3. Create a good morning routine
Zimmerman suggests wrapping up the hair in at least four buns so it doesn’t flatten or break up the curls. She uses a no-tangle hair band to secure the buns, and then spritzes them lightly with water or a detangler in the morning.
“Let the curls air dry a bit and then apply some styling cream to your fingertips and twist any ringlets that have gotten puffy, separated or frizzy,” Zimmerman says.
Invest in a good refresher or curl revitalizer, such as Jessicurl Awe Inspiraling Gel, DevaCurl Set it Free or CurlFriends Rejuvenate.
“To cure bed head, mist with your favorite product, fluff with your fingertips, scrunch in a little leave-in and go!” Head says.
If the ends have separated, scrunch water into the hair before reapplying product, says Titi Branch of Miss Jessie’s Salon in Brooklyn, NY.
“I spritz it with water before I apply product each morning,” says CurlTalker Wild-Hair, who regularly gets second-, third-, fourth- and even fifth-day hair. “I then spray my hands with water too before I rub a small amount of product into them. All of these steps make it easier for the product to distribute easily. I flip over and scrunch it in, then re-wet my hands, rub in some more product, flip upright and smooth it over the canopy and scrunch some more–the “plink” method.”
If the hair has flattened during the night, turn your head upside down, place your fingers just above the ears at the headline and gently massage the scalp in short side-to-side motion until your fingers meet at the top of the head.
“This separates the curls at the root while keeping the ends together for shiny and bouncy frizz-free curls,” Branch says.
If your hair tends to look flat in the morning, Di Salvo suggests gathering your locks at the top of the head with a jaw clip while getting reading in the morning.
“Once you’re ready to leave, gently unclip and voila, you have some height back,” Di Salvo says.
