Spring Forward
Thank heaven for little (and big) curls! From S-shaped waves to pin-tight coils, we’ve created the ultimate guide to caring for and styling your textured hair.
WAVES
coaxing hair into springy crimps takes finesse. hairstylist lorraine massey recommends those with waves should squeeze out as much water as possible before adding product. “[Water] is weight-bearing. so [hair] in its wet state is loosened, and it’s going to dry in that state,” she says.
once hair is about 85% dry, add a styler, says hairstylist irinel de león. “if your hair is healthy, then you can probably go with something like a mousse or foam. if it’s compromised [by colour] or damaged,
a light cream will infuse moisture back in,” irinel explains. instead of using a raking motion, squeeze and scrunch. you can lock your waves overnight by ‘plopping’. “flip your head upside down and put on a plastic cap, or [wrap hair in] a cotton t-shirt, so your hair sits compressed on top of your head. [With wet plopping] the curls are forced to spring together and upwards,” she adds.
Want more volume? reach for a texture spray, not a salt one, which can dry out hair. if you’re looking for a beachwave effect, lorraine prefers saline, the kind you might use in your eyes, for roots.
Pre-poo, no poo or low poo?
Pre-poo: tight curls and coils can benefit from treatments that prep for shampoo by moisturising, detangling, and removing shed hair, says hairstylist stacey ciceron. try her
Diy recipe: mix one to two tablespoons of deep conditioner with 180ml to 240ml of water, and a bit of oil – coconut, jojoba or olive work well – in a water bottle, then spray hair in sections while finger-combing.
curly and kinky textures tend toward knots and dryness, which is why you should reach for a gentle cleanser. Dermatologist Wendy roberts recommends a shampoo every two weeks to keep the scalp clear of buildup. those with extradry
Shampoo:
hair can aim for less: Wendy advises cleansing twice a month, once with a co-wash, and another with shampoo. When it comes to sulfates, irinel recommends avoiding sodium lauryl and sodium laureth, which can strip natural moisturising oils. but there are sulfates, such as behentrimonium methosulfate, that are derived from canola oil and are ok to use on curls, says irinel.
Co-wash:
co-wash stands for conditioner-only washing, explains Wendy. if curls look dull or your scalp feels dry, choose a cleansing conditioner to help hair retain moisture and shine
Rinse:
after cleansing, consider a rinse. Diluted apple cider vinegar can smooth frizz and balance your scalp's ph.
– AMBER RAMBHAROSE
The Essentials Wide-tooth Comb.
“approach coils from ends to root, whether wet or dry, to [get] less breakage,” says hairstylist Pekela riley
Large Scrunchie.
at night, a silk bonnet or pillowcase maintains curls. for added stretch, use a scrunchie with one or two ponytails, a.k.a. ‘pineappling’ bouncy and boundless, curly hair has tons of personality – and quality time is its love language.
CURLS
curls require more moisture than waves. so prepare to spend a lot of time in the shower and stock up on conditioner. Pekela recommends applying gel or cream styler (or a mix of both) while hair is soaking wet. “the hair is fully malleable at that point, super-defined, and whatever you create in that wet state is what it’ll be when it dries,” she says. lorraine’s a fan of the air-dry, or more accurately, the drip-dry. “if you see drips, that means your hair is sufficiently hydrated. if you don't drip, it means your hair is holding onto the water, like a camel. it's 100% thirsty.” this is common for those new to the curly lifestyle. one culprit could be too much shampooing, which can dry out curls.
if you don't have time to drip-dry, use a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment on low speed and low heat. you can also use the fingerlike prongs of the diffuser to lift hair at the roots without disturbing curls (too much touching can cause frizz).
irinel says that silk pillowcases, scarves, and bonnets are a necessity for nighttime. but hairstylist tippi shorter prefers “the pineapple method” to bonnets, which can
“crush the curls”. use a silk scarf or scrunchie to pull hair up into a high ponytail. “When you take it off, all the hair that's around the perimeter is further stretched, and all the curls on top are maintained and intact,” she explains. in the morning, just smooth on a bit of oil or cream. – J.C.
A cut above
Wet or dry? blown out or curly? When it comes to cutting curls, the only thing our experts agree on is there's no one-size-fits-all answer.
Curl by curl: if you're committed to a no-heat styling routine, a dry cut might be for you. “curly hair shrinks [when wet], and dry cutting helps prevent making the haircut too short,” says hairstylist mona baltazar. as a visual technique, a dry cut lends itself to enhancing overall shape. mona requests clients arrive with naturally dried hair to get a sense of their curl pattern.
When to wet: looser curls and waves can benefit from wet cutting as “shrinkage is more forgiving with this texture,” says mona, and a wet cut can provide a longer-lasting look with more structure.
The straight debate: if you've got a coily or kinky texture, consider starting with a blowout, says hairstylist anthony Dickey. “then i recurl the hair in a wash-and-go and cut more, customising the cut to the texture.” this two-step method allows for versatility if you want to vacillate between straight and curly looks. – A.R. The ultimate detangler. tippi prefers to detangle with a brush because the bristles have give and movement that unravels knots and tangles.
Ghd helios + diffuser. our experts agree that a diffuser is useful for all curl types. When combined with the t3 cura Dryer, this one locks in definition without creating frizz. springy coils and kinks just hit differently. they’re strong in appearance but deserve special care.
COILS
“What makes coily hair unique is that it grows up out of the scalp almost perpendicularly – that's what causes that curl pattern, that coil or kink,” says Pekela. these curls can range from the size of a bobby pin to a pen spring. the way curls grow can also affect the moisture level. “this hair type has a higher porosity because of that winding [pattern]. although that allows moisture to penetrate into the hair, it also allows that moisture to escape,” explains Pekela. that's why deep conditioner is a crucial step that should be used every time you wash, if time permits. “one misconception about the texture type is that it's strong. it's actually the most fragile because it doesn't contain a medulla [the central area of the hair shaft that holds moisture] that’s found in straight hair.” Pekela recommends a balance of moisturising and strengthening conditioner formulas, with the added benefit of heat (try using an electric heat cap) to make sure the ingredients really penetrate. and detangling? save it for after the deep conditioner has done its work and use leave-in for slip. When styling, Pekela wants coily girls to unlearn the loc (liquid, oil, cream) method. “liquid and oil really don't mix. When you put in the leave-in, which is the liquid, and then oil, you are creating a sealant. so when you put on that cream, it really doesn't penetrate.” she prefers the lco method (liquid, cream, oil).
the biggest concern with this hair type is shrinkage. “there's two to three times more rotations with coils than curls,” says tippi. if you want to get more hang time on a wash-and-go, tippi recommends using a blowdryer, concentrating on the first 5cm to 8cm of hair with medium heat and air while pulling it straight. focus the heat only on the roots, so that the definition remains on the end. another way is to do a two-strand twist out. at night, you can use the pineapple method to refresh, or, Pekela suggests, take big sections and retwist with a moisturising cream.
– J.C.