As someone who has naturally curly hair, I have spent many years trying to make them more manageable. Every time I'd go to the hairdressers, they'd comment on how thick and long my hair was, and blow drying it was always their 'arm workout for the day'. My hair is the sort that is curly when wet and once it has been tied up, does not look good down again. Unlike many curly-haired people, I have never been one to straighten my hair on the daily, however I did get a semi-permanent keratin hair straightening treatment (which took five hours, was painful, and achieved subpar results as not enough product was used for my very thick hair). I love curls on other people and was determined to make them work on myself too.
Until I was about 10, my hair was more wavy then curly, meaning that I could just brush it through and it would be a job well done. As I grew older however, my hair texture changed and became much thicker and frizzier. Nonetheless, I continued to brush through my curls as I saw many of my friends do, and then put my hair in a ponytail or a bun and call it a day. Not only was this a painful experience, but it didn't look great either. For reference, picture Hagrid's hair type or see the very last picture.
In year 8, a fellow curly-haired friend let me into a life-changing hack, she only combed through her hair after washing it, and didn't touch it when it was dry. This little gem of advice changed the appearance of my curls greatly; I started combing through my hair only when it was soaked and then would let it air dry. This still left it quite poofy, but it was definitely an improvement. A couple of years after that, I learned that one friend would twists her hair while it was wet so it dried in waves, so I followed suit for a couple of years and found this routine very manageable (pictured above). This was around the age of 16, when my hair was quite long and was slightly thinner and straighter, however if went back to normal shortly after that.
Over the years, I've managed to accumulate other pieces of advice on how to handle curly hair, which has now led me to my current routine. As much as I love the idea of washing my hair just once a week, I exercise a few times a week and as soon as my hair is tied up, it doesn't look good when down until I wash it again, so I wash my hair two to three times a week and work around the days I exercise. I have noticed however that if I use a spiral hair tie in a low ponytail whilst exercising then occasionally it's salvageable. I brush my hair right before washing it so that it's detangled, and then use any shampoo, followed by John Frieda's Dream Curls conditioner, which I comb through my hair with my fingers. I then put my hair in a towel for 2 minutes while I moisturise and then use my holy grail product: Charles Worthington's Leave-In Conditioner.
I haven't seen much hype about this product, but since discovering it a few years ago in Portugal I've sworn by it. I've always loved my curls specifically after swimming in the sea, and this product is the closest I've come to reproducing that look. I've found that this works best with very wet hair, so after taking my hair out of the towel, I run more water through my hair and then I comb this product through my hair with my fingers, making sure to scrunch up the ends of my hair a few times for about 10 seconds at a time in order to create defined curls - this is ESSENTIAL. I used to then let it air dry, but have started 'plopping' my hair using a cotton t-shirt, which produces questionable looks from others but helps to create defined curls and reduces frizz. I also always make sure to leave enough time for my hair to dry before leaving the house, as I've noticed that if it dries outside (i.e. on the way to work), it tends to be much more frizzy than at home - and with my hair the way it dries completely determines whether it'll be a good or a bad hair day (see the picture below for a visual comparison):
Other tips I've heard include using a diffuser to dry your hair, using a microfibre towel instead of a normal towel, and sleeping with a silk pillow or bonnet, however I can't confirm whether they work or not for me since I haven't tried them. Discovering a routine that works for your lifestyle and curls involves a lot of trial and error but hopefully some of these tips will help you!
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