Curly Hair Basics
The Best Cut and Styling Technique For Your Curly Hair, According to Selena Gomez's Stylist
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You might be used to seeing Selena Gomez with straight hair, but the truth is she has curls for days. Her longtime hairstylist and Pantene partner Marissa Marino spilled the secret tips and tricks she gave Selena to keep her hair soft and conditioned through the Revival tour, breaking it down into easy steps you can follow, too. Straight ahead you'll find the best cut, styling technique, and treatments for your waves.
The Perfect Cut
You probably already know this, but making sure you find a hairstylist who has dealt with curly hair before is key. They'll get the intricacies of cutting curly hair dry and make sure you don't end up with a cut that requires lots of heat styling. "Check out social media for what they've done in the past," Marissa said.
When it comes to the cut, "you always want to make sure you're leaving a heavy weight line on the bottom," Marissa said. "Hairstylists tend to overlayer curly hair for whatever reason and then it ends up looking like a little mushroom top that sits on top of these little jellyfish strings." That doesn't mean you need to get a straight cut with no movement. "You still need layers or else the hair is just gonna hang there. What I usually do is layer the top crown and leave the bottom almost untouched."
The Care Plan
The most common misconception Marissa wants you to stop believing about your curly hair: "Washing your hair once a week. You actually have to wash your hair pretty much every day." Curly hair requires styling creams and conditioners to keep curls soft and in place. "Don't be afraid to wash it every day if you feel residue in your hair."
Your shampoo and conditioner should both be deeply moisturizing — "curly hair can be dry and unruly; moisture will keep it strong, frizz-free, and shiny," Marissa said. She recommends the Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner.
The Maintenance Plan
We don't want to sound repetitive, but once a week, you need a deep-conditioner treatment to keep curls soft. "I don't think overnight treatments are always necessary — once a month is enough — but you need a mask more frequently," Marissa said. Lots of options now can do wonders in minutes. Our expert recommends Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Renewal Deep Conditioner ($6). We like the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle ($3).
The Best Drying Technique
"I love air-drying always, because it's another step in keeping your hair healthy — curly hair is more fragile, which you might not always think, but it is," Marissa said. Start with a mousse to give your hair volume and hold, then "air-dry for as long as possible, but if it's taking too long, you can use a diffuser to get that last little bit of moisture out."
