The grass always seems greener on the other side, doesn’t it? If we have straight hair, we want curls, while if we’re curly then we envy poker straight hair.
If you are lucky enough to have curly hair, you might already be aware of the common issues with curly hair. If not, read on to find out more!
Common Issues With Curly Hair
Curly hair can be beautiful, sophisticated and exotic – or it can seem like a complete nightmare, because its care can be quite specific!
Curly girls do sometimes get a hard time of it, and many report feeling as though their hair was a whole separate entity to themselves!
- Frizziness. Curly hair is more prone to being frizzy and untamable, because of the structure of the hair strands themselves.
- Tangles and knots. Because of how it twists and turns, curly hair can lead to many more knots and tangles than you might like.
- Breakage. Curly hair can be more fragile, leading to areas of it breaking off or becoming split.
- Dryness. Straight hair can experience dryness, but curly hair is much more prone to it because the natural hair oils find it harder to reach all of the hair shaft.
- Dandruff. Because the hair oils are mainly confined to the scalp, dandruff can occur in curly haired individuals.
- Product buildup. Because it can be hard to spread hair products through curly hair, it can suffer from dullness caused by the buildup of chemicals and hair products.
These are a few of the issues that you can face as a curly-top. However, there is a wealth of information out there about what you can do to combat these problems.
Here is a really interesting article delving into the science behind curly hair.
What Are The Downsides Of Curly Hair?
Although many people long for curls, and many even get perms to try to recreate that natural wavy look, there can be some downsides to it.
The biggest one reported is the time it takes to maintain those tresses – they really do take quite a lot of work!
- After washing, curly hair takes much longer to dry than straight, making the preparations for a night out take way longer.
- It can be really hard to keep your curls looking uniform and not sticking straight up every which way, especially because of the increased risk of breakage and split ends.
- Straightening hair can be a solution, but those with very curly hair may never be able to completely remove the curls.
- Many, many curly haired people struggle with the frizziness that occurs because it is difficult to get enough moisture down the whole of the hair shaft.
All this being said, curly hair is beautiful and should be celebrated – it has plenty of upsides too!
Is Curly Hair Not Healthy?
There is absolutely nothing to say that curly hair cannot be as healthy as straight hair – in fact, because of the amount of maintenance it takes, sometimes it is actually more healthy!
Yes, it’s true that curly hair is more prone to dryness and fizz, but as long as you are aware of this then you can take steps to correcting it.
A good hair care routine, with specific targeted products used to restore moisture to curly hair, is absolutely key.
Curly hair, straight hair, wavy hair – they can all be healthy or unhealthy, but with a little care and attention we can make our hair healthy and beautiful, no matter what type.
How To Maintain Healthy Curls?
- Moisturising is key. Use deep conditioning products regularly, and always condition your hair after you wash it.
- Wash your hair less frequently. Once or twice a week is ideal for washing curly hair, particularly as it doesn’t get as greasy as straight hair.
- Handle it gently. Especially when washing and styling, take care with your hair. If you want to brush it when wet, do so whilst you are conditioning, then simply rinse.
- Protect it from heat. Use styling tools at lower temperatures, or avoid entirely, as curly hair is more susceptible to heat damage.
- Sleep on silk. A silk or a satin pillow (which are all the rage right now by the way!) will help to protect your curly locks from the dreaded frizz.
- Get the right hairdresser. Curly hair can be very different to cut, so finding a stylist who has experience with your style of hair will really help.
Here is a helpful video showing you the best ways to look after your luscious curls:
Is There Any Advantage To Curly Hair?
Of course, having looked at the downsides, we must also take into account the benefits of having gorgeous curly locks!
- Heat reduction. Your curls could actually be protecting your scalp from the sun, as the structure of the hair creates a barrier between the sun’s rays and your head.
- Cooling. Astonishingly, curly hair can actually help you to keep cool. This is because it does not lie flat against the scalp, which allows it to breathe and reduces the need to sweat.
- Natural volume. Those of us with flat, limp hair are always envious of a curly-haired person’s naturally full hair!
- Styling options. Curly hair is very versatile, and can be made to look a dozen different ways – from wild and untamed to straight and glossy.
- Low maintenance. Because curly hair tends to need washing less, and often is not styled so frequently, it can be an easier hairstyle to maintain than some others.
Obviously, we all have to take what we’re born with and be happy with it – but isn’t it nice to know that there are some definite benefits to the hair you were born with?
Final Words
Whether you have curly hair or straight, the most important thing is to look after it in the way that suits it the best.
Hopefully you now have a better idea of the ins and outs of curly hair, and how best to look after it so that it looks its best every day.
