictly to the Curly Girl method . So if you are, this article isn’t for you.
That said, here are the five most unlikely things that have transformed my frizzy hair into beautiful, wavy curls.
1. DETANGLING DRY HAIR
Yes, you read that right. I used to detangle my hair when it was wet, and so much hair would fall out that I switched to detangling it when it’s dry. Detangling my hair when it’s dry makes it stronger and prevents it from breaking as easily. You should do this gently before washing your hair, and use a soft detangling brush that doesn’t pull or tug, like this one.
One more thing: if you have a lot of tangles, you can use an oil to make your hair a little more supple, which will help your brush glide through it more easily. I usually use oils that are specifically designed for use before washing. Here are a few of my favorites.
2. USING SULFATES
I used to avoid sulfates completely, and my scalp really didn’t like that. So after washing my hair sulfate-free for a while, I started using them again. Not every day, but every now and then, when I feel like my scalp is dirty. By using sulfates, I restore balance to my scalp and hair, which helps the products I use work better and penetrate the hair shafts more effectively, giving me the best possible results.
This really helps when my itchy scalp flares up again.
An affordable option that cleans my scalp and hair well.
3. DO NOT USE CONDITIONER OR HAIR MASK
Yeees… I used to over-moisturize my hair by using way too many hair care products at once! Think conditioner, hair mask, curl cream, and leave-in—all mixed together… If you have dry, thick, or frizzy hair, this might actually work well for you. But that’s not the case for me, because I have fine, wavy-curly hair. So right now, I’m skipping most hair care products and focusing on styling products with hold.
At first, when my hair was still very damaged, I used an intensive hair mask treatment every week. It worked fine at first, but as my hair got healthier, I should have adjusted the frequency of those treatments. So keep this in mind!
This 3-in-1 mask can be used as a regular conditioner, hair mask, and leave-in treatment! It's my absolute favorite!
This hair mask is a real lifesaver when my curls feel extra dry.
4. STYLING ON DAMP HAIR
I was always told to style my hair while it was still soaking wet. But guess what! My products would get diluted every time I styled my hair while it was soaking wet, and that was a waste. I’ve switched to styling my hair when it’s wet (not soaking wet) or damp, and my results have improved significantly.
5. DON'T FRESHEN UP YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY
Look, when I first started my hair care routine, I was so embarrassed by my frizzy hair that I’d wet it again and style it the next day, and that wasn’t good for my hair. These days, I just embrace the frizz as the days go by. And if I notice it’s getting too frizzy, I refresh my dry hair with a mousse, or use a light oil here and there. That always works great! I just apply the mousse to the frizzy sections and work it through my hair, then let it air dry or dry it with a diffuser.
Those are just a few things I wish I'd known when I first started taking care of my wavy, curly hair. It would have made everything a lot easier!
Want to dive deeper? My complete "So Your Hair Is Wavy and Curly! NOW WHAT?!" starter bundle covers everything based on my 6 years of experience embracing my natural hair, plus my professional training as a curly-hair stylist. It’s basically everything I wish I’d had when I was starting out. You can read more details here.
And if you have no idea which products to start with, then my Wavy Curly Easy Start Guide is a great place to start. It takes all the guesswork out of it, so you can just focus on your hair. Check it out here!
What would you have liked to know when you first started taking care of your wavy or curly hair? Let me know in the comments below!
