Curly girls are super active on the Internet because they’re just in a tizzy about how to control their curls, which get dry in winter and frizzy in summer humidity. Add the facts that super curl is often fragile at the points where curls twist and turn—and many women with curl have tried chemical smoothers and straighteners—and you’ve got a curl conundrum!

Where Curl Management Starts.

Caring for curly hair starts with adding moisture. Always use products formulated for nurturing curl, like a hydrating shampoo and conditioner. Then, choose styling products for curl, based on whether you want to enhance your natural texture or smooth and subdue it. Many oils contain silicones, which get a bad rep. The main issue with them is that they build up on the hair, so you want to stick with something natural. If you moisturize your hair frequently, just a few drops of oil with Rainforest Cupuacu, Pequi Fruit, and natural botanicals will moisturize and boost your hair’s elasticity. Natural curl should also be deep-conditioned weekly. 

Detangling Debate.

There’s a new debate about whether you should detangle hair when it is wet or dry. When hair is wet, its hydrogen bonds are temporarily broken, which is why they reform to a new shape when you wet-set hair around a roller and let it dry. Dry hair is stronger, but harder to comb through, which makes it more likely to snap, not stretch.

To detangle dry hair, brush or finger detangle from the ends up. Detangling dry hair takes more time and patience; apply a little oil to minimize damage. Detangling wet hair lets it stretch, but a little TLC is also required. If you detangle wet hair, use a leave-in conditioner to smooth the cuticle, then carefully comb from the bottom up. Always use a wide-toothed comb and remember, wet hair is weaker because its temporary bonds were already broken by water.

How To Blow Dry Curly Hair.

1. Apply a moisturizing, leave-in detangler when your hair is wet and clean.
2. Divide your hair into at least 5 sections, so that your products can be evenly applied and your curls will look well-defined.
3. Work in a dime-sized amount of leave-in conditioner and fingercomb it through in subsections. Once the curl softens, shake or scrunch your hair, then repeat.
4. Let hair air dry for 5 minutes.
5. Diffuse dry your hair the rest of the way. Using a diffuser attachment not only allows more control, it reduces frizz and flyaways.
6. Finish with a pomade or a light shine spray.
7. The less you manipulate your hair, the less frizz you’ll get.

If you have the time, air drying is the smartest substitute for blow drying. It eliminates heat damage and enhances your natural texture—a hot trend of the moment.

Air-Drying Curly Hair.

1. Avoid towel-drying by rubbing, which can mat hair and cause frizz; instead, gently squeeze out moisture. Then comb through your leave-in conditioner and/or chosen styling product from roots to ends and “place” hair with your hands.

2. Once you’ve shaped curly or wavy hair, leave it alone. After it’s dry, you can work through a pomade for shine or molding products to subdue texture or break it up.

Safe Smoothing Ideas.

Blow drying, then flat-ironing your hair can cause dryness and damage if you aren’t careful. But sometimes, you just want to wear it smooth. As a safe alternative, try the Wrap. It’s a decades-old technique in which you simply wrap your strands around your head in a single direction.

First, comb through styling gel from roots to ends. Starting at the crown, begin wrapping a section of your hair across the front and around your head, moving clockwise and keeping hair taut and smooth. Secure in place with jumbo-sized bobby pins as you work. Repeat, as you work from the bottom up. Create a subtle cone shape on top. Then, use a frizz fighter. Once hair dries, it’ll be smooth, frizz-free and full of body.

If you use a flat iron to smooth or straighten your curls (or a curling iron to reshape them), use only as much heat as necessary. Today’s irons reach over 220˚C (420˚F), which is beyond what fragile, curly hair can withstand. Set your temperature control below 180˚C (356˚F), take a small section, mist on a heat protector and make several passes with the iron. This allows you to enjoy the maximum versatility that your incredible curly hair allows.