If you’re just starting out on your curly hair journey, you may be overwhelmed by all the information and products out there for naturally curly hair. You may also face common curly hair issues like dryness, frizz, and inconsistent results. Many people often resort to straightening their curls, leaving their hair damaged and unmanageable when it’s in its natural state. With proper care, practice, and a consistent daily routine, you can have naturally flowing, beautifully curled hair.
Why curls need special care
Curly hair often requires more care and attention than straight hair, as it can be naturally drier, more prone to frizz and breakage, and more responsive to changing weather conditions.
This happens because the hair strands twist and curl, making it harder for the scalp's natural oils, sebum, to travel to the ends of the hair. Sebum naturally protects the hair from drying out, and sebum production can vary depending on internal factors, and the curlier the hair, the less likely it is to travel down the hair shaft. It is important to keep curls from drying out and to keep them healthy. Dry curls often look untidy, frizzy, and can break more easily.
There are many different unique curl shapes, patterns and textures. Curls are divided into several types and knowing your type can help you know how to properly care for and style your curls.
curly hair to achieve the perfect shape. The most popular way to determine your curl type is to number a scale from 1 to 4 and indicate a level for each scale, from A to C. The numbers group different curl patterns from straight to curly. The letters represent the diameter of the waves, curls, and curls in each category.
- hair type: straight hair
- hair type: wavy hair
- hair type: curly hair
- hair type: very curly hair
For ease of understanding, we will refer to the curl types as wavy (2), curly (3), and kinky (4). Each curl type has its own unique challenges and characteristics.
Wavy hair – sebum, the natural oils of the scalp, can travel more easily through naturally wavy hair. This texture may mean that it needs to be washed more often, and its roots may be greasier and heavier. This type of hair may require less moisture and more non-complicating products designed for wavy hair.
Curly hair – often has more spirals, making it difficult for the natural oils of the scalp to reach the entire length of the hair. This curl type may have a slightly oily root, but overall the curls are dry. Dryness can make hair more prone to breakage, breakage, and feeling brittle.
Tight curls – This curl pattern is shaped like tiny spirals. This type of curl is most commonly found on black people. The tighter the curl pattern, the drier and more brittle the hair becomes. Those with these fine curls may find that they may need to use heavier ingredients in their products, such as hair oils and butters, between washes.
Common problems with curly hair
Curly hair is unfortunately prone to a number of problems. If we don't take care of it properly, it will have a major impact on the health and appearance of your hair.
Dryness - compared to straight hair, most curly hair is more prone to dryness, so it is very important to use moisturizing products for curly hair.
Breakage - Due to the structure of naturally curly hair and various curl patterns, hair becomes more fragile, more prone to damage, and therefore breaks more often.
Damaged and split ends – the surface of curly hair is very easily damaged by heat, chemicals, or simply rough handling of curls, such as strong tying and untying.
Tangling - Due to the texture of curly hair, it tangles easily if not properly protected.
Frizz - Naturally curly hair can look frizzy because the hair itself is not as smooth as straight hair. A little frizzy curls are normal, but excessively frizzy curls can indicate problems such as dryness and breakage. With the right products, frizz can be controlled.
Buildup - Rich curly hair products, water-insoluble minerals, and environmental pollutants can easily build up on curly hair and scalp. For this reason, a deep scalp cleansing should be performed at least once a month.
Heavy curls - While curls are often dry, they can also be over-hydrated, losing their shape and becoming limp due to their heavy weight. This can also be due to a build-up of products, grease and hard water minerals.