- Let it loose!
Your hair thins when it’s constantly up in a ponytail (something my boyfriend always likes to point out when I leave it up). You want your curls to keep their form or else your strands will start resembling wilted flowers. If I’m not feeling confident about my hair (which ends up being most days), I put half of it up with a tiny clip, so at least half of my hair keeps its natural, spiral form. Since I’m working from home now, I leave it down as much as possible.
2. Deep condition.
If you think going weeks without deep conditioning is okay, and that a regular conditioner is better for your thin, oily strands, think again! Deep conditioners, such as this amazing one, contain ingredients that can reverse damage caused by everyday living (combing hair, UV rays, tight ponytails). When I use a deep conditioner (every two weeks for 5-10 minutes), I’m always astonished at how revitalized and hydrated it makes my curls look. It’s like a wake-up for my curls!
3. Secure during zzz’s
I’ve tried leaving my curls loose at night because it helps keep my curl pattern, but it ultimately leaves me with a bigger problem: frizzy hair (when using regular pillowcases). That’s why I purchased a silky, purple bonnet to give me those coveted “day 1” curls. Although it leaves my curls clumped together since it’s bunched up in the hat all night, it’s been the best solution for me so far when it comes to keeping frizz at bay. I go back and forth between using my bonnet and putting my hair up in a “pineapple” to keep my hair from flailing all over the place during sleep.
*I don’t like the cold fabric of satin pillowcases so I created a hack: place a warm, silk scarf on top of your pillow. It’s not ideal long-term because the scarf easily becomes misplaced if you move too much during sleep, but it’s better than leaving your hair to the mercy of a rough pillowcase.
4. Cut those split ends!
I know it’s time for a revitalizing trim when I hear that dreadful SNAP while de-tangling. Although, I try to trim my ends before it gets to that point. I’m in the process of growing my hair, so I really try my best to take care of it as much as possible, but sometimes even the most expensive oils can’t prevent split ends from happening.
Salons/experts/magazine articles always recommend getting your hair trimmed every 3-5 months, but I try to stretch it out to 6 months to keep some length. I usually cut off less than half-an-inch, or if it’s splintering up the strand, a whole inch.
5. De-tangle gently.
Whatever you do, treat your curls gently, or else you risk losing some of your strands to your favorite comb (mine is coconut oil infused). That’s why I’ve started de-tangling my curls while they’re dry and before hopping in the shower. There are two reasons for this:
Your hair is weaker and more likely to break when it’s wet. My curly hair tends to be more resilient against my wide-tooth comb when it’s dry.
When de-tangling, I always start at the ends of my hair and work my way up. This way, I don’t find my way tugging and pulling as I go down my hair shaft.
It saves a ton of water. Sometimes it can take me up to 20 minutes to thoroughly de-tangle my curls, which means gallons of clean water down the drain. The thought of wasting it makes me speed up the process of de-tangling, usually with disastrous results. Now, I de-tangle while watching Netflix, cutting down a big chunk of time that can be used for more important things like catching up on the Queen’s Gambit! 🙂
