Anyone with even moderately curly/wavy hair is very familiar with the never-ending task of keeping it hydrated. If you don't put enough moisture in your hair, it looks like it's wilting, put too much and it's greasy looking, hence the renowned frustration. This battle continues throughout the year for anyone with curls, but it's an especially grueling task in the summer months. Instead of fully embracing the joy that comes along with sunny, beachside weather — curly heads also have to deal with their frizzy, knotted locks because of the accompanying humidity.
You know those common and fun summer activities non-curly haired people do? Like swimming, tanning, playing various sports outdoors, poolside partying, barbecuing — simply leaving your house at some point to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather... they aren't so fun when your preoccupied with whether your head looks like a disco ball.
I've been facing the numerous, high-maintenance tasks associated with keeping my curly hair healthy/alive since as long as I can remember. It almost became a separate entity living on the top of my head that I had to constantly nurture and protect; no matter what I seemed to do, whether it be purchasing expensive products, style it, condition it, wash it, my hair was difficult to appease. I started to realize that the biggest obstacle I faced was the one I created on my own. The challenge wasn't that my hair was simply dry and refused to be anything but that, it was the fact that I wasn't open to working with my hair, rather than against it.
I couldn't count how many times I felt like my hair should cooperate or tame itself to fit my wants, like when I was enjoying a day out and it inevitably began to frizz halfway through. I embraced a newfound practice that balanced my needs with the rest of my body. If my hair frizzed up that was annoying, yes, but okay. It was just an indication that I needed to take better care of myself, whether it be in an internal method such as by drinking more water or preparing my curls for the harmful conditions outdoors.
The first step you should take to hydrating naturally curly hair is getting to know it better. If you make observations on how your hair feels in different situations, you'll better understand what's impacting its dryness or constant frizzy state. Curly hair, like any other hair type, will require a customized approach in increasing its porosity.
Think of you and your curls as team members, you both want to be healthy by instinct, work together to reach that goal. When you spend time under a hot sun, you're prone to dehydration, the same can be said for your scalp, it can even get sunburned. Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, wash your hair every other day (to allow natural oils to spread), use conditioners with moisture-attracting ingredients such as aloe vera, honey, agave and don't forget to seal in the moisture with curly-specific, protein-inclusive gels that smooth curls and discourage frizz. If you spend more than an hour outdoors on a sunny day, consider using a scarf or hat to give your hair a break from the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sun.
When you decide to take a dip, whether it be at the beach, local pool, or anywhere else, prepare to care for your wet hair. Avoid pulling it back into tight styles like a ponytail or bun. Wet curls are just as fragile as dry ones, perhaps even more so and can break off easily. Keep a travel size conditioner or natural oil product on hand that can you can apply when you're out of the water to pull back off your face. That way you're not tugging on wet, fragile locks that are easily torn off by hair bands or clips.
Skip the usual towel tousle to dry your hair. Your only encouraging tangles and taking away too much moisture at once, essentially making it dry and messy. Use a leave-in conditioner in light amounts, spread it throughout your hair along with some oil then let it air dry. If it's getting in your way, use a thin or fabric headband to push it off away from the face. If your fond of the blow dryer method or in a rush, go ahead and use one but don't forget the diffuser (the round, spiked tool that attaches to the mouth of your dryer and probably came with it but ended up in the back of your closet).
Set the dryer setting to medium, focus on a comfortable handful of strands at a time, and make sure to start at the root of your hair moving in a circular motion. Stay away from your ends, it's better to let them mostly dry on their own or you could risk them overdrying and causing the very frizz you struggle to prevent.
Lastly, always remember that your curls are a beautiful feature that contributes to your identity in a positive way, it makes you unique and that should be celebrated! There are many who would envy you for your curly or wavy hair and it's actually trendy to have naturally styled curly hair if you were concerned about staying with the times or coming off savvy. Most importantly, no matter the season or year your in, as long as you treat your hair well by paying attention to its needs, it will never fail to repay you. If you take the time to properly apply the amount of moisture to your strands, as well as handling them gently, they'll look and feel healthy.
You'll notice the difference every time you glance in the mirror or someone comments on how good they look and inevitably that translates to you feeling good. You don't need to think of your hair as a chore, it's a part of you and always will be — as soon as you accept it as it is in a healthy, beautiful form you'll realize you've accepted more aspects of yourself as a person.
