Curly Hair Styling Hacks
These 5 Hacks Make Styling Curly Hair Easier Than Ever Before
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Styling curly hair is no easy feat, especially since the tiniest change in weather can instantly take your curls from springy ringlets to an all-out frizz ball. Even more irritating, there sometimes just isn't enough time in the day go through a shower-and-styling session to combat the sudden puffiness or lifeless locks that can emerge at a moment's notice. However, when you do actually achieve Carrie Bradshaw-level greatness curls, there's no better feeling.
Luckily, those hard to-come-by good hair days can become a regular occurrence thanks to a few styling shortcuts, specifically meant for ladies with curls. We tapped hair genius, Eladia Lebron from Devachan Salon for her best tricks on how to smooth, add volume, or even completely transform those thick coils into a whole new look — without excess styling or hot tools. Behold, our incredible curly hair hacks will completely change your look and make styling curly hair a breeze — we promise!
1 How to: Give Yourself Faux Bangs
No matter what your hair type, bangs can feel a bit risky, especially if you've never had them before. But when it comes to cutting a fringe on curls, the "what if I don't like them?" risk factor skyrockets. So before you head in for a chop, play with creating fake bangs at home first.
The Trick: A Hidden Bobby Pin
In order to create a faux fringe, first glide styling product onto your hair as you normally would while simultaneously twisting the curls around your finger to help give them definition. Then, finger comb the curls in the front of your hair backward like you're pulling your hair up into a half-up ponytail.
Once the hair is pulled back, place a bobby pin about an inch away from the crown of your head along your hairline and flip the curls forward on top of the pin to cover it. With this hack, you can have the perfect "curly bang illusion" in just five minutes flat.
The Final Look
2 How to: Smooth a Frizzy Hairline
If those baby hairs along your hairline tend to be a bit unruly, this hack will help. First, prep your hair by wetting it at the crown of the head and applying a styling cream like the DevaCurl Styling Cream Touchable Curl Definer ($28) to the front portion of your hair.
Pro tip: Only use a quarter-sized amount of product for this step in order to keep the hair from becoming weighed down.
The Trick: Use a Toothbrush
After you apply the styling product to your roots around the front of your face, begin to lightly brush back those baby hairs with a toothbrush.
"Once hair is smoothed back, blast it with heat from a blow dryer to lock in the style and spritz with a bit of hairspray on the edges before blasting the hair with heat again," explains Lebron. "Place bobby pins about two inches from the root, ear to ear in a horizontal pattern for extra hold."
The Final Look
3 How to: Style Second Day Hair
While it's probably easiest to jump into the shower and style curly hair from there, you don't always have enough time to go through the whole post-shower styling routine. Instead, try this hack to refresh your entire look without spending tons of time styling soaking-wet hair.
The Trick: Separate Hair Into Sections Before Applying Product
One of the biggest hurdles curly-haired girls usually come by is the fact that it's majorly difficult to get an even distribution of product into their thick hair. Luckily, the answer is simple. By sectioning your hair into three parts you'll be able to apply product into the deeper layers of your hair to refresh your entire look from within, otherwise you're just patting the top layer of hair with product.
Once hair is sectioned, apply a curl-enhancing product like the DevaCurl Wave Maker Touchable Texture Whip ($26) to the hair. For this step, Lebron swears by a technique called "finger coiling," in which you apply product with tension and pull the curl downward while twisting it around your fingers for perfectly bouncy ringlets.
Bonus Step: Add a Twist Braid
If you've got a little extra time after refreshing your curls from within, try adding a twisted braid to your hair. Not only will it help to get the hair off from your face, it'll also hide any rogue, frizzy sections that you might have missed during the previous styling step.
First pull hair into a side ponytail and section the ends into two parts. Then, twist the two sections of hair around itself and secure with a hair tie. Take the remaining two sections and repeat that same motion until you've reached the end of your hair. To make those cute, twisted sections a bit more defined, Lebron recommends pulling them outward and away from each other for a looser feel.
The Final Look
4 How to: Maximize Volume
If big hair is what you seek, try this no-fail volumizing trick. "For girls who want extra volume in their hair, the key is to make sure you do it correctly, otherwise you might damage or create unwanted, additional frizz instead," explains Lebron.
The Trick: Use an Afro Pick Spritzed With Hairspray
"You must use an Afro pick for this hair hack," explains Lebron. "Spray flexible hold hairspray onto the pick, and begin pulling the outer layer of curls out from within the hair."
Hairspray absorbs oil at the roots, which actually dries it out and allows for hair to be better pulled apart and extended. This leaves you with thicker-looking curls. Keep pulling at the hair and adding hairspray to the pick until you achieve a 'fro. Seriously, no hair is considered too big when it comes to this look!
The Final Look
5 How to: Style Without Water
Similar to the previous curly hair hack relating to styling your hair without water, this trick is another no-brainer for refreshing your hair without having to fully wash it. All you need is about 10 to15 minutes of prep time and a working shower to completely revive your look.
The Trick: Prep Hair With Shower Steam
"Pop on the shower to it's highest heat but don’t get in," explains Lebron. "You want your hair to soak in the steam from the hot water." By exposing your hair to the steam, you'll force the cuticle to open, making this a prime time to add curl enhancing products to your hair. An open cuticle means the products will work better!
"Once hair is thoroughly dampened from the steam, rub product all over your hands to create heat in order to make the product runnier and easier to distribute," says Lebon. "Then, simply scrunch the hair up with the product and finger coil the curls until you've reached the desired amount of control."
Bonus Step: Pull the Sides of Your Hair Back
For a sleek look that's perfect for both daytime or nighttime, follow up this styling hack with a rolled back style. Simply take a few inches of hair from the side of your face, and twist it back towards your ear. Then, secure with a hair-toned bobby pin and repeat on the other side.
