The carefree days of summer are nearly over.
It’s “back to school” time, which means rushed mornings and only a few precious minutes to care for your curls.
With the first day of school just around the corner, we’ve done the homework to help your curly step into the classroom in style!
Here, experts reveal simple, one-minute dos for all ages.
Playful Preschooler
Try: Pebbles Ponytail
For this quick and easy style, gather the hair from the ear to the front and secure it in a ponytail on the top of the head. “It’s great because it keeps the hair out of their face,” explains Cozy Friedman, stylist and owner of New York’s Cozy’s Cuts for Kids Salon. “If you want to dress that up, you can always add a cute bow or clip.”
Try: Twist Back
“With this style, you can show off their beautiful curls and still keep them out of the way so they can play and not have to worry about it,” says Nicole Siri, stylist and author of “Strictly Curls, A step-by-Step Guide to Styling Curly Hair.”
To create the look, take a one-inch section of hair, above the forehead in the center of the scalp, and twist it back. Secure it with an elastic or bobby pin. Then, do the same with one-inch sections of hair to the left and to the right of the center twist.
This adorable twin-puff ‘do is easy, too!
Trendsetting Tween
Try: Knotty Princess
This style offers a new twist to the basic ponytail. First, gather a section of hair from ear to ear around the back of the head, pull it back and secure it with an elastic. Then, create a hole in the gathered hair (just above the elastic”> and bring the ponytail up and over the elastic and into the hole, then pull it through underneath the elastic.
You can stop there, or create a more elegant look by gathering the rest of the hair on the bottom into a low ponytail and, again, create a hole right above the low ponytail. Then, loop the hair into the hole and pull it through.
Try: Aphrodite
Add new pizazz to the traditional bun with this creative style. “It’s really simple, and doesn’t require bobby pins,” Siri says.
Start by pulling all the hair into a ponytail at the crown of the head using a scrunchy—and make sure you wrap it several times around. Then, spread the hair out so it covers the scrunchy. Next, pull a single band of the scrunchy away from the base of the ponytail and tuck two-inch sections of hair under the scrunchy, allowing the ends of each section to peek out from the bottom.
This messy ponytail is lots of fun.
Hipster Highschooler
Try: Frenchy
The Frenchy style keeps your textured tresses out of your face, but still allows you to show off your long, curly locks, according to Siri.
To create this half-up, half-down look, gather the top section of your hair, parting it from ear to ear, and twist it up (think french twist”>. Then, secure it with a large barrette and simply fluff the curls that are cascading over the barrette and you’re done!
If you’re looking for an even fancier, fashionable look, you can turn the Frenchy into a Double Take style. “The Double Take is two french twists, one right under the other, using barrettes to close them, which is pretty basic, yet fun,” Siri explains.
After you’ve created the Frenchy (one twist secured in a large barrette, with curls cascading down”>, create another twist with the bottom half of the hair and secure it with a barrette in the same way as the Frenchy. Make sure the twists are close together so it looks like one big cluster of curls instead of just two twists.
Try: Twisty Doodle
“This style is a series of three buns in the back with the curly ends hanging out, so the curls create a little more interest in the buns,” Siri says.
To create the look, section the top half of the hair (from ear to ear”> and twist it counterclockwise into a bun at the crown of the head and secure it with bobby pins, but make sure to leave the ends hanging out. Then, create two sections in the remaining hair and twist them into buns, securing one just off center from the first, and the other directly under the first one. Finally, just release some of the curly ends from the buns and fluff them to fill in the gaps. You can also select a few small curls to pull out and place around the face.
If you’re even more pressed for time, with just seconds to spare, Friedman suggests pulling the hair back with a stylish wide headband or simply create a side part and clip the larger section of curls back with a single barrette, “The smaller section is left down in curls,” Friedman explains. “It’s so cute and really easy.”
Teens might like this attractive side ponytail.
But Friedman warns that no amount of styling can hide summer damage in parched curly locks.
“I think a cut is a critical first step for back to school,” Friedman says. “I see these children when they come in after the summer. Their hair is like straw, completely damaged from the sun and chlorine. It’s important to remove the dead ends and damaged hair.”
She also encourages curlies to feed their thirsty tresses with deep conditioning treatments before starting the new school year. Friedman says you can do this by simply leaving your regular conditioner in, placing the hair in a shower cap for an hour or more, so it can really sink in.
“Doing this once a month is fine,” Friedman says, “just make sure you’re conditioning on a regular basis.”
