I’ve been a curly girl for about 14 years and it took a lot of trial and error to nail down a pretty solid natural hair routine and keep these curls looking and feeling healthy. I’ve also learned through lots of trial and error how to get my curls to pop and today I am passing on the knowledge. So,keep reading if you want to know my top 5 Tips To Make Your Curls Pop.
MOISTURE: Even if you’re not starting on freshly shampooed hair it’s important to ensure that your hair has been properly moisturized before styling it. Water is the most important key to having moisturized hair. Once your hair is wet you can then either deep condition your hair, use a leave-in conditioner, use a curl refresher, or just move straight into styling. The choice is yours but to get those curls popping you’re going to need moisturized hair.
WET: Speaking of water…this is the most important step in getting your curls to pop. Most curly girls use some sort of styling product to help define curls but before you even think of grabbing your favorite curl defining product it is important that your hair is soaking wet before your styling product is applied. Not damp or dry but soaking.wet.hair. So, yes grab a towel because it’s going to get messy.
PRODUCTS: By now, your hair should be soaking wet and dripping in your face. Perfect, that’s just what we want. Now it’s time to reach for your favorite styling product. Personally, I am a gel girl. Give me all of the crunch, please and thank you. I always fluff out the crunch a bit but when there’s a little crunch I’m confident that I will get the most days out of my wash and go. Other people prefer a softer hold and lean more towards curling creams. It’s totally up to you but remember that styling products can’t give you what you don’t have and will only define what you do have.
APPLICATION: Now that you have selected your styling product, it’s time to apply it. It’s best to apply your product in sections. It may take a little longer but it will be worth it in the end. Applying the product in sections ensures that you apply the product thoroughly over each strand of your hair. When applying, remember to apply from roots to tips.
DON’T TOUCH: After your styler has been thoroughly applied it’s important to limit manipulation of your hair until it is completely dry. The most popular way to dry your curls is with a diffuser but I’m not really a diffuser girl. My favorite way to dry is by sitting under the dryer on low heat. It only takes about 25-30 minutes for my hair to completely dry. I do my wash and go at night so after my hair is dry, I pineapple it, put on my scarf, and call it a night. In the morning, I take it down, add a light oil to my hands, and fluff for more volume. This is when I break the gel cast and reduce the crunch.
I hope that these tips help. Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment here or on Instagram. And if you’re a braid out or a twist out girl, no worries you can still use these tips to get those curls popping.
