Part 2: Curly Hair Tips

Last month, I posted my curly hair journey (the first step is admitting you have curly hair), and asked my fellow curly-Qs for their best curly girl tips. You guys came through with great tips. Rachel recommends using a tiny bit John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum on wet hair to shape curls and tame flyaways. She also warns about brushing curls:

"It might sound obvious, but don't brush curls. I didn't actually realize that I had curly hair until one day when I showered, quickly combed it, and then had to go some place and let my hair air dry. Before that, I just thought that I had bushy Hermione hair, and I was always brushing it to tame the fluff."

Catie washes her curls at night, adds mousse, goes to bed with wet hair, and wakes up with ready-to-wear hair. (I do this too, but I put it in a bun and so a little blow drying for volume in the morning). She also has a great tip for getting those curls to go straight:

"For straightening. . . I used to mousse my hair, wait a day, and then straighten it until one day, I took my french braids out and felt how soft my locks were sans product. I ran to my straightener, cranked it up, and wound up with the sleekest hair I think possible for my head."

Sarah Dee has one of the most important tips for curly girls--a tip that changed my whole relationship with my hair:

"Shampoo sparingly, condition ALWAYS and never ever brush when dry."

An anonymous reader and Rachel both recommended NaturallyCurly.com as a great resource for curly hair tips. Anon also echoed Sarah Dee's washing tip and took it a step further:

"My best tips for you would be to "conditioner wash". Most conditioners have gentle surfactants in them and do clean your hair without stripping it (much to the disbelief of frequent shampooers). When washing, don't rub your hair around because that causes tangles. And comb your hair with conditioner in it in the shower, then rinse. Apply your stylers on damp or wet hair."

Jenna offered some great project recommendations. She likes Garnier Fructis Curl Construct as an affordable everyday mousse. She also shared a recent discovery, Jessicurl.com, which has natural curl products that can be ordered with or without fragrance--a hard to find feature with hair products.

I echo Anon's tip to comb hair in the shower while you have conditioner in it. This is the only time my hair sees a comb or brush, except for my bangs. (For curly girls who wonder about fringe, I blow dry my bangs straight and spiff them up with a mini straightener). I also add curl spray (John Freida Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Curl Perfecting Spray) and mousse (Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam) before blow drying with a diffuser. Set the blow dryer to the low speed. The heat dries your hair while the air makes frizz, which is why diffusers are important.

To keep my curls frizz free for several days, I pile my hair on top of my head at night with a loose scrunchie. In the morning, I smooth out frizz with hairspray or a smoothing creme (mine was discontinued and recommendations for a new one that works with sensitive skin?) and I'm ready for another day.

Thanks to all the commenters for sharing tips! I hope these curly tips help tame those frazzled frizzy hair days. Feel free to share your curl story and hair care tips in the comments.

Image Credit: Natalie Dee