How To Make Curls Last Longer
Have you ever spent hours washing your hair, styling it to perfection, and loving it – only to wake up the next day to a frizzy, undefined mess? It’s possible to make your curls last much longer– up to four to five days – without completely starting from scratch! The key to making your curls last for days is good prep work, strategic styling, and reducing frizz. Here are some helpful tips for longer-lasting curls!
How to make curls last longer
Understand your hair type!
Before we get started with the tips and tricks on creating longer-lasting curls, it’s crucial for you to have a good understanding of your hair. Your curl pattern, strand thickness, and hair’s porosity will determine what type of products you need to use to get your ideal definition.
Listen to your hair!
Proper preparation is crucial if you want longer-lasting curls! When you take a moment to listen to your hair as you prepare it for styling, you’re less likely to experience damage or style-destroying frizz! Before beginning your hair care routine, take a moment to analyze your hair. What is it trying to tell you? Does it need a thorough deep cleansing, or will a co-wash suffice? Has it felt drier than usual this week? Being in tune with your hair and its needs will allow you to choose the right products to keep your hair happy and balanced. The happier your hair is, the more likely it will behave as you start styling.
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01 Kinky Curly Come Clean
This sulfate-free shampoo is perfect for dehydrated hair that’s been damaged from exposure to hard water. This innovative shampoo is powered with Phytic Acid, a natural chelating agent that will remove damaging minerals caused by hard water. Mandarin orange extract will power through build-up while nourishing Sea Kelp will restore moisture.
Brand: Kinky Curly
Size: 237 ml
Curly Girl Method suitable: Yes 
02 Bounce Curl Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner
The Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner from Bounce Curl is a protein-free care that revitalizes your curls! It is enriched with the best herbs, extracts and oils from India such as Amla, Brinjal and Shikakai. Marshmallow root extract and other conditioning agents quickly soften the hair so you can quickly eliminate tangles and knots.
This Deep Conditioner is perfect for all hair types.
Brand: Bounce Curl
Size: 237 ml
Curly Girl Method Suitable: Yes
03 Bounce Curl Light Creme Hair Gel Lotion
If you need a great styling gel that’s lightweight, Bounce Curl’s Light Hold Crème Gel is for you! This fantastic gel provides beautiful volume, eliminates frizz, and enhances and defines your natural curl pattern. And because it has an ultra-thin consistency, you can easily touch up your hair the next day without accumulating too much product.Important to know: This styler doesn’t always mix well with other brands. So for best results, use it in conjunction with other Bounce Curl products.Brand: Bounce CurlQuantity: 238 mlCurly Girl method suitable: yes
Strategic styling for longer-lasting curls!
If you want longer-lasting curls, you must be strategic in how you style your hair. The key to longer-lasting curls is to achieve a super-defined curl definition and virtually eliminate frizz. This can be achieved if you use the proper tools and stylers for your hair type.
Invest in the proper tools!
Every curly need to find her holy-grail detangling comb. The perfect comb will quickly unravel any knots or tangles without causing breakage while enhancing your hair’s definition by clumping your curls. There are many different types of detangling tools available on the market. Some popular tools include the Original Denman Brush and the Tangle Teezer. If you don’t already own a diffuser, you should consider investing in one! A good quality hair diffuser will allow you to quickly dry your curls and create beautiful volume without causing too much frizz!
Choose the right products for your texture!
Choosing the right styling product that works well with your hair is crucial to achieving long-lasting curls! If you have finer hair, choose a product such as styling milk, mousse, or a very lightweight gel with a watery consistency. If your hair is denser and needs a more substantial product, a thicker gel product will clump your curls together and have a more excellent hold.
It’s important to note that these are general recommendations. Finding the perfect styling product for your hair may take some experimentation. If you’re at a loss of where to start, check out this helpful guide to help you find the right hair care products for your unique curl.
Strategic product application!
When it comes to maintaining longer-lasting curls, it is all about technique and strategic product application.
Start with a leave-in conditioner to hydrate your hair before moving on to your styling product. Your styler should give your hair a strong hold so your curls can maintain their shape throughout the week. The best products will leave a decent cast over the hair, protecting it from environmental elements such as humidity and heat. This is crucial if you live in a very humid area.
While you may be used to scrunching to break the cast of your product once it’s fully dry, don’t! If you want longer-lasting curls that you can wear for days, you may have to leave the house will curls that feel slightly crunchy.
Don’t worry; the cast will naturally soften and break apart on its own throughout the day. However, if you break the cast immediately, the wear time of your style will be significantly shortened.
Strategic curl-refreshing!
If you’re trying to stretch your style, it’s essential to refresh your curls every day to minimize frizz. Throughout the week, keep a careful eye on how your hair looks and how your scalp feels. This will determine how you should go about refreshing your hair.
Is your hair losing its definition? You may need to apply more of your styler to refresh the curl pattern. Be careful not to separate your curls too much during this process. You’re simply trying to reinforce the style. Your curls will naturally fall and separate throughout the week. Be careful not to do this too much as it can cause an excess product build-up.
Is your hair feeling slightly dry? Use a refreshing curl-activating mist to replenish your hair’s moisture and follow up with a bit more of your styler. If you don’t have a refreshing mist, you can easily create one by mixing a little bit of your holy grail leave-in conditioner with water in a spray bottle. Simple shake and mist it sparingly over your hair for a boost of hydration.
Assess your curls every morning! Are they maintaining their shape? Normally on the first
If your hair is feeling extremely dry but you’re not ready to wash, you can use a hydrating styling cream to refresh your hair.
As you wear your hair out, continue to monitor your scalp. If it’s starting to feel a bit greasy, use a dry shampoo to absorb the excess oil. The dry shampoo will also help lift the roots of your hair for additional volume.
Protect Your Style
The ultimate key to long-lasting curls is to protect your style from excess frizz! Frizz is the biggest style-destroyer, and the goal is to maintain the definition in your curls for longer. Here are the best ways that you can protect your hair from frizz!
In the shower
Protecting your hair in the shower is crucial if you want longer-lasting curls. Just because your hair isn’t getting wet doesn’t mean that the water isn’t putting a damper on your style. When you’re showering, your hair is exposed to higher temperatures and humidity. This sudden rise in humidity and temperature will cause the hair cuticle to swell, rapidly creating frizz.
Protect your hair by covering it with a shower cap. When you get out of the shower, keep your shower cap on until the humidity in the bathroom has dissipated.
During the day
If you have a habit of playing in your hair when you’re stressed or bored, this may be why your style doesn’t last as long as you’d like. Consistently touching or raking your fingers throughout your strands will separate the curls, causing a rapid decline in the hair’s definition and leading to frizz.
If you want long-lasting curls, try to be mindful and keep your hands out of your hair! However, if you struggle with this, a great way to maintain your style is to move your hair away from your reach. Use a large claw clip, loosely twist your hair behind your head, and clip it into place. The claw clip will not affect your style too much, and when you’re ready, you can easily let your curls down without any creases or smooshed curls.
At night
How your hair looks in the morning comes down to how you protect your hair at night. It’s arguably the most crucial key to maintaining long-lasting curls, and you want to preserve the hard work you’ve put into styling your hair! The goal is to reduce friction on your hair strands and lift the curls, so they’re not smooshed against your pillow.
Avoid sleeping on a cotton pillowcase. Cotton pillowcases create much friction as you toss and turn. It will wick away your hair’s moisture, causing frizz and breakage! Instead, opt for a silk or satin pillowcase that will allow your hair strands to glide gently across the surface without getting caught against the fabric.
To prepare your hair for bed, use a silk hair tie, and pull your hair up and towards the front of your head. Don’t tie it too tightly, so you don’t pull too much on the hair or leave a crease. This method is called the “pineapple” and allows your curls to dangle freely, so they’re out of the way and don’t get smooshed against your pillowcase. You can cover your hair with a satin or silk-lined sleeping bonnet for additional security.
When you wake up, let your hair down and shake it out for beautiful bouncy curls!
Long-Lasting beautiful curls!
It’s possible to make your curls last for days on end if you’re strategic with your styling and maintenance process! The key is to create enough hold and definition at the beginning of the week and to minimize anything that may cause any frizz or loss of definition! Give these tips a try, and enjoy beautiful bouncy curls for days!
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