Curly hair for men certainly comes with challenges, especially when it is longer. Curly hair can often be coarse and dry and frizzy, so maintaining it the right way is crucial to keep it looking great and reduce frizz. Here is how to care for men’s curly hair.
Shampoo and Conditioner
Because curly hair can be done dry and brittle, I recommend not shampooing every day. In fact, it may be wise to ditch the shampoo altogether and simply replace shampoo with a conditioner.
I really don’t think you can condition curly hair too much. For shampoo, I really love Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Smoothing Shampoo and Curl Conscious Smoothing Conditioner. Use your conditioner daily and then deep condition about once per week. For shampoo, use a moisturizing shampoo and avoid clarifying shampoos if at all possible.
Styling Product
A great styling product for curly hair will help add separation and define the curl while conditioning the hair. When selecting a styling product, avoid anything that contains alcohol (such as traditional gels) as they will dry out the hair. For the task of styling curly hair, I love the somewhat awkwardly titled TIGI Bed Head B for Men In Check Curl Defining Cream. Apply this product to damp hair, give it a quick shake or rake through it with your fingers and then leave it alone. If the hair starts to dry out or become fizzy at the end of the day, smooth on a bit of water with your hands. You may also wish to keep a glycerine-based ant-frizz serum handy (such as John Frieda’s Frizz Ease)
Drying Curly Hair
Don’t. Step away from the blow-dryer. Using hot air will further dry out curly hair. Use proper towel drying technique (pat and squeeze out water, don’t rub the hair) and use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to separate the curl and distribute your product. Let the hair dry as naturally as possible!
If you must use a blow-dryer, use a diffuser (it’s that funny looking bowl thing with the prongs in it) to help maintain the curl.
Don’t Mess With Curly Hair
The trick to keeping the curl together is to “set it and forget it.” Once you have your style in place, leave it alone to dry naturally. This will help keep the curl separated and defined.
Get a Great Haircut
For curly hair, you really have two options — cut it extremely short to eliminate the curl (something like a short buzzcut) or let it grow longer. Curly hair needs some length and to weigh the curls down, so a medium to long curly style will work best. A style with long layers is key! Finding a great stylist (someone who understands curly hair) is key, and I recommend getting a light trim on a very regular basis to remove split ends and keeping the hair looking healthy.
Straightening Curly Hair
I’m not a big fan of attempting to straighten curly hair as the tools used to do it (blow dryers, flat irons, etc.) can actually cause damage. You can also consider having your hair chemically straightened but, again, these types of treatments can damage curly hair. If you absolutely must attempt to straighten your hair, always seek out a professional stylist who can do it the right way to minimize the potential damage.