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Hair responds to its environment especially if it is curly as any moisture in the air will cause it to frizz almost immediately, especially in a humid climate or during winter when we are indoors at the mercy of air conditioners, home heaters and the car air con too

In this article I explain the difference in hair structure and how to get the best of your curly locks.

Why is my curly hair so unruly?

Curly hair is completely different from straight hair as the actual follicle that the hair grows out of is an oval shape, not a round shape. So as it grows, it begins to curl back towards itself then to spiral as it gets longer, it literally bounces out and away from the scalp immediately so it does not get the benefit of the natural sebum produced by the scalp.

For that reason it is unusual for people with curls to have an oily scalp. An interesting fact is that most people treated for cancer using chemotherapy find that when their hair re grows it is curly. This is because the follicle becomes distorted during the treatment and causes it to take on an oval shape.

Eventually as the person recovers the follicle returns to a round shape and the hair becomes wavy or back to straight. It is very hard for the hair to hang on to moisture as it receive little benefit from the scalp and at each twist the cuticle of the hair opens up and this lets the moisture out. The longer the hair gets the more susceptible to damage it becomes.

The more I style my hair the harder it is to do!

The trick with curly hair is to do as little as possible as the more heat that is applied and the more mechanical manipulation with blow-dryers, rollers and Irons the more unruly it becomes. We have a tendency to rake our fingers through our hair during the day and this creates static so your style will get progressively more unruly.

It likes to be left alone and wants to keep its shape so the more we pull it straight the dryer it becomes. It is quite content in its natural shape and stretching it will compromise the elasticity.

You need to work out a routine that suits you combined with a great style that looks good but does not require a lot of work.

Style options for curly hair

• Pulling it straight for work every day is not a good option and it may be that in a work environment you may be required to wear your hair smoother so I would suggest on weekends to let it dry naturally with a good leave in conditioner in the ends and a good curl defining product and of course a weekend oil treatment would be beneficial too
• You can tie it back loosely while leaving out the fringe and some soft pieces around your jaw line to keep it soft and elegant and apply a leave an oil treatment in the ends. It looks like the scrunchy has made a comeback!! So this would be ideal for keeping curly hair neat without putting tension on it.
• There are options for styling into loose waves so you can slightly smooth pieces using just your fingers it to tame it but not pull it straight , many people opt for using straightening irons on the fringe and front areas and then scrunching up the rest and this is a very wearable and fashionable style.

There are many ways to style curly or frizzy hair you just have to be a bit creative.

Diet considerations

Foods with naturally occurring fatty acids are important in the diet to produce a healthy amount of natural sebum.

Iron is important in the diet as those with low iron often have fine, flyaway hair that lacks control and moisture. A good balance of protein and carbohydrates are important to maintain healthy hair and skin and less saturated fats as this may produce an excessive amount of sebum on both the hair and the skin.

What about the cut?

The way curly hair is cut is important. Firstly it needs to be done dry as there should be no straight lines in curly hair and it needs to be cut from the inside out.

A good shape is the key to every hairstyle and more so in curly hair but the main rule of thumb is that curly hair when it is longer will relax easier than when it is shorter.

See my article on how to cut curly hair for a more in depth explanation.