How to Dry Curly Hair

Wash your hair. Curly hair is often more dry than straight hair because the natural oils produced at the scalp have a hard time maneuvering their way through the twists of curly hair. The result is that these natural oils aren’t distributed throughout the hair, especially at the ends. This causes hair to be dry, and then break and become frizzy. If you wash your curly hair every day, use a moisturizing shampoo that will hydrate it to prevent it from breaking, and to reduce frizz, split ends and add shine.^[1]

• Choose a shampoo that’s either sulfate free or doesn’t contain ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate. These are essentially powerful detergents that strip your hair and scalp of the natural oils your hair needs.^[2]
• Try to stay away from all products that contain alcohol, which sucks up hair’s moisture and gives curls that crunchy look and feel.^[3]

Alternate between a moisturizing and protein conditioner. Hair needs a balance of both moisture and protein to have elasticity. This means it stretches without breaking, and it is the primary indicator of your hair’s health.^[4] Protein conditioners not only penetrate the hair shaft to make it stronger, but they also form a film on the hair cuticles, or the outer layer of the hair, so they lay flat. This helps reduce frizz.

• Use a protein conditioner containing wheat, keratin, silk, milk, collagen or soy ^[5] or a moisturizing conditioner containing jojoba oil, glycerin (or vegetable glycerin), aloe vera, shea butter or Vitamin E.
• You can alternate between the two daily, every few days or weekly. You may even use one more often than the other depending upon your hair’s texture and how often you use heat to style it.
• Use a protein conditioner more often if your hair feels dry and frizzy, stretches a great deal but still breaks, feels limp when wet or if it doesn’t hold its curl or style very well.
• Use a moisturizing conditioner more often if your hair breaks or snaps very easily, feels brittle or straw-like, or doesn’t stretch much or at all.

Try “co-washing” your hair with conditioner instead. The “co-washing” movement calls for primarily skipping shampoo because it strips away natural oils over time. Instead it recommends using a gentle cleansing conditioner.^[6] Choose a conditioner that is designed for co-washing or that says it’s a cleansing conditioner. They often will label themselves as such and contain natural ingredients like aloe vera. Avoid any with silicones because they will weigh down hair.

• Wash hair with a cleansing conditioner every 3-7 days depending upon your hair type. Wash less often the curlier and more coarse it is.^[7]
• Use more than you normally would, massaging it in from root to end, and let it absorb for 3-5 minutes before rinsing.^[8]
• Wash your hair with a sulfate-free, clarifying shampoo every 2-4 weeks because cleaning conditioners do cause build-up.^[9]
• Co-washing is not recommended for those with fine hair because it will weigh thin hair down and make it too oily.^[10]
• If you don’t know your curl type, go to sites like this to find out: [1].

Remove excess moisture properly to speed up air drying. Never rub your hair with a towel to get it drier. Towel-drying your hair vigorously creates friction, causing your hair cuticles to roughen up. You want them to lay flat and smooth to reduce frizz. Instead, gently squeeze dripping water from your hair using your hands. Next use a towel or micro-fiber, super-absorbent cloth to soak up more water by first squeezing and then patting downward.^[11]

• T-shirts are a great alternative for curly hair because they’re smooth and don’t roughen up the hair’s cuticles.^[12]

Apply a leave-in conditioner and detangle. Air drying allows hair more time to absorb moisture from the air and swell. This makes it more apt to break and the cuticle to become rough and cause frizz. Leave-in conditioners contain polymers that form a barrier or film on the hair strand, blocking humidity and reducing frizz.^{[13] [14]} Comb the leave-in conditioner through your hair with a wide-toothed comb. (Using a brush to tug through your hair after you wash it is very damaging.) Focus on the mid-shaft, or the middle of the length of your hair, to the ends. ^[15] Here are some detangling tips to make the process less damaging.

• Divide your hair into 4-8 sections and pin each up with bobby pins, flat pin curl clips or crocodile clips.
• Release one section at a time and use either your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to gently rake through your hair, starting at the ends and working up toward your roots.
• If you encounter a particularly troublesome knot, put some conditioner on your fingers to work it out.
• Once you have detangled a section of hair, give it a twist and pin it back up before moving on to another. When each is done, take all pins and clips out of your hair.
• If your hair is very thick, very curly or you have masses of curls, use a comb with long teeth that’s able to penetrate your hair.^[16]

Apply the appropriate product for your hair. Air drying your hair doesn’t mean only letting it air dry.^[17] Using products make a big difference when you’re styling without heat. You should apply an anti-frizz and/or curling serum, oil, cream, gel, mousse, lotion or spray before your hair gets too dry to control frizz and to define and control/hold your curls. The type(s) you choose depends upon the texture of your hair, your curl type and how you want your curls to look. You may find that a combination of two or more works best.^[18]

• Serums, oils, lotions and creams are generally used to smooth.
• Gels and thicker creams are used most often to help control/hold or to define/shape.
• Mousses and foams add volume and also help define/shape.
• Sprays can do many of these things, in addition to add texture.
• Reading reviews online is a great way to help select products.

Part your hair and scrunch or twist it. Use a comb or your fingers to form your natural part. Find your natural part by combing hair back and then shaking your head. This will cause it part naturally. Then move your fingers in a zigzag motion at your scalp to lift your hair away from the roots. This will give it lift and air circulation to dry more quickly.^[19] Next use your hands to either scrunch your hair or twist it, depending upon your curl type and the look you desire.

• When scrunching, either stand straight or flip your head first to one side, to the other and then forward.
• Either way, place your hand under the end of your hair, one section at a time, and scrunch upward toward the root a few times. Then move to another section.
• When twisting, use your fingers to hook onto 1-3" sections of hair and twist it around your finger, moving from the bottom up, and hold for 15-30 seconds. They should be pretty well defined. If not, add a bit more product to your hair.^{[20] [21]}
• As your hair dries, don’t touch it! Running your hands through your hair only breaks up the curls and creates flyaways and frizzy pieces of hair.^[22]

Add volume with pins and parting techniques. One of the benefits of using heat to dry your hair is that it helps lift roots to provide volume, especially at the top of your head. Here are some tricks to add volume that involve parting your hair and pinning it in different ways as it air dries.

• Part your hair to the side you normally wouldn't and then flip it back just before it’s dry.
• Create a deeper side part on the side you normally part your hair and then flip it down just before your hair is dry.
• Make a zigzag part, and use your fingers to part along your natural part just before your hair dries. Or you can make a zigzag part after your hair dries.
• Take flat pin curl clips, which won’t leave lines or marks in your hair, and clip them at the roots on the top of your head and along your part line. Remove them when your hair is dry.^[23]
• Use claw clips to secure rows of hair. Grab two, roughly 1-2” sections of hair near your forehead (one on each side of your part), crisscross them and secure it with a small claw clip. Make 2-4 more rows behind, or going away from your forehead.

Let your hair dry and give it the finishing touches. Let your hair fully dry, and then remove any clips. Use your fingers to separate your curls unless they’ve dried in the style you prefer. If separating, use only one or two fingers to gently loosen each curl. You can loosen them more a second time; however, over-loosening isn’t an easy fix. Finish with a styling product such as these.

• Spritz or spray a medium-hold flexible or medium-hold humidity-resistant hairspray all over your hair. Hold the can about 12” from your head. Keep your hand moving the whole time, and use the smallest amount needed.^{[24] [25] [26]}
• For a textured or piece-y finish, rub a penny-sized amount of pomade between your palms. Use your fingers to apply it from the mid-shaft to the ends.^[27]
• Use thicker, water-soluble gels (or those with guar gum) that don’t feel sticky to help tame and control medium-to-big curls. Use denser creams for tight curls.^{[28] [29]}
• You can also finish your hair with an anti-frizz or smoothing serum or a natural treatment oil like argan, coconut, avocado, sweet almond or grape seed. Use only a dab and rub it between your palms before either a) applying it to areas that are frizzy or need more control or b) to the ends using a twisting motion.
• Avoid products with silicones unless they are water-soluble or more gentle on the hair. More gentle silicones are amodimethicone, cyclomethicone/cyclopentasiloxane and trimethyl-silylamodi-methicone. Silicones that are more water-soluble include behenoxy dimethicone and stearoxy dimethicone.^[30]