3 CURLY HAIR PROBLEMS
Everyone will struggle with someone surrounding there curls whether its a big issue or a small issue, its an issue for you. Some of these issues are easy resolved by changing your routine but others may not more specialist help from a doctor.
We have explored 3 common issues that people with naturally curly hair struggle with, how to manage it, and hair products aimed to prevent these problems reoccurring.
1.Frizz
Frizz is caused for different reasons but simply it is when your hair strand does not align with your overall curl pattern. This can be caused by:
- Friction to your curls causing it to become missed placed.
- When you hair has become dehydrated.
- Your hair's reaction to the current weather climate.
- The wrong use of hair products.
- Over cleansing stripping of your hairs natural oils.
- Hair damage including heat damage, chemical damage.
- Damaged caused by harsh treatment to the hair including rough styling.
- In some causes this maybe genetic.
How do you resolve some of these issues:
1.1 Use A Gentle Cleansing Shampoo:
Harsh shampoo will strip your hair of its natural oils this will in affect cause frizz to your curls. Shop for a curl friendly shampoo that is sulfate free. Why Sulfate free ? Sulfate's are a harsh ingredient that why deep clean your hair, although this will clean your hair so well, your curls will become brittle, dry, prone to breakage and yes you guessed it, frizz.
Here's some sulfate free shampoo's for you to consider:
Curl Smith Fragrance Free Shine Shampoo £10
Boucleme Hydrating Hair Cleanser £15
1.2 Styling Your Hair Gently & Maintain Hydration:
Changing up your hairstyle can be fun and exciting and you should definitely not stop that, but consider how your styling your hair, and if a particular style is going to cause more friction that will cause frizz and breakage, how can you adapt this style. For example trying a loose bun, with the same sleek look but not as tightly pulled back.
Remember that styling on dry will also cause frizz and will overall weaken your hair strand leading to damaged hair. So when restyling after your wash day remember to refresh with your spray bottle, combine this with your favourite conditioner to detangle giving great slip.
Why not try our:
Ashanti Curls Continuous Mist Spray Bottle £11 and our Ashanti Curls Curl Bands £3.99
If you purchase the two in our Wash Day Bundle you can get them for £12.74 instead of £14.99. This curly combo is perfect for keeping your hair hydrated on wash day and refresh day, as our curl bands are waterproof, perfect wet styling.
1.3 Change Your Hair Products Throughout The Year:
As the weather changes so will your hair routine need to change. Your hair to consider products that contain humectants, whether you use oils or gel. Learn more about what ingredients to use, why and when from our FREE EBOOK:
CG Approved Ingredient Buster: For Naturally Curly Hair £0
1.4 Deep Condition Regularly:
Moisture is key and one way to maintain moisture is to deep condition. This can be done it two ways through moisturising deep conditioners and protein based deep conditioners. To learn more about this read our blog: 'Deep Conditioning: Moisturising Vs Protein Based Deep Conditioners', providing your the must have knowledge and of course product recommendations.
1.5 Reduce Heat and Chemical treatments:
Many curlies may have experienced heat damage and/or damage from chemical treatments. Heat damage may occur from general use of straighteners, blow dry's and other heated tools. Over time this will weaken the hair strand causing breakage, frizz and dryness. Heat damage and chemical damage is not often reverted unless cut off, for this reason you may want to consider cutting back on or cutting out heated styling or chemical treatments. If you do wish to continue to use heated styling tools remember to incorporate heat protectants.
If you do cut out heat styling and/or chemical treatments and return to your natural curly pattern remember the journey won't be easy, as it takes time but in the end it will be worth.
Additionally you may experience excessive use of heat while visiting your local hair dressers when getting your regular trims. Often many stylist will straight your hair and then cut your curls. When getting your regular trims why not try a curly cut, this type of cut will have those split ends gone while your hair remains within its natural state. If your rocking your natural curls, this form of styling will help your curls lay better in its natural state rather than straight cutting.
More and more hairdressers are starting to take on this type of curly cuts: why not check out:
2. Split Ends
Having split ends is something I am sure we can all relate to, they are annoying and ugly. But what can really cause them, here's a few reasons:
- Harsh hair bands/ties that have metal clasps.
- Excessive heat styling, this can include blow drying, hair straighteners and curlers.
- Harsh detangling or detangling while your hair is dry.
- Dry, and brittle hair. This may be caused by excessive hair washing or hair products that do not maintain hair moisture and/or weather.
- Over manipulation- harsh hair styling.
- Chemical or colour treatments.
- Towel drying.
Split ends form in many different ways, here is how some of them can look, can you notice any ?
How do you stop getting split ends
I am sure you would love to hear how you could repair your split end, well the truth is split ends are not repairable, I know many hair product may calm to do this but ultimately underneath those hair product the split end will remain as they will act as a mask/film.
2.1 Trim Your Ends Regularly
Unfortunately split ends will travel up the hair shaft the longer they are left on your head. The best way to stop this is by having regular trims, regular is different to everyone, for you it maybe once a year others might be twice. Remember to pay attention to you hair, look at your ends, identify if they are particular dry and need an extra bit of TLC.
For great hair dressers in the UK see the above section as named prior. If you know any other great hairdressers please leave them in the comments below to hair with others.
2.2 Detangle With Care
The detangling process is one of the key parts of any curls hair routine and is not to be taken for granted. If you detangle your hair wrong this could result in breakage, frizz and of course split ends !
To detangle from ends to roots, is key, as if you detangle from roots to ends you will often find the knots along the hair shaft will bunch up, resulting in one big knot, the bigger the knot the harder it becomes to get out. The more you struggle and pull your strands, the more pressure you place on your delicate curls, as you pull your hair strands breakage and split ends may be the end result.
Equally if you dry detangle you cause friction, resulting in your hair becoming weaker and split ends forming. TOP TIP: Ensure you invest in a great detangling tool and of course a good slip conditioner/deep conditioner to support your detangling process. A good slip conditioner essentially is a slippery conditioner support the gliding process of detangling.
Great detangling tools include:
Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler £13
Curlies love tangle teezer's for there easy gliding detangling process, this particular tangle teezer is made for wet brushing, due to it handle providing a great grip for wet detangle. Watch your curls pop with this one.
It is said that this tangle teezers helps to reduce the level of frizz whilst keeping the curls defined. Personally I love this tangle teezer.
Wide Tooth Comb
A staple favourite is our wide tooth comb. These combs are often inexpensive and a great detangling tool. Due to the combs wide teeth, hence the name, it is great for minimal frizz due to the teeth allowing larger amounts of hair to pass through.
2.3 Shampoo Infrequently
Yes over washing your hair is a thing, the more your wash your hair the more likely you are to strip the natural oils, and when your hair is stripped it is fragile and more prone to breakage and split ends.
The key is to finding a hair routine that works for you, most curlies will wash their hair once a weekly. If you scalp becomes increasingly irritated prior to your weekly wash day then you may want to consider washing your hair sooner. Remember everyones hair is different and with every season comes changes to your routine.
Switch up your routine depending on your curls needs, this including shampooing.
For great shampoo's see the once suggested above. Alternatively if you need a mid week wash, many curlies will try a co-wash, this is essential a conditioning wash. Some to choose from are:
Only Curls Cleansing Co-Wash £16
Shea Moisture Curl Moisture Co-wash £14.98
To learn more about co-washing and if it is or isn't for you, read our blog post all about co-washing here.
3.Dandruff & Dry Scalp
Dandruff and/or a dry scalp can be one to the most annoying things as a curly, and is often more common than most people think. But are they the same thing, well the answer is their are similarities but there is a key difference.
So what is the difference ? Well Dry scalp is where there is an imbalance to the scalp's PH level, this causes the scalp to tightened, more irritable and likely to peel. A dry scalp may not always show signs of flaking, where as a scalp with dandruff will show signs of flakes where dead skin cells flake off of the epidermis (the top layer of skin on your scalp), resulting in your hair potentially feeling itchy.
The causes of dry skin and dandruff are also often different, lets take a further look:
Dry skin causes:
- Environmental factors like cold or dry weather
- Irritating ingredients
Dandruff causes:
- Stress
- Hormonal changes
- A poor diet
- A overproduction of a special yeast called Malassezia.
Overcoming a dry scalp and dandruff
3.1 Switching up your hair products
Many curlies will try various different hair products, this can be great to find out which ones suit your hair, many of these will come from recommendations, but with recommendations comes what works for someone elses hair. Remember that if you do get recommended a product just because it works for one may not mean it works for you.
If you do suffer with dandruff or a dry scalp consider doing a pre poo prior to shampooing, to soften the flakes on your scalp making it easier for them to be removed when shampooing. Please be mindful when choosing oils within your routine, peppermint and tea tree are known for their cooling/calming affects on the scalp, which is great but equally if used at a high amount this may cause a burning feeling, therefore making your hair more irritated and dry.
For those with dandruff it is important to consider pre poo treatments with anti-bacteria properties, products with a creamer texture will help to lift the flakes on your scalp during the pre poo treatment. Be mindful with heavy oils such as castor oil, this can clog your pours, encouraging more dandruff as dirt becomes trapped.
Some amazing ingredients may include:
- Lavender
- Aloe Vera
- Peppermint
- Zinc (or Zinc Pyrithione)
- Chamomile
- Coal tar
- Salicylic acid
- Selenium sulphide (or Selenium sulfide).
Shampoo's To Consider:
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Deep Cleansing Shampoo £9.39
Melanin Haircare African Black Soap Reviving Shampoo £19
Boucleme Dry Scalp Serum £20
Reminder: prices of products suggested within this blog are subject to change by individual retailers.
If you wish to guest blog, email us at info@ashanticurls.com. We would love to hear your tips and stories and we are sure other curlies would to.