When the weather gets a little damp, I always go back to my curly hair. There is just no point in spending time on blowing it out or adding heat when it is feeling a little bit like London outside! With it raining on and off for the last few days, I have been in full Curly Girl mode and my curls have been popping.
One thing you guys ask me about more than anything when it comes to curly hair is how to keep it looking great after day one. To be honest, this used to be one of my biggest gripes with my curls. They would look decent on day one, but if I wanted to get fabulous curls after that, I would have to rewash and start from scratch.
This mama does not have time (or patience!) for that!
I played around with a few things and have finally found the winning routine for beautiful, soft curls way beyond day one! My main requirements for really loving my hair is minimal frizz, defined curls, and volume. I don’t want to look like I just came out of the dryer, but more like I was blessed from the heavens with angelic spirals.
It actually is pretty easy to get past that daily redo if you put in a little forethought. Keeping those curls in tact from the get go has to be your first priority.
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Protect Your Curls
Caring for your curls starts at bedtime! Get your hair up into a pineapple or loose bun with one of these coil hair ties. Place your hair as high up and close to your forehead as your length will allow. Don’t tie it too tightly. Just one or two times around to keep it in place.
I held off on investing in a silk pillowcase for a long time. I didn’t really buy into the hype and couldn’t justify the cost for a pillowcase that didn’t match my sheets. But, they went on sale during the Nordstrom sale, and I decided to bite the bullet and get two. One for Mr. Gutierrez and myself. After all, they are supposed to be great for your skin, too!
This one thing has been such a game changer for my hair, curly or not! It washes amazingly, my hair has minimal, if any, frizz and it feels totally LUXE! I found a more affordable one here if you’re a little skeptical like I was. It is even a two pack!
Refresh Your Tresses
Now you can see you wake up looking pretty hot. Alright, more like a hot mess. But in less than five minutes, you will have beautiful, bouncy curls with barely any effort.
Pull Down Your Hair
We all want a little sexy bedhead look, but not full on rolled out of bed and didn’t look out the mirror. After being up on the top of your head all night and smushed against your pillowcase, your hair needs some encouragement to come back down, just a little.
By reaching underneath, gently pull down on your curls from the scalp. Rearrange your part and “set” your style for the day.
Redefine Those Spirals
Frizz and happens to the best of us, no matter how many precautions you take. It is just the name of the game. As of late, I have been keeping the products I use in my curls simple. Less stuff to confuse my curl pattern works for me! My current favorite gel is the Aussie Instant Freeze. It gives me serious definition without weighing my fine textured hair down.
I section my hair in three parts: left, right and back. For each part, I use a dime size amount of gel. I rub it between my hands and then briefly run my hands under water to loosen the gel up a little bit.
Scrunch, Scrunch, Scrunch
And then scrunch a little more. With your hands covered in gel and a little damp, start scrunching each section. Run your hands back under the warm water when needed until the frizz starts to dissipate. You will notice as you keep scrunching, your curls will come back together and look new again.
Quick Dry
At this point, I am usually good to go! Your hair will be just a bit damp, and as it dries you might get a slight crunch to it. Just keep scrunching! Your hair should be totally dry within 10 or 15 minutes, the perfect amount of time to do my makeup, get dressed or have a cup of coffee.
If you want to speed up the process, or need just a bit more volume at the root, blast your hair with a little heat from the hair dryer. Just be sure to use the diffuser attachment!
Doing these things has made it so I can get three, four and sometimes five days out of my curls before needed to resort to a messy bun or rewashing. Not only is it healthier for my scalp and hair, but it saves so much time and product!
Do you have any tips or tricks you do to keep your hair style lasting a little longer?
