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As the weather starts to cool down curly hair (already prone to dryness) gets even drier due to the crisper air. Naturally curly hair is dryer and a little more difficult to maintain than naturally straight hair. Going natural is the best thing you can do for your kinks and waves. And no, this does not mean spending more money on expensive hair treatments. The following DIY tips will save you the hassles that accompany bad curly hair days.
What not to do to curly hair
It’s best we start with what not to do with those fabulous locks and the best tip for naturally curly hair in winter is to: stay away from hair straightening irons! Your curly hair is even dryer in winter, straightening it will literally be double drying your hair if your iron it out in winter, literally butchering your hair from root to tip.
Never blow dry your hair completely, as this will lead to frizziness and breakage from the direct heat, especially since naturally curly hair tends to be thicker and demand more drying time. As best you can air dry your curly hair, this will not only retain your beautiful curls, but will allow your leave-in conditioners and serums to do their job.
Never go to cost cutters or any of the quick cut places, as they only know how to cut hair one way. Never brush wet hair, especially curly hair. Comb when wet, brush when dry (the latter something you can skip out if you have naturally curly hair) – this is the simple rule of thumb for general hair care. Add a detangling solution to partially wet hair before wide-toothed combing your curly hair.
DIY Tip 1
Hydrate your curly hair as best you can in the dreaded winter months. Counteract the dryness by increasing hydration hair therapy. Pump up moisture by giving your hair deep treatments more frequently than you normally do. Can’t go to the hair salon for a deep treatment? Do an at-home hair treatment that’s friendly on the pocket – towel wrap your deeply conditioned curls for 20 minutes after at least every other shampoo before rinsing.
DIY Tip 2
Cooler weather means that we ladies sporting curls, kinks and waves like to spend less time washing our hair and having to let it air dry. Some of the best ways to avoid this is to preserve your style at night and refresh your look each morning. For loose waves, twist hair in large (cigar size) or larger braids at night. For tighter curls and kinks use clips or bobby pins to secure hair close to the head or twist at night. Remove clips in the morning and fluff hair from the roots. Just refresh hair with a blend of water and glycerine to give it that extra bounce.
DIY Tip 3
Too lazy for the pin and twist trick at night? Simply change your pillowcases form cotton to satin pillowcases. Why the switch, you ask? Cotton pillowcases have a rougher surface than satin, meaning they create friction that is damaging to your curly hair. Switching over to a satin pillowcase to preserve your naturally curly hair and protect it.
DIY Tip 4
Since naturally curly hair is dryer than normal hair you need to make sure that your roots are well taken care of, which means taking care of your scalp. Winter is a bad trigger for scalp problems; the best was to protect your curly hair is to start regular scalp treatments to hair just as the air starts to get cooler. Look for a scalp treatment that will exfoliate the scalp and eliminate flakes associated with eczema, psoriasis, and cradle cap, all conditions aggravated by the dry autumn and winter air.
Don’t forget the basics: leave-in conditioner, a mousse to define your curls, a sturdy wide-toothed comb and you’ll be well on your way to healthy curly hair during those harsh winter months.
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