Now, You would always find many articles on what hairstyles to try out or how to fight dryness or how to tame straight or wavy hair or how to get waves or curls on straight hair. But the hard thing to find is how to tame your actual curly hair ?

Talk about working on curls and it becomes a JOB to work on. Knowing how to manage your curls is always tricky and that is why most of the times people with curls either end up wanting to get permenant straightening done or just tie it up on a bun. But many times we fail to understand that curls are way more prettier than straight hair and that it is so much easier to work on your curls rather than trying to change the nature of your hair. Curly hair when straightened need a lot of products in them to stay in shape as they tend to lose moisture fast. It’s all about learning to work with what you have. Taming the curls is very different from taming the wavy straight hair. It’s almost the reverse of any shampoo / treatment regime I have blogged about so far. So this article is based on the clients I have had and a few observations. Listed below are a few tips and tricks.

1. Always use a wide tooth comb to open your hair when your hair is already WET and not when it is dry. Also never use a BRUSH to open your hair.

2. Always apply a leave in conditioner post shampoo/conditioning since curly hair tends to dry and lock the strands up. One of my favourite is Kevin Murphy’s Untangled.

3. Use sulphate free but moisture based shampoos that don’t cause a lot of heaviness on the hair but gives enough moisture to reduce the dryness and enhance the curls. I recommend the Redken’s Curvaceous cream shampoo.

4. Pineapple Trick : This is an old trick but works everytime. The trick is about piling the hair together into a bun like a pineapple on the top of your head loosely. This would help to reduce the hair fall or hair dryness caused by gravity.

5. If the ends of your hair tends to look dull and dead make sure to get them cut every 8-10 weeks. Straight long bob and round layers are a few hairstyles that can be tried on curly limp hair

6. Try using sulphate free styling products such as Kevin Murphy’s Motion lotion or Killer Curls.

6. While applying volumising mousse, make sure to apply it on DAMP hair. Here is a trick. Mix a little bit of leave in conditioner with your styling products and apply it on damp hair and scrunch it. You could diffuse the hair to enhance the curls.

6. Post Shower, make sure to use a light weight cloth like a linen over a towel. As towel would absorb too much moisture from the hair compared to Linen.

7. Try using Olive oil as a leave in conditioner post shampoo or semi dry hair. It is also recommended over a Hair Gel. It leaves no residue and will keep the hair soft and smooth through the day.

8. If you have a pony tail done, and tend to have frizzy hair, then using finishing spray helps. And if the ends of the pony tend to frizz then using a hand lotion or a body lotion to smoothen the frizz helps.

9. Wash your hair once in 3 days as everyday washing can lead to dryness. If the scalp gets oily, then use a dry shampoo. I personally love Co Lab’s DRY SHAMPOO and Kevin Murphy’s Dry Shampoo. It leaves no residue and smells fabulous.

10. My most favorite recommendation is braids on curly hair. They make your hair look fabulous and it is low maintenance hair. This can be done for an occasion to even a bad hair day.

11. Try to avoid alcohol based styling products. Most of the alcohol based products tends to make the hair dry and crunchy as they tend to suck up all of the moisture from the hair leading to hair fall and extreme dryness.

12. Men should use more of water or oil based products like pomade or fibre or even oil instead of wax or matt as it could lead to more dryness. Water or oil based products gives more definition and more texture and less dryness.

13. For those who have struggles with curly but limp hair, Collagen Treatment is a great save. It not only helps in adding shine and strength but also reduces the hair fall and adds moisture.

14. A dry hair cut over a wet hair cut is highly recommended. Curly hair acts different when wet and dry. Dry haircut will show you exactly how your hair would be post the haircut.

15. If your hair tends to dry too much, then using hair mask 2-3 times a week can be useful to reduce the excessive dryness.

16. Adding random highlights or an ombre can also enhance the look of your curls and give you an oomph factor.

Note : Do not straighten your hair if you cannot manage the roots on a day to day basis

The above listed are a few things I personally recommend for those struggling with curls and wondering how to manage it.