Curly Hair Tips for Well-Defined Curls

Once you begin learning more about black hair, you'll soon discover that it comes in way more than one texture. Black hair can run the gamut from straight to slightly wavy to super tight coils, but many people of African descent find that their natural hair falls somewhere in between. You don't have to be biracial or multiracial to have hair that's described as "naturally curly." Curls may range in size from pen spring to fat marker, but the care and feeding of them is similar. Want to flaunt those curls without worrying about a lot of frizz? These 10 tips are made for anyone seeking well-defined curls.

1. Shampoo in the Shower

This is the best way to cleanse and condition your hair (besides a salon's sink) because it keeps your curls pointing downward. The more you manipulate curls, the more likely they are to frizz. Instead of flipping your head over, washing your hair while your head is upside down, and then flipping your head back, simply let the water run down the length of your hair as you stand straight under the shower head.

2. Keep Hair Well-Moisturized

One of the best ways to ensure consistently well-defined curls is keeping them moisturized. Not with oils, but with regular conditioning and deep conditioning. Curls that are dry and parched simply won't have the same definition that well-conditioned curls will have.

3. Apply Products While Wet

Your hair should be as wet as possible when you begin the styling process. After shampooing and conditioning, do not towel dry. In fact, don't bring a towel anywhere near your curls. Instead, squeeze the excess water from your hair and throw a towel around your shoulders.

Once you exit the shower, begin applying your styling products. If your hair begins to dry without product on it, that's how it will continue to dry. Putting products on it while wet locks in the style.

In addition, curls love to clump together. You can use a paddle brush, Denman brush, comb or your fingers, but as you work through wet hair, you'll notice that curls love to grab onto other curls. Let your hair take the lead and allow curls to come together on their own.

4. Divide Hair into Sections

To ensure full coverage of hair products, you'll need to section your hair. Depending on thickness, this may be anywhere from two to eight sections. Use plastic clips to hold hair out of the way. It's usually easier to begin at the back of the head. Work with a section of hair, applying product from the roots all the way to the ends. Once you're sure that section is saturated, you can move on to the next sections. Trying to put product on your hair as one big piece will probably find you with well-defined hair on top and frizzy curls underneath.