Curly Hairstyles – Keep the Curls, Lose the Frizz

When it comes to curly hairstyles, one word can strike fear into the most intrepid of women – frizz. It doesn’t matter who you are or how hard you try, if your hair is naturally curly, fighting frizz is part of your daily hairstyle maintenance regimen. While choosing one of the easier hairstyles for curly hair is a great way to avoid this problem, you need to accept that the “frizzies” are sometimes unavoidable. The trick is to minimize the damage and make the best of your natural curls.

What Causes Curly Hair and the Dreaded Frizz?

It’s important to understand what causes curly hair. Curls happen because the cuticles that comprise each individual strand of hair are open (separated from the core) and tend to turn in one direction or another down the length of the strand. Straight hair has closed cuticles and so each strand lays flatter. In some ways, this makes creating beautiful hairstyles with curly hair much easier. But, there’s a dark side!

The same physical characteristics that cause curly hair also mean you run a constant risk of having your hairstyles frizz out, especially when the weather changes. Dry, hot temperatures can cause curly hair cuticles to open wider, and that’s what we call ‘frizz.’

To combat this annoying condition, women (and men) with curly or wavy hairstyles typically use gels or mousse to close down the hair cuticles. Heavier conditioners also help, especially in regions where dry heat prevails.

Another great idea is to enlist the help of your stylist to come up with hairstyles that work with your curly locks on a seasonal schedule. During colder months, pretty much anything goes. But when it’s hot out, going for more waves and fewer curls can help your hairstyles avoid frizzing out.

Ultimately, learning to accept that “bad hair days” are just part of having those beautifully curly tresses is important. On the good days, your hairstyles will make you the envy of your friends. Other times, minimizing the frizz should be the plan as you work to maintain your curly hairstyle.