Wishing for another hair texture simply isn’t the answer, no matter what type of hair makes its home on your head.
That doesn’t mean, however, that your hair is always easy to manage. We caught up with Racheal Young, Director of Ogle School of cosmetology, to find out the best ways to care for your uniquely textured hair.
“Remember that the bottom line is that you should love your healthy hair, no matter what texture it is,” said Young. She then gave us the scoop on how to keep the five most common hair textures happy and healthy.
Hair type: Kinky-coily
Photo Credit: WENN.com
The driest texture of them all, kinky-coily hair is marked by tight curls that shrink without proper moisture. Young reported that it’s the coarsest texture, and requires a different kind of care than other hair types.
1. Oil is your friend. Don’t worry about greasy products, since they won’t weigh down this hair texture. Natural oils hydrate frizzy kinks to give definition.
2. Find a stretching cream. “A stretching cream with lots of oil extracts is the best choice for this hair pattern.” The right product can actually lengthen the curls and make hair appear longer.
3. Stay hydrated. “Curly hair is thirsty hair,” said Young. “Every woman should drink at least eight or more glasses of water each day.” Doing so can promote proper moisture on the skin and scalp.
Hair type: Curly-kinky
Photo Credit: L. Gallo/WENN.com
If you show up to work every day looking like you drove with your windows down, you might have curly-kinky hair. “This is the frustrated texture with both spirals and ringlets combined,” explained Young. “It has a tendency to look dull, frizzy and unruly.” So, what’s a girl to do?
4. Don’t comb. Combing or brushing your hair will only increase the frizz. De-tangle your curls and kinks with your fingers instead.
5. Co-wash. Add conditioner to your organic shampoo for de-greasing results that last. “Shampooing the hair with conditioner will deeply cleanse your hair, without drying and frizzing it out,” Young said.
6. Pick a defining cream gel. Curly-kinky hair is dry, so use a creamy gel or lotion to build moisture and create bouncy and defined curls, without the grease.
Hair type: Wavy
Photo Credit: Lia Toby/WENN.com
Uncertain of your status as a woman with curls? You may fit the wavy texture best. “This hair pattern has extremely frizzy waves or very loose rings,” said Young. She suggested the following techniques to give your waves their best definition:
7. Avoid heat. Waves respond best to a cool blow dryer or air drying. Don’t use heat on your waves, since doing so will cause damage and additional frizz.
8. Never use heavy gels or creams. A heavy-hold gel will only weigh down your beautiful volume, and make your hair look crunchy.
9. Pick a clear serum. “A rule of thumb with this hair texture is to use a light product that you can preferably see through, like a serum, to control frizz and create silky curls,” said Young.
Hair type: Coarse straight
Photo Credit: Dennis Van Tine/Future Image/WENN.com
If you have coarse straight hair, you know that it tends to weigh heavily and grow in a triangle shape if you’re not careful. Young stated that women with this hair texture should never tease the hair to correct the shape — but that proper combing can certainly help.
10. Use a wide tooth comb. “Detangle by using a rounded medium-width tooth tip comb, and use it after you shampoo,” she said. This helps prevent breakage of the hair shaft, which helps the shape of your cut.
11. Work up the hair, but don’t tease. As you comb, start at the bottom of the hair shaft to further prevent breakage. Don’t tease the hair, though, even if it seems to add volume in the right places. “It can lead to breakage if not done right,” Young explained.
12. Find a lift spray. If you must add volume, Young suggests that you find an alcohol-free root lift spray to add weightless height to the right places of your cut.
Hair type: Fine
Photo Credit: Karl Piper/WENN.com
Poor ladies with fine hair have their work cut out for them — fine hair tends to appear greasy and flat without proper attention. Thankfully, Young says there are a few techniques that can help.
13. Hot volume is overrated. Let your hair air-dry. It will provide volume, and prevent damage to the hair, which can make hair appear finer over time.
14. Use protection. If you must blow-dry or use a flat-iron, protect your hair with the right product. “I have three statements for you,” said Young. “Heat protection! Heat protection! Heat protection!”
This post was sponsored by Nature’s Bounty.
More about hair care
Survey says your hair is falling out, but is it all a marketing ploy?
Easy voluminous updo tutorial for thin hair
19 Things only girls with thin hair understand
More Stories from Living
Leave a Comment