Curl staying power is one of the hardest curly girl tricks to master. However, after several trial and error attempts, which end up being more error than triumph, a lot of practice, and patience, making those curls last becomes second nature.
Because what works for a tight coils will be different to someone with looser waves, I divided my recommendations by wavy, curly and coily. In this article I also refer to different curl patterns using NaturallyCurly’s Texture Typing system. If terms like “Type 2” and “Type 4” are new to you, check out this guide to figuring out your curl pattern!
Wavy hair
Looser curl types (Type 2 wavy”> have the hardest time making their curls stay. After a day or two, their hair may lose volume causing their curls to fall flat. Too much product can also have the same effect by weighing hair down, resulting in limp, flat curls. So how do Type 2 wavy girls make their curls stay you ask? By applying products far away from their roots and by pineappling at night! Applying products away from the roots helps to maintain volume since Type 2 wavy girls are quick to fall victim to flat hair. It’ll help to keep the roots light, which will aid in providing volume. Pineappling at night will also help to make wavy curls stay. Type 2 wavy girls should pineapple by creating a ponytail as close to their front of their head as possible and pulling the rest of the hair through the holder. This should be done as loosely as possible to prevent unnecessary crimps in the hair. For shorter hair, multiple loose pineapples are fine. When the pineapples are taken down in the morning, check your hair for any curls that may be out of place. Wet your fingertips or make a leave-in water mix and smooth the curls down. Scrunch with some mousse to help reshape the curls, then fluff and style as desired.
Curly hair
Type 3 curls are highly prone to frizz, and many of the questions we receive from Type 3 curly girls pertain to preventing frizz from ruining their curl definition. To make Type 3 curls stay, don’t be afraid to add a little more product than usual. By adding more product to the hair and making sure that it is well-saturated, you can in effect help weigh the hair down and elongate it while reducing frizz. Type 3 curly girls can also benefit from adding product to the roots. This will create a smooth and uniform curl pattern while diminishing puffy roots, which is one of the first signs of frizz. When it’s time for bed, sleeping on a satin pillowcase is key as well as pineappling. Just be sure to secure the hair in a loose ponytail holder to avoid dents in the hair. Once the pineapple is taken down in the morning, I suggest adding some moisturizer to your hands and scrunching it into the hair. This will ensure that the moisture is added to the hair without disturbing the curl pattern and creating frizz. Then you shake and fluff and style as desired.
Coily hair
All curly girls have trouble with making their curls stay, and Type 4 coily girls are no different. It is important for Type 4 coily girls to find methods that preserve their curl patterns while also preventing knots and tangles. Like the Type 3 curly girl, Type 4 coily girls can benefit from adding more product to the hair than usual. It helps to really lock in their curl pattern, elongate their hair, and reduce frizz. Sleeping on a satin pillowcase is very important for the Type 4 coily girl since knots and tangles are her biggest concern. However, pineappling is not the way to go. Instead, the Type 4 coily girl should use the baggy method to preserve her wash and go, or loosely twist or braid her hair at night. This will preserve the curl pattern and help maintain the elongation she achieved when she originally styled her hair. Once she removes the plastic cap from the baggy method, or takes her twists or braids down, she can add some moisturizer to her hair by scrunching it into the hair, fluff it where necessary, and style as desired.
Making our curls stay put is one of the hardest tasks to grasp, but once a curly girl gets it, her curls will never be out of place (no pun intended”>.
The photo above was submitted by our NaturallyCurly reader Gisella Kath, if you’d like to submit your own curly selfies (and the steps you used to achieve your look”> post your photos here!
