How to care for and love those curly locks!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Dove Hair, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #LoveYourCurls #pmgdove http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

So probably the top 3 questions I get asked on a regular basis here on the blog either by email, facebook message, comments, etc are 1. where did I get a certain décor item, 2. the name of a certain paint color I have in my home, and 3. questions about my hair!   And I also get comments or questions when I am out too – in the grocery line, random people approach me to ask if my hair is naturally curly or what product I use…

So I figured it was time to share a little different DIY – and it is going to be all about my best tips for curly hair!    So read on if you are curious, you have curly hair, or a daughter with curly hair, or maybe share this post with a girlfriend with curly hair.

I have had curly hair most of my life, but I didn’t always know how to fix it or what to do with it.  I remember as a young teen being so frustrated with my frizzy hair that I could never get straight so I would just braid it into french braids to cut down on all the frizz.   Then I realized I just needed to  #lovemycurls and just embrace it being curly instead of fighting it and I experimented with different products that finally got rid of the frizz and let the curls and waves shine.  As I have gotten older it has seemed to just get curlier which is just fine with me.

So here’s my routine for my hair and my best tips learned over many years of embracing my curls.

1. Find a good beautician who knows about and is comfortable cutting and styling curly hair.

I have used the same stylist since I was about 16 years old and I love her.   She encourages and allows me to embrace my curls, and also listens to me when I saw I want it cut a certain way or to make sure to leave length in certain areas because curls shrink up a lot once they are dry.  I get my hair cut about 3 times a year and I have lot of longer layers in my hairs.  Long layers is the best cut for curly hair.    Make sure to always get a wet cut if you have curly hair – I can’t imagine trying to cut my hair once it is all dry and curly everywhere!

2. Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

I am not going to focus on brands as much as I am going to focus on my routine.  Because honestly I change up brands from time to time either because I find one I think might work better or something else is on sale, or I walk into the store and the brand I have been using has one of those “new and improved” labels on it and I just want to cry… because it usually means it will no longer work in my sometimes picky curly hair.  I try to use a shampoo/conditioner that says it is made for curls or at least a moisturizing one.  Curls love and need moisture!!  I also switch up and use a different brand/kind about once a week (I usually just grab my hubby’s) to help with product buildup.

3. Use a wide-tooth comb. 

Seriously I would be lost without this.  I only comb/brush my hair when it is wet (usually in the shower once I have all the product out) and I use a wide-tooth comb.  Once curly hair is dry you don’t want to brush or comb it except maybe to just use your fingers or MAYBE a small pick to pull apart the curls.

4. Use gel not mousse.

When people ask me in person about my hair, a huge majority of them are frustrated because their curls don’t hold all day or get frizzy and I can usually tell them the #1 reason why that is the case.  They use mousse instead of gel.  Mousse is mainly for adding volume and shine and can control some frizz, gel is mainly for hold, controlling frizz, and getting that “wet look” if hair is air-dryed.  I only use gel in my hair and I usually use a gel with a stronger/higher level of hold.  

5. Apply your product when your hair is dripping wet. 

I don’t rub my hair, or ring it out – I just barely get it where it isn’t dripping like crazy and I immediately put product in it.  Sometimes if I even have to re-wet it before I apply gel.

6. Constantly “scrunch” or “crunch” your hair when you are styling it to help the curls form.

As I am applying gel, I gather my curls in my hand and “scrunch” them up towards my scalp (sometimes with my head upside down).  After I have gel in it, I “scrunch” it too with a small towel to get excess moisture from it.

Here’s what my hair looks after “scrunching” gel into it and when it is still quite wet.

7. Spray your hair with hairspray before and after it is dry.

I use a pump hairspray when my hair is wet and then an aerosol hairspray when it is dry.

8.  Use a diffuser attachment if you are going to heat dry your hair.

I ALWAYS use a diffuser attachment on my hair dryer.  In fact I take my personal hairdryer with me wherever I go so I make sure to have my diffuser.  I have used several kinds/brands over the years as hairdryers burnt out so find one that works and then stick with that.  I dry my hair, scrunching with my hand while drying it, until it about 80-90% dry.  It seems impossible to get it 100% dry so I get the majority of it dry so I can shape the curls how I want and then it air-dry the rest of the way.

9. Don’t be afraid to re-shape curls in the front of your face. 

I used to use a curling iron to reshape some pieces around my face but I get my hair cut a bit different now and am usually just able to finger style/shape pieces that are going crazy.  I can even wet a strand of curls and curl around my finger to get it lay more naturally if it is curly a little crazy.

10. EMBRACE THOSE CURLS!!

Wear them down, pull them up into a curly haired bun, or do the “just rolled out bed” or wet out of the shower look – us curly haired girls do have options too!  If I could tell you anything if you have curly hair is just to #loveyourcurls!  If you can straighten your hair and have it look great than maybe do that for a change every now and then.  But have fun with those curls!  Not everyone has curls and most wish they do so enjoy yours if you do.  For the most part I really do enjoy mine… I may have days or times that I wish I could do some of the cute straighter styles but the work to get mine straight has always deterred me from that.

I am so glad Dove Hair realized us curly-haired girls were being a bit left out of the emoji world and came up with a solution.  You know all those fun emojis and smileys and symbols that you send to your friends in text or messages?  Have you ever noticed there isn’t any curly haired emojis?  Well, Dove Hair created a special emoji keyboard filled with curly haired emojis and gifs…

I have been having fun texting and sending them to my friends…

You can download the Dove Love Your Curls Emojis in the App Store and Google Play Store to show you #LoveYourCurls!  And if you use the hashtag #loveyourcurls on Twitter a fun curly haired emoji will appear in your tweet.  

So do you have curly hair?  Do you choose to #loveyourcurls?  Or straighten those curls away?