How To Care For Long Curly Hair

Some people think it is far simpler to look after short hair compared to caring for long hair. I disagree with this common assumption. I have had short bobbed hair in the past so I can speak from experience. When I had just freshly had my hair restyled into a short inverted bob, it did look really smart. I straightened it so that it looked smooth and sleek. However, it only took a couple of weeks for it to look messy and unkept. Furthermore, when I visited the salon every 6 weeks to have it redone, sometimes my hairdresser would cut the back very finely shaping it with scissors and sometimes it would be shaved. I did not like my hair being shaved at the back and that would grow very messy in a matter of a week or so. I suppose I should have made it clear that I did not want any shaving done.

Anyway, for a couple of years now I have been growing my hair and love long locks. My hair naturally has loose curls and I have had it highlighted blonde for well over a year now.

Here are some tips on how to avoid over styling your hair and keep it in good condition:

• If you have coloured or highlighted blonde hair and you want to grow it or keep it long, please minimise the use of straighteners. There is nothing wrong with occasionally using them, but regular use will damage your hair, causing it to dry out, have split ends and just break off. It is the intensity of heat concentrated on your hair which causes the damage. Curly hair is also more prone to drying out. I have done this myself in the past. I have learnt my lesson as I did not like the texture of my hair and was very conscious of it.
• Use a shampoo and conditioner especially for coloured or highlighted hair if that is what you have. 
• Invest in a leave in conditioner for the daytime and one for night time. I bought some Pantene Pro-V day and night leave in conditioners from a pound shop.
• Use a heat defence spray when your hair is exposed to heat whilst styling. This could be drying, straightening or curling your hair.
• Use a wide tooth comb if you comb your hair when it is wet.
• Have your hair trimmed every 6 weeks.
• Try not to put too much hair spray all over your hair as you will have to comb it out which could   cause breakages.
• I purchased Pantene Pro-V colour protect colour seal concentrate from a pound shop. It is a weekly treatment that you use when you have washed your hair. You use it just the same as a conditioner, I use it after I have used my normal conditioner. It helps to repair any damage your hair may have and protects it from colour fade for up to 8 weeks. The tube will last for quite a while as well. I use it mainly on my ends.

Now here is my step by step guide on how to style naturally curly hair:

You will need:

• Shampoo and conditioner
• A turbie towel
• A wide tooth comb
• A hair dryer with diffuser attachment
• Heat defence spray
• Hair mousse
• Leave in conditioner (optional)
• Barrel brush for blow drying (optional)
• Hair elastic (optional)
• Hair spray (optional)

1. Thoroughly comb your hair before washing.
2. Wash your hair with shampoo and use a conditioner.
3. Gently remove any excess dripping water and put up in a turbie towel for a few minutes.
4. Comb your hair using a wide tooth comb.
5. Separate your fringe (if you have one) using a wide tooth comb and hair elastic. We'll get back to that later.
6. Scrunch dry your hair using the turbie towel. Don't pull your hair down
7. Spritz some heat defence spray over your hair and if you wish, put on some leave in conditioner as well. 
8. Now give your mousse can a little shake before squirting some out onto your hand. Keep applying it until you have worked it through your hair. I don't mean smother it with mousse, just work it in by scrunching your hair.
9. In Spring and Summer I simply blow dry my fringe (detailed in number 9) after applying leave in conditioner, a little bit of heat spray for hot sun and mousse. It is better for your hair if you let it dry naturally.
10. Take your hair dryer with diffuser nozzle and dry your hair in sections, keeping dryer still until you move to the next section. It is a good idea to turn your head upside down so you can get to all of your hair and this will create volume.
11. When hair is dry, remove diffuser nozzle, remove hair elastic from fringe, apply heat defence spray and leave in conditioner, take barrel brush in hand and blow dry your fringe.
12. Apply some hair spray to fringe to keep it in place. It is entirely your choice if you wish to put a little hair spray over your hair. Personally, I prefer not to. 

Here's a handy tip. If you are struggling for time and are unable to wash your hair in the morning, why not spray your hair with water using a spray bottle. Then gently scrunch your hair. You can purchase spray bottles from pound shops. This should breathe new life into your hair.

There you have it, how to style long curly hair. It only takes about 10 - 15 minutes to dry and style your hair in this way. It takes a lot longer to straighten.

Coming soon: 

• I will add a video to this post demonstrating how to style your hair. I will be doing exactly what I detailed in my step by step guide.
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