4 Ways To Get Amazing Natural Curls

I know this might shake your world to hear, but there’s more to hair than just thin, thick, or curly. We’re actually all separated into six mane (ha!) categories: fine, straight, wavy, coarse, frizzy, and curly. We’re generally a combo of two of them.

And if you're one of the girls who slots into that "curly" label — it’s a love/hate relationship, I know. There's a lot of that coarse, frizzy, and wavy stuff that comes along with having ringlets, which isn't always the most fun to manage. I only found out this year that one of my best friends since high school actually has bouncing curls instead of the natural Anna Wintour-esque bob I’ve known her sporting since day one. She’s been a slave to the GHD flat iron and spends hours hiding her god-given texture, along with avoiding the beach or anywhere that their labored-upon strands could come undone.

Which, hey, is a lot of work. So this fall, why not let your natural texture shine? You can do it, and love it, and here's exactly how:

Rethink your in-shower routine

Do you even need to be shampooing? Most coarse, curly types benefit from only being washed once a week, with a (non-drying, sulfate-free) clarifying shampoo to remove build-up. Sud up with conditioner through your lengths on the other days, though and if you can stand it, finish with a shot of cold water to seal the cuticle.

Choose your brush

The golden rule of never brushing dry curly hair is one that’s never forgotten, but are you using the right brush on your wet strands? Many curly girls swear by the Tangle Teezer for its detangling superpowers; otherwise, natural widely-spaced boar bristle brushes are durable, yet gentle on knots.

Diffuse it

Leave some air-drying time first and then turn to the tools — the diffuser. Excessive heat is only going to dry your ringlets out, so put a cap on going past medium heat and speed. Arrange small sections of the hair at a time into the diffuser and keep facing it up towards your roots to minimize frizz and maintain the curl formation. It takes time, but you’ll appreciate the effort for a frizz-free result.

Find your curl muse

Most of all, find a celeb that works with their natural hair flow and get to know how she works her look. How long is her length? How have she cut their layers? Get note-taking. Accustom your stylist to the reference and commit to cutting every six weeks.