I’ve tried—believe me I’ve really tried—to love my curly hair over the years. It’s just so hard to fully accept something that is so much work.
But nothing like living over half a century with curly hair only to discover…you’re doing it wrong! That was my situation when I chatted with Michelle Breyer, co-founder of the website naturallycurly.com, which is a mecca of wisdom and curly hair tips for those of us with decidedly un-straight hair.
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Tips for Crazy Curly Hair
Here are my three epiphanies:
- Apparently, towel-drying hair before putting in styling products is a very unsmooth move. It prevents the curls from clumping together and leaves you with frizz instead. Styling products are best applied to soaking wet hair, and Breyer says to scrunch it dry after with a microfiber towel. “Afterward, I always add a little more styling product with my hands. Too many people don’t apply enough. As a stylist once said to me, ‘No styling product, no style.’”
- Her next bit of advice to make friends with pomade, a product I thought was strictly something our grandfathers used. She says to put a pea-sized dab in your hands, rub them together and pull your hair back, twisting it like you’re going to make a bun. This helps eliminate the dread “crunch” from styling products while keeping the curls intact.
- Breyer’s last bit of advice is brilliant and heretofore unknown to me: Clarify. She says that even Holy Grail products can build up on your hair and leave it looking limp. “Try an apple-cider vinegar rinse,” she suggests, “or if you don’t want to smell like a salad, I’m a huge fan of DevaCurl’s new Buildup Buster.”
Better late than never, I’m now ready to join the Super-Curl Club.
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A version of this article was originally published in December 2017.
