Healthy Hair

How To Keep Your Curly Hair Healthy

Curly hair looks good when it's taken care of, but it is a little more susceptible to dryness and breakage than other types of hair. Therefore, there are a few extra precautions to take if you want yours to be healthy.

Get Products that Support Your Hair

You want to fuel your hair with the best ingredients you can. Products that use more natural ingredients are always a positive alternative. Stay away from products that include alcohol, silicone, and menthol. These ingredients will further dry and damage your hair. It's easy to find products that are free of these, but you just have to make sure.

How often do I wash my curly hair and what steps to I take daily?

Conditioning your hair is a must. Since your curly hair is more prone to be dry, keeping it moisturized with conditioner is required. As far as in the shower strategies, condition your hair at least every other day. Washing and shampooing your hair isn't as necessary as conditioning, but it's recommended to wash it around 3-4 times a week. I wash my hair at least 6 times a week, but I use a shampoo that uses a healthy dose of Shea Butter. The reasoning behind using less shampoo is to maintain the natural oil, sebum, produced in your hair. This natural oil is a lot more friendly to your curls, but some people just don't like the way it makes their scalp feel.

I need to blow dry my hair. Will that damage it too much?

Blow drying your hair is a non-negotiable step in many people's routine. Blow drying your hair is not preferred when you are trying to strengthen your hair, but if you need to, use the cool/cold temperature setting. The heat is a bigger detriment to your hair's health, so colder temperatures will keep the damage minimal.

My Daily 4

1. Conditioning

In the morning, get your hair really wet and use an adequate amount of conditioner. If you have really long hair, use more than a quarter size. If your hair doesn't go down to your shoulders, use about a penny size. Let it sit in your hair for a few minutes. Wash it out thoroughly, if any stays in your hair it'll lead to build up.

2. Shake It Out

When you're initially drying your hair, use a towel, but shake it out rather than using a brush. This keeps the curls way better and helps define them. Shaking your hair out also decreases the amount of damage during the drying process. Air drying is much healthier than blow drying so shaking it speeds up the dry with less damage. My hair tends to get wavier and puffier the more I brush it too, so to keep it curlier, I shake it out to speed up the air dry.

3. Blow Dry

I like my hair have volume and be as "poofy" as it can be, so blow drying it helps that process. It typically only takes a couple minutes before mine is done drying, but it depends on the thickness and length of your hair. When you're blow drying it, try to use the cool/cold setting to limit potential damage to your hair.

4. Cleanse

At night, after your hair has been out all day, you've got to make sure all the dirt and greasiness is out before you go to bed. You can use more shampoo than you use conditioner, but when you're applying it, get to your roots. That's where the dirt and oils are so don't waste time just lathering it on the ends of your hair. After I have washed it, I once again shake it out in order to keep it as curly as possible.

Tips

A. Cooler usually means better

Heat is damaging to your hair, so when you can go cooler, go cooler. Wash your hair with colder water, you don't have to make it freezing. Blow dry it, if necessary, with cooler temperatures too.

B. Don't over do it

This is more directed at using shampoo. The more you wash your hair, the dryer it'll be. The amount of natural/healthy oils will also decrease. Some people wash their curls because they want their hair to smell good and feel cleaner. I'd just recommend some natural scented spray for that purpose. You can also overdo conditioner though. The more you condition your hair, you have to make sure and completely wash it out. If there's any conditioner left in there, it'll will irritate your scalp and that causes more problems than you want.

C. Do what your hair needs

There's no "on size fits all" routine for everyone. If your hair is too dry, blow dry less and condition more. If your hair is more oily than you desire, wash it more. You've really just got to take the tools are your disposal, pick the ones that help you the most, and continue those healthy habits.