Folks with curly hair have probably heard it before, “Oh wow, I love your hair! Mine is always so flat and boring.”Yes, there’s definitely a lot to be thankful for if you have curly hair, including volume, beautiful shape, and a style that is very hard to replicate if you weren’t born with the hair type.

However, what many people don’t think about much is the unique and sometimes very daunting challenges that come with a head full of curls, including the dreaded frizz. In fact, having curly hair can feel like a full-time job at times. If that’s you, or you just want to know what people with curly hair go through, keep reading about how to properly care for your curly hair.

Washing Curly Hair

Knowing how often to wash your hair depends on the moisture of your scalp and how sweaty you get throughout the week, but typically, people with curly hair should be careful not to wash and shampoo too often, at least not every day. If you shampoo every day, you may be at risk of stripping away too many of your scalp’s natural oils, causing damage to your hair. Instead, many recommend shampoo once or twice a week.

Blow-Dry the Right Way

More often than not, you may want to consider air-drying. If you want to use a hair-dryer, you should make sure you have the right attachment and diffuser to prevent your hair from turning into a frizzy mess. You will want to choose the best blow-dryer for your hair, and check out this in-depth guide to be sure. Believe it or not, there are blow-dryers for almost everyone – fine hair, thick hair, natural hair, as well as considerations like a quieter hair-dryer or a more compact model for travel. 

When choosing one for curly hair, you should remember that curly hair is often deceivingly parched as the hair strands’ shape actually can prevent natural oils from getting down the scalp to moisturize the full length of the hair. Without the oils easily finding their way down the curl, your hair will be left in need of much-needed moisture. 

Another thing to consider is that curly hair is actually more brittle and fragile, thanks again in part to a potential lack of moisture. The curls also add additional pressure to the hair and make it prone to breakage. As mentioned before, curly hair is prone to frizziness as it absorbs humidity and causes the strands to swell. 

So when looking for the right blow-dryer, you want a model that considers all these things. Look then for an ionic hair dryer that helps seal in moisture while still drying it. Having a diffuser attachment is also a life-saver as they can direct the heat to just the right place.

Conditioner

Another staple in keeping moisture in your curly hair is using a conditioner. Looking for one that is specifically made for curly hair is key, especially one that adds healthy and natural ingredients like aloe vera, shea butter, or coconut oil. You may also want to consider a leave-in conditioner that can provide longer-lasting moisture and even create a barrier around your hair to prevent it from swelling with humidity, breakage, and frizz. However, you should be wary of using products that have sulfates, which are very effective at cleansing but in the process, steal all your scalp’s natural oils and can cause your hair to become brittle. Instead, look for products that add oils and moisture and are sulfate-free.

Protect Your Hair While You Sleep

Taking care of your curls, unfortunately, doesn’t end when your head hits the pillow. In fact, that cotton pillow may actually be soaking up that hard-earned moisture and good, natural oils. Instead, consider wrapping your hair in a silk scarf to keep those curls shapely and shiny. You can also keep your hair in a loose bun after applying a leave-in conditioner, just make sure it’s dry before you fall asleep. You can also use the pineapple method; put your hair in a t-shirt or microfiber towel, helping lock in the leave-in conditioner and have full, well-defined hair in the morning. For those with tight or wavy curls, you may also consider twisting your hair into braids, and when you wake, you can unknot your hair. You can also try sleeping on a satin or silk pillowcase to be extra certain you’ll wake up with silky hair.

In the end, curly hair doesn’t have to be a huge burden to maintain. Yes, it does require some extra tender, loving care, but instead of a curse, it should really be considered a blessing. Just don’t forget that adding and protecting your hair’s moisture is going to be a daily battle, but one that you can win with the right techniques.

Curls have gotten a bad rap for a long time. Admit it: when you think of men with curly hair, you’re picturing the untamed tresses of a Game of Thrones heathen or the overly-tamed wig of a 17th century French nobleman. What you’re forgetting about are the lovely locks that have become Entourage star Adrian Grenier’s signature style, or Justin Timberlake’s notorious closely cropped curls. 

But we’re here to abolish those curly stigmas. Remember when your mum told you to eat your crusts to get curls? Mum always knows best. Plus, curls get the girls, it’s a fact. Luscious, thick, full hair is innately attractive to a woman because a) it means you’re not going bald any time soon and b) your children are likely to inherit the same attractive hairline.

Naturally wavy hair can pose a few challenges, but it also has the advantage of looking fuller and standing out from the omnipresent crowds of straight-haired, side-parted clones. We say it’s time to embrace your mane’s twists and turns, with these men’s curly hairstyles.

Men’s Curly Hairstyles: Tips & Tricks

We all know that curly hair isn’t the easiest to manage. One minute you’re rocking glossy Shirley Temple ringlets and the next you look like Lenny Kravitz, and not in a good way. It might seem like one extreme or another for guys with curly hair, but there are some easy ways to maintain those waves and have them looking pristine and effortless in no time.

1. Shampoo only once every 2-3 days to keep hair from getting dry, and use a moisturising conditioner to cut back on frizz.
2. If your goal is tight and tidy curls, use a high-hold, matte-finish styling product, and work it in from the roots when your hair is still damp.
3. If you want to maintain volume in your curly mop, use a moisturising sea salt spray.

EXPERT TIP – Anthony Nader, RAW Salon Sydney

Embrace those curls you were born with guys and maximise the texture and different hair shapes this season.

A few tips for men’s curly hairstyles to consider are;

• If your hair strands are on the thicker side and you can’t manage the day to day styling, ask your hairstylist for some razored out pieces haphazardly cut throughout as this will give your hair more manageability and also be less buffi.
• Don’t use a dry matt product as this will only make your hair larger than life and also your curls will be less defined.
• To keep your curls looking and feeling soft, make sure you use a moisturising conditioner to keep hydrated.
• When having your haircut, I always point cut the very ends, as this gives your curls more softness rather than cutting a blunt straight line which will only give the illusion of a “boxie” hard edged appearance.

Men’s Curly Hairstyles: How To Wear It

Now you’ve mastered curly hair maintenance, let’s get down to hairstyles. Whether you prefer it long curls, short curls or in between, luckily there’s plenty of inspiration from the fashionable fellas of Hollywood.

Game of Thrones heartthrob Kit Harington is a prime example of long curly hair done right. The actor keeps his tresses shoulder length and fuss-free. If you’re partial to a shorter style, One Direction’s Harry Styles and Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley make a statement with styles that are longer on top and cropped around the years. As for mid-length styles, look to Orlando Bloom and Matthew McConaughey for slicked back and sharp hairspo.
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Styles to avoid are anything that resembles Justin Timberlake during his NSYNC days or the parted ringlets of Lost’s Hugo Hurley.

How to get volume in curly hair is a never-ending struggle for many of us.

You can create volume with products but the most effective products can’t be used when you follow the ‘Curly Girl’ routine. But there is a product-free way to get extra volume in curly hair and that’s using clips when you wash your hair.

My latest video is all about how to get volume in curly hair using clips. It’s also a kind of apology to curl clips from me as well.

You see, I recently filmed my current curly hair routine video and I realised that I don’t use clips in my routine any more. In that video, I didn’t use them very well and I made it seem like they weren’t necessary. However they do work really well when you use them properly.
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Personally I love using hair volume powders but they’re not permissible in the ‘Curly Girl’ routine and so if you’re strict CG, this curl clip tip might be the answer for you.

Which clips work in curly hair?

I recommend using traditional pin curl clips for this step.
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There are specialist clip available such as Devacurl clips but the classic hairdressing pin curl clips work just as well and for a lot less. I bought this bulk pack of pins years ago at a hairdressing supply store and you can also find them online here and here.

I found this article on The Longhairs blog, a site I've mentioned before.
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I’ve got 2 questions for you:

Q1. Do you struggle with curly/frizzy or damaged hair?

Q2. Have you ever heard of a keratin treatment?

If you said yes to question 1 and no to question 2 then you’re definitely going to want to see this.

We recruited our boy Thomas In Action to shed some extra light on how getting a keratin treatment can dramatically decrease your day to day battles with unruly curls and frizz.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

Frizzbuster: Keratin Treatments For Men

Need a solution for your frizzy curls?

Perfect, in this post I’m going to cover why keratin treatments are one of the best long-term solutions for guys struggling with curly, frizzy hair.

Firstly, frizzy hair is a pain in the ass. Secondly, a keratin treatment is my “AK-47” for dealing with it. A keratin treatment provides ultimate control over unruly hair and can save you from long, time-consuming hair routines every day.

Why Does Hair Get Frizzy?

Understanding frizzy hair is the first step to finding the best solution.

In short, frizzy hair is caused from the amount of open space between your hair cuticles. If you’re wondering what cuticles are, they are microscopic fish-like scales that sit on the outside surface of the hair shaft and behave in a similar fashion to the pores on your skin.

The proper term for the space between your cuticles is called “porosity,” and depending on the conditions of the air and the natural porosity of your hair, your cuticles can open wider and shut tighter.

Some guys naturally have lower porosity and experience minimal or no frizz, whilst other guys, particularly with curly hair, may experience unpleasant poof and frightfully frizzy conditions.

Understanding your hair type and where you are on the porosity chart is key when choosing a solution for your hair. In the next section I’ll explain how a keratin treatment can help guys who have curly hair and identify on the higher end of the porosity scale.

How Does a Keratin Treatment Fight Frizz?

A keratin treatment, made from same protein as your hair, is an in-salon procedure designed to close your cuticles and reduce porosity for an extended period.

Much like hair ties, these hair treatments are not well-marketed to men, usually labelled as a “beauty product.” In fact, both men and women can benefit from this type of treatment.

I recently did a post on my YouTube channel demonstrating how a keratin treatment worked on my frizzy curls and what to expect when getting a treatment. You can also find more useful information about keratin treatments on my blog to get more familiar with what this kind of treatment can do.

Are Keratin Treatments Permanent?

No, keratin treatments are not permanent and do not straighten your hair. It’s a common misconception for people to think keratin treatments work the same as a chemical straighten because they both give the hair a significantly more relaxed look.

The main difference between these two treatments is:

a) Chemical straightening psychically breaks the structural bonds of your hair. This permanently disables your curl pattern and leaves your hair vulnerable to breakage. This treatment is also irreversible so you need to think carefully before deciding on something like this.
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b) A Keratin treatment lightly coats the structural bonds of your hair, giving them a smooth, relaxed look. Instead of losing your curl altogether, it becomes looser and frizz-free, making it far more manageable every day. This treatment typically can last anywhere from two-four months, depending on how you care for it.

When I got my first keratin treatment, I was given 3 different options. I was able to have the treatment on for either 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 1 hour.

Each time length was going to give me a different result in terms of how relaxed I wanted my curls to look. The longer I had the treatment on, the more relaxed and frizz-free my hair would turn out.

I ended up choosing the 45 minute option as I still wanted a curly appearance but really wanted a frizz-free result. You’ll see at the end of my video above, I revealed my new relaxed curl pattern two days after the treatment and was pretty stoked with my results.

Since my first treatment I’ve been getting one every three months to keep my maintenance low and feeling awesome. #wouldreccommend

How Much Are Keratin Treatments?

Keratin treatments can cost anywhere from $200 - $350 in the USA depending on how much hair you have. Some may consider this to be rather expensive, however, it depends on how you value time. If you spend a lot of time trying to tame your curls and reduce frizz on a daily basis, you may find a keratin treatment more beneficial in the long run.

For me personally, getting a keratin treatment allowed me to stop fluffing around so much with my hair in the morning and focus more on my business and the content I want to make.

Plus it made the act of just doing my hair more enjoyable, which seems to be the biggest problem when dealing with frizz.

Where Can You Get A Keratin Treatment?

Well, if you’re in San Diego, The Longhairs always recommend House of Imago. If you’re elsewhere, most professional salons offer keratin treatments. Ask your trusted hair pro—here are some tips on how to confidently navigate your visit to the salon.

Shut The Front Door On Frizz

At the end of the day, picking the right solution to deal with your frizzy hair is entirely up to you. I feel it’s also got a lot to do with how your hair makes you feel.

Personally, when I have a frizzy hair day, my confidence sinks. That’s why I deem this type of thing worthy as it’s helped me manage my hair FAR easier and my bad hair days have reduced enormously.

This type of treatment can also work guys who struggle with minimal frizz. Before writing this post, I was talking to El Rubio about my love for keratin treatments and he mentioned that he gets one twice a year. And he doesn’t even have curly hair!

If you have any questions regarding keratin treatments or need advice on curly hair, please swing by my channel and say hi or leave a comment.

I hope you found this post somewhat helpful and would love to hear about your experience if you choose to get a keratin treatment.

Keep rocking that mane!
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Yours in good hair,
T.I.A.
Thomas in Action