Curly hair is often straw-like, prone to frizz, and doesn’t tolerate conventional styling products. Fortunately, there is a solution for every curly problem: The best care tips for curls and frizzy hair plus effective smoothing methods in the check can be found in our hair guide. While curls are a hair dream for some, they mean hair frustration for others every day: Naturally frizzy or curly hair requires particularly intensive care because it quickly becomes brittle and dull.
But even under products specially tailored to curls, there are many black sheep that weigh down or stick to the hair instead of giving it the necessary smoothness and bounce. You can read about what you should look out for when caring for and styling natural curls and what methods are available if you want to straighten your mane in our hair guide.
Why do some people have curls and others don’t?
To this day, science is still puzzled by this question, which has not yet been clearly solved. But one thing is certain: the nature and structure of our hair is genetically determined. Scientific studies show that curly hair is predominantly inherited. So if a parent has curls, the chances are pretty high that the children will also get curly hair. The tendency to naturally frizzy or curly hair can even be passed on over several generations.
The trichohyalin protein , which is encoded in the so-called THHC gene and was only discovered in 2008, is responsible for the structure of the hair . If it is in large quantities, the hair is rather straight. If there is a deficiency or a low level of trichohyalin as a result of a mutation, the hair waves. The THHC gene in turn affects the shape of the hair follicles in which the hair roots are formed: if these are asymmetrical, the wearer is likely to have curls. In people from Asia the follicle is usually round in cross-section, in Europeans oval to elliptical – then the hair has a slight wave. By the way, those who are blessed with curly hair can feel special: only 15 percent of Europeans have curls by nature.
And why is there often the dreaded frizz in curls?
First of all, the bad news: The development of frizz, i.e. fine hairs that stick out, curl or become static, is often genetic in curly braids. Therefore, this hairy problem can only be managed to a limited extent with the best curly hair products. Because curly hair is much more susceptible and stressed faster than straight hair. The reason for this is its special structure, which among other things has a lower proportion of the hair’s own protein keratin and is therefore generally drier. Even expensive hairdressing products have no chance against this property.
In addition, curly hair is less close to the scalp. This reduces contact with the skin’s own sebum, which gives the strands flexibility and a healthy shine. As a result, curls are generally drier, more brittle and more prone to splitting than straight hair. That is why Naturkrause needs special attention in daily care and styling. And: ideally, products that are specially designed for the special structure of curly hair. By the way: curls tempt you to touch individual strands and let them jump. However, you should resist this literal “temptation” – the constant, often unconscious playing with your hair makes it even more frizzy and brittle.
The right haircut for curly hair that …
… Is thick or normal thick:
The basis for a healthy mane with beautifully jumping curls is the right haircut. Anyone who has normal thick to thick hair with a natural frizzy is well advised to use a step cut. The hair sections of different lengths optically provide more fullness and give the individual curls new bounce.
Is becoming finer or thinner:
Women whose hair becomes thinner during menopause or who have always had fine hair should take this into account when choosing the right curly haircut. A step cut, for example, would make thin hair look even less anyway, since individual strands will then curl more than others. With a fine hair structure, it is therefore advisable to have the hair shortened to a uniform length – for example with a classic bob cut.
“Curlsys”: A secret weapon for dream curls?
One method that many curly women swear by is the so-called Curlsys method: With the Scottish hairdresser Brian McLean’s patented process, the hair is first cut to a uniform basic length and then each individual curl is cut with special curling scissors. Only hairdressers trained on this are allowed to offer the method that is intended to help frizzy hair to be fuller, more resilient and new impetus. Since the hair is cut off at an angle in the course of the Curlsys method, the hair thins out when used too often. The procedure should therefore be used at most every second haircut.
For the optimal hair length for curls, the following applies: the shorter the hair, the more beautiful the curls jump. If the hair is too long, it becomes too heavy and the individual curls hang out or lose their shape. You can find out which length is ideal for your curly mane and which cut suits your type at a personal consultation in the hairdressing salon.
The right care for curly and frizzy hair
Care tips for shampooing
Good moisturizing is important to prevent the already dry hair from becoming even more porous. But this is exactly what the crux of a natural frizzy is: Too rich hair care products such as hair oils weigh down or stick the curls. Shampoos and hair conditioners with oil in turn can help detangle the hair and make it easier to comb. Do not use oil-based conditioners, hair treatments, etc. with rich formulations every day, but regularly – in winter, for example, up to twice a week. Ideal is the regular use of hair conditioner , once a week or as required with an intensive treatment or hair mask is added. Care products with keratin , proteins, lipids or natural oils such as argan oil and coconut oil have proven to be particularly effective against unruly curls and frizzy, unruly hair . They make the brittle cuticle layer of the hair supple and thus give it more elasticity.
Be careful with hairbrushes : when you comb them, they pull the individual curls apart and fluff them up so that they no longer spring back into their natural shape. Brushing often makes a frizzy look freaky and neglected. In order to avoid hair breakage and to untangle the quickly knotting curls, the strands should be combed during the hair wash. The gentlest variant for this is a coarse-toothed comb , the best way to go through your hair while the conditioner is acting on it. Statically charged curls and frizz prevent combs made of natural materials such as smooth wood or horn, since they have no sharp edges.
Permanent smoothing with tannin
Hair straightening with tannin, also known as the “Tanino method”, is relatively new. These are vegetable tannins that are found, for example, in the bark of birch trees. Since the active ingredient is water-soluble, it can stick to the hair fibers without changing the natural hair structure. Smoothing with tannin should therefore not only be gentler, but also much more effective: Supposedly, the treatment not only makes curls disappear, but also makes hair stronger and healthier. Hair straightening with tannin costs around 150 euros and lasts for about three months.
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