Do you have curly hair and styling it is proving to be a bit tricky? Maybe you’ve got a daughter or a son with curly hair and you’re not sure how to style it?
Or perhaps you’d like to know how to get rid of the dreaded frizz.
Don’t worry, I’m here to help! My hair is naturally curly, loves to frizz and both my kids have curly hair.
Over the years I’ve developed a quick and easy method to keeping my curls under control. There are a few steps involved, but all up my morning hair routine takes about 5 minutes.
How To Style Curly Hair (and beat the frizz!)
I have very fine hair, so I only ever use products that are super light and won’t weigh my fine curly locks down.
My daughter Sophie, has very thick curly hair with beautiful big, fat curls and my technique works well for her hair too. However taming the curly frizz really is all about trial and error, so what works for Sophie and I might not work as well for you and your gorgeous curls. But, there’s definitely no harm in trying!
Step One: Wash or Wet Your Hair
I wash my hair every second day and wrap it in a towel as soon as I get out of the shower. On the days I don’t wash it, I just wet it under the shower.
Step Two: Remove the towel and gently brush your hair
My hair brush of choice is a Tangle Teezer. It’s a total game changer when it comes to brushing my fine, curly hair as it doesn’t seem to pull at the curls as much as a regular brush does.
Step Three: Apply Product
In order to beat the frizz AND the dreaded crunchy curl look, you need to use a lightweight mousse.
I’ve lost count of how many products I’ve tried over the years and Redken Full Effect is now the only product I ever use. It costs $30 a can, will last you a couple of months and is available from the larger hair product stores and chemists (Priceline, Hairhouse Warehouse etc)
I use roughly a golf ball size of mousse for my hair. Simply work it through your hair with your fingers spread apart like a claw.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES SCRUNCH YOUR HAIR WHILE IT’S WET.
Scrunching irritates curly hair and creates epic amounts of frizz, which is the complete opposite of what we are trying to achieve!
Ok, so now we’ve got the scrunching rant over, let’s move onto my next vital point: Moisture.
Curly hair is naturally very dry, so it needs a lot of moisture to get that curl looking perfect.
Once you’ve applied the mousse, run your hands under a tap and then run them through your hair. Repeat this step until your hair is almost dripping wet. Trust me! It really does help combat the frizz.
Step Four: Style it
I use a sturdy wide tooth comb that I bought for a couple of dollars at the supermarket. Simply comb your hair into how you want it to sit once it’s dry.
For me, it’s usually a side part and then I comb it all down so it looks quite flat.
Then, I get my claw hand back out again and very gently push my hair up towards the top of my head. This gives it volume, which us fine haired curly girls need!
Please note that the strict No Scrunching rule must also apply during this step!
Once you’re happy with your style, give it a quick dose of hairspray. This will help set your curls and beat the frizz from locking in.
Step Five: Wait
This is the tricky bit as it can be time-consuming, but you need to let your hair dry all on its own. Using a hairdryer, even with a diffuser, will create epic amounts of frizz on fine curly hair, so air drying is the way to go.
Fortunately I live in a very warm climate, so it only takes about 30 minutes for my hair to dry. If you live in a cold climate, hopefully heating will speed up the process for you.
While my hair is drying, I get my day underway – have breakfast, make the school lunches, do the school run etc then I complete the final steps. If I have to go somewhere straight after the school run, I complete the final steps in the bathroom when I get there.
Important tips to remember while waiting for your hair to dry:
- If you live in a hot climate drying your hair in air-conditioned comfort will dramatically reduce the frizz.
- Try to avoid going outside if it’s windy while you’re drying your hair. This will have the same effect as a hairdryer and will leave your curly locks looking like a hot frizzy mess.
- Don’t touch your hair while it’s air drying.
Step Six: Add the finishing touches
Ok, so this is what my hair looks like about an hour later:
It’s almost dry but it’s quite lop-sided and looks a bit crunchy on top. So, now is the time for some very light scrunching.
My preferred technique is to gently scrunch my hair from the bottom, pushing it up as I go.
Here’s what it looks like after gently scrunching it in the front and the back:
It still needs a bit of help on top, which is where this awesome product comes in handy:
There are all sorts of volume powders on the market, and again, I’ve tried most of them. This one by Schwarzkopf is my favourite. It’s AUS$8 and you’ll find it in the hair product section of your local supermarket or large chemist.
Simply shake the bottle over the top of your hair and very gently get your claw hand in there and work the volume powder into your hair.
My preferred technique is to push my hair up, rather than scrunch it. Remember, the key to keeping your curly locks as frizz free as possible is to not mess with it too much!
Don’t forget to do the side of your head if needed:
If more volume is required, place your claw hand under your hair and give it a shake. Don’t actually touch the top of your hair, as that will cause MAJOR FRIZZ.
That’s it, you’re done!
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