How To Care For Curly Hair

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Curly hair almost always is Sahara dry because the scalp's protective oil, called sebum, faces two obstacles.

It has a much harder time traveling down all those twists and turns than it does on straight hair, so by hair-washing time, it hasn't gone very far. (Ever drive down a treacherous mountain road? Bet you didn't floor it.)

And the one thing that would help distribute this nourishing oil - that is, brushing - is the bane of curly girls world over. (Curls + Brush = Frizzball)

Experts estimate that up to 90 percent of curly hair is baby fine. So, yes, while there are those fortunate few blessed with tresses that naturally form glossy, perfect, bouncy spirals, most of you have thin hair that tumbles down in tangles.

This type also tends to look dry, even when it isn't, because the cuticle doesn't lay as flat and the shape simply doesn't reflect as much light as straight hair.

For starters, avoid washing your hair more than twice a week.

But if you absolutely have to, consider not using shampoo, which often contain sulfates and other harsh ingredients not much different from household detergents and that are damaging for fragile curls. Instead, rub a rich, moisturizing conditioner into the scalp with your fingertips and then gently run it through the length of your hair and let it sit a few minutes as normal.

To combat dryness, conditioner is a must, especially if you shampoo and if your hair is long. Curly hair simply cannot get enough hydration, so also get in the habit of using a deep conditioning treatment once a week or so. Long, curly hair should be detangled before the conditioner is rinsed out. Be sure to use a high-quality, wide-tooth comb.

To freshen in-between washings, just thoroughly soaking your hair with water will do the trick.

Whatever you do - shampoo, conditioner or water - end with a rinse of cold water to help close the cuticle, sealing in the conditioner and maximizing shine.

Curly hair needs product. Period. What you choose will depend on the length and health of your hair, and what style you're trying to achieve.

Long, curly hair will typically be drier and more fragile than shorter hair because it's older and been subjected to that much more sun, handling, hair color, chemical treatments, blow drying and other such abuse. A leave-in conditioner focused on the hair from the ears down may work best. For added definition, follow with a small amount of gel or cream. This mix of leave-in conditioner and hair gel works well with all hair lengths and will help avoid the crunchy curls you get from gel alone.

Whatever you choose, look for natural ingredients such as olive oil, jojoba, avocado, aloe vera, flaxseed, shea butter, almond, wheat protein and coconut.

Avoid products with silicone. They are tempting because silicone (and its sisters dimethicone, cyclomethicone and trimethylsiloxane, to name just a few) adds shine, reduces frizz and helps with slip, which is what makes a comb glide right through. But don't give in! Silicone does all this by coating the hair, effectively masking any dryness and damage, and this blocks moisture. Your hair will not only end up drier, you will need a harsher shampoo to get out the gunk and prevent build up.

Meanwhile, you've probably tried to steer clear of alcohol, having heard that it is drying. Well, that depends on the type of alcohol. Stearyl and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, derived from natural fats and oils, and these actually help to soften and moisturize hair.

Ethanol alcohols and SD alcohol-40, on the other hand, are drying. You'll find these in hair sprays, hair gels and other styling fixatives.

Now that you've applied the appropriate product or products, the real fun begins. Scrunching your hair from the bottom encourages the curl.

For tight spirals, twist small sections of hair by hand. This can take a bit of time to do your whole head, but once dry, the spirals can sometimes last for days.

To relax curl, set hair with the jumbo-sized rollers and do not remove until hair is completely dry.

Another option is to loosely braid your hair or gather it into a low, loose bun, again, until it is completely dry.

Air drying is best. The last thing dry, brittle hair needs is some kind of hot torture device. Blow drying ruffles up the cuticle, which can lead to frizz and a further decrease in shine. But if you're in a hurry, you can use a blow dryer on a low setting with a diffuser.

All this fuss is enough to scare even a die-hard curly girl straight! Nothing wrong with that except that the strain of brushing and the heat of blow dryers and flatirons will cause damage. You can minimize the harm that straightening inflicts by adding a thermal protector to your arsenal of hair products and using high-quality brushes, blow dryers and flatirons.

For longer-lasting results, consider a Brazilian keratin treatment. It's a better choice than Japanese straightening or traditional lye relaxers, which use caustic chemicals to actually break down hair and change its structure. These are permanent and damaging. The Brazilian treatment, on the other hand, covers your hair in a protective sheath of keratin (a protein), that will wear off gradually.

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