Curly Hair Care for a New Year

So the holidays have come and gone, and you’re determined to set some new goals this year — ones you might actually stick with! Why not make natural hair goals while you’re at it? Take care of your locks this year and you’ll be amazed at what a difference just one year can make.

Big Chopping

This curly hair care tip is probably one of the most helpful things you can do to start the New Year off right. This isn’t just for all types of curlies; straighties could benefit from this as well.

Getting the big chop means just what it says — chopping, and chopping BIG. As in, not just trimming an inch or two but chopping ALL of your damaged ends. I know, I know. You’re thinking that if you do that, you’ll get rid of all of the “fabulous” growth you’ve managed to achieve in the past few years. Here’s the thing: if you haven’t been keeping up with regular (every 6-8 weeks) trims, chances are good that you’ve got several inches of dead ends. What’s more, all of that “length” you have is more than likely just scraggly ends just waiting to break off the next time you brush your hair.

You’ve got to get rid of those dead ends. For some of you, this will indeed mean cutting off nearly all of your hair and starting fresh. The good news is that for those of you transitioning, this is almost like an instant transformation — no long, drawn-out process that takes several months to a year. If you get rid of all of your damaged (from heat, relaxers, etc.) hair and only leave yourself with your new growth, you’ll be miles ahead of the game.

In addition, it’ll be in your best interest to make sure you only use a professional curl stylist — someone who specializes in curly hair of all types — for your trims. Otherwise, you may leave the salon with hair more damaged than it was when you went in, with the added “benefit” of a big frizzy mop atop your scalp.

Deep Conditioning

Next to big chopping, deep conditioning is extremely important part of curly hair care. Deep conditioning will literally give your hair back the moisture and nutrients you may have stripped away from it. Even if you’ve been avoiding heat and other harmful hair care products, you’ll still benefit from feeding your hair what it needs.

Deep conditioning involves more than just the quick five-minute conditioning you probably do on a daily basis. It takes using hair care products that are good for your hair and free of sulfates (often known as sodium lauryl suflate and sodium laureth sulfate), formaldehyde (yes, it really is found in hair care products!), and parabens (such as methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl). DevaCurl’s One Conditon is perfect for deep conditioning curly hair. Alternatively, you can make your own deep conditioner.

It also takes time — as much as an hour from start to finish, depending on your hair type and how much hair you have.

After massaging the conditioner into your hair, scalp and focusing heavily on your ends, you’ll need to cover it with a shower cap. You will then need to sit under heat (a hard hat salon-style dryer is great if you’ve got one. If not, consider the Hair Therapy Wrap by Jessicurl). When you’re done, remove the shower cap and let the hair cool for a few minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water.