As a girl with curly hair, I understand the pain of it, but oh does it reap the benefits. Even with annoying aspects of curly hair (such as having weird pieces of trash floating around in your hair to not being able to untangle it when dry), it’s pretty nice being able to take a quick shower, scrunch my hair with a bit of mouse and walk out the door with effortless hair. From the past few years of having curly hair (yes, I used to have straight hair and no it was not a perm…) I’ve learned a few tips on how to tame it and make my hair look as healthy as possible!

There are so many different types of curly hair! For my hair, I would describe it to be around a 2B to a 3A type of curly hair. So although my tips might work for other curly hair types, it will work best for 2Bs-3As!

1. Detangle your hair in the shower

Probably one of the most important rules with curly hair: never comb your hair when dry (due to leading to extreme frizziness) and never comb it wet after the shower. Your best bet is to detangle with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb when you have conditioner in your hair. Not only will this make your life SO much easier, but it also isn’t damaging your hair!

2. Use a cotton t-shirt to dry your hair

Using a towel is a big no-no. Not only will it dry out your hair (since you want your curls to be extra moisturized!) but also lead to damage which no one wants. Wrapping your hair up in a “pineapple” (wrapping your hair loosely in a cotton t-shirt) is also nice for getting a bit more definition into your curls and keeping them “safe” during the night to wake up with less frizz in the morning

3. Use a water + condition mixture to rejuvenate your curls

A hair mask will also do the same trick (but honestly this is like a once every blue moon type of thing) but if you’re in a pinch for time, a simple water and conditioner mixture will do the trick! Simply take a spray bottle, fill it with a small about of conditioner (I usually go for a tablespoon in a 4-6 oz. bottle) and fill the rest with water. The key with curly hair is to keep it as moisturized as possible so wetting it every day with this mixture will do the trick.

Also, use this so that you don’t have to wash your hair every day! Curly hair is extremely dry and thick so don’t feel guilty about not washing your hair every day (but please wash your body, like please…). I usually go about two days without washing my hair, but you can even go more depending on the thickness/curly hair type of your hair (some even go up to a week!).

4. Don’t be shy with the curling product

I personally use mouse or a cream (depending on which I have on hand) and honestly go to town with it for my hair. Don’t worry about the eventual “crunchiness” feel of your hair later, it can easily go away if you scrunch your dry hair or use a hair oil (I do both).

Even if you don’t have curly hair, I seriously recommend anyone to use a hair oil, it makes a world of a difference! It leaves your hair smooth, nice smelling and shiny.