Ok, my ladies with curly, kinky, coily, and wavy hair: we all know that taking care of our tresses requires patience to learn how to care for our hair properly, but what about understanding the worst things to do to curly hair? Sometimes we are so focused on doing things correctly that it is easy to overlook the things we should avoid doing whenever possible. Have you ever wondered about the things you should not do to curly hair? We have a created a list of seven worst things to do to curly hair that you should try to avoid whenever possible.
1 Dry Comb
Curly hair tangles very easily and one of the worst things to do to curly hair is combing it while it is dry. Combing dry curly hair can cause breakage and split ends. When you are caring for your curly locks dampen your hair lightly, apply a little product, and detangle with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. The extra effort will greatly aid your efforts to retain length and health by reducing breakage and split ends.
Frequently asked questions
2 Wet Cut
Now, there isn’t anything wrong with cutting curly hair while wet. However, if you have a hairstyle to maintain cutting your curly hair while it is wet will change the way it looks when it is dry – we all know that curly hair shrinks as it dries. If you want to maintain your style wait until your hair is dry before cutting. Many stylists I know prefer to cut curly hair when it is dry. Of course, if you are not worried about maintaining a certain style feel free to cut, clip, and trim your hair whenever you like.
3 Too Much Shampoo
Now, curly haired ladies, I am sure you have heard about the no-poo, low-poo, reduced poo items and routines out there. These different products and terminologies all point to an important tip for curly, kinky, coily, and wavy hair: shampooing your hair too much is not good thing. Shampooing too much, too often can cause a host of problems for your tender tresses such as dry or brittle strands and itchy scalp. Shampooing too much, too often will strip your curls of the natural oils we need. No matter what kind of shampoo you use take it easy. Focus on cleansing the roots and let the rinse water do the rest.
4 Not Deep Condition
Curly hair is thirsty hair. We need to feed it as much moisture as we can, whenever we can. One of the best ways to do this is to use a deep conditioning treatment at least once a week. Deep conditioning your hair exposes it to nutrients that fortify the shaft and promote elasticity to help reduce breakage and improve the health of your strands.
5 Not Seal and Moisturize
I only recently learned about the sealing technique and its importance to moisture retention. I thought that using a deep conditioner and applying a leave-in conditioning cream were enough. Nope. Curly hair is dry by nature and as such it needs as much moisture as it can get. As such, it is a good idea to seal in the moisture after you condition your hair. There are many essential oils out there, experiment with them to find the one that works best for you. I like to use coconut oil to as a sealant. Sealing in the moisture promotes curly hair health and works wonders on your hair. It also adds shine!
6 Too Much Heat, No Heat Protection
One of the best things about curly hair is its flexibility. As a curly haired woman, we can have curly hair any time of the day or night without using costly chemical treatments. We can also wear our hair straight with little effort and without spending too much money in the process; we just need the proper tools. Between the hair dryer (if you still use one), the flat iron, and the curling iron we expose our hair to a variety of heat sources to achieve a different look. If you choose to use any or all of these heat sources be sure to apply a heat protection serum first and be very careful with how you use each of these hairstyling tools; try to not use them too often.
7 Not Trim
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, split ends happen. We can employ various methods to reduce breakage and split ends but we may still encounter them. When this happen we need to trim our hair. Trimming the ends of your hair will remove the damaged end and help keep the strand from continuing to split further up the shaft. Stop that damage in its tracks! Condition well and trim your hair whenever necessary.
Your hair is beautiful because it is an extension of you. No matter the cut, color, shape, or state care for it well and wear it however you like! Have fun with it! Do you have any tips on what to void doing to curly hair? Please, share!
