Curly hair is all voluminous fun and games…until you’re met with a slight drop in humidity. Yep, more often than not, all the hard work you put into your ‘do falls victim to a series of hair-related cataclysms.
Regardless of how much you looove your curls, it’s hard to deny that they often have a mind of their own; it’s one of the rare cases when two minds are not in fact better than one.
Whether you’re a seasoned hair-wrangler or are still learning the ropes of curl-management, there’s no such thing as too many hair tips—so I went in search of inside intel from bloggers who know their way around a head full of ringlets.
Keep reading for curly-hair advice that you can actually implement at home with little to no fuss.
1. Be nice to your hair, it’s listening!
There is no scientific evidence that talking kindly to your hair will help it grow (at least not yet), but it sure won’t hurt. The three sisters behind My Natural Sistas shared that when you want your hair to get longer, it’s important to stay positive.
“It hears your degrading thoughts of, ‘I wish I had that other girl’s hair’…It doesn’t like that. It gets sad,” they say. “When you have positive thoughts and love the hair attached to your head, it will reward you. Because you’ll put effort into keeping it alive and flourishing.”
2. Use hot and cold water
Tanesha Awasthi of Girl with Curves writes that warm water “opens the hair’s cuticle, allowing shampoo and conditioner to penetrate” while cold water (à la Miranda Kerr) “closes the cuticle and seals in conditioner, promoting moisture and shine.”
3. Blow dry your hair upside down
Drying curly hair is somewhat of enigma—you get a diffuser and then what? According to Alex Evjen of Ave Styles, you should “set it to the low setting, and start drying your hair upside down. Cup the curls gently so that they don’t blow everywhere, which can create frizz.”
Though it can be time-consuming, blowing dry your hair this way, an occasionally scrunching the curls in your hand, will define your curls more than ever, Evjen said.
4. Go to bed with wet hair (yes, seriously)
Malena Permentier, AKA Fashion Container, writes, “I always sleep with wet hair, for me it does miracles.” Namely: “Lots of volume, curls in great shape, and it reduces the frizziness,” she says. It’s the easiest hair hack ever and Jessica Alba is a devotee.
Looking for shinier hair? Try stocking up on these five foods or try Adriana Lima’s Brazilian hair mask.
Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter
Get all the latest in wellness, trends, food, fitness, beauty, and more delivered right to your inbox.
Got it, you've been added to our email list.
