Do you really have straight hair? Or have your curls been flying under the radar this whole time?
Tik Tok might not be the best place to get all of your information, but it’s certainly a haven for hair and beauty tips. Most notably, one viral video has made people realise that they’ve had curly hair their whole life without knowing it.
How To Tell You Have Curly Hair
First off, there are lots of types of curly hair. Whether it’s thick or thin, coarse or smooth, your hair could be crying out for some extra moisture and special TLC. Curly hair that isn’t being cared for is often frizzy because it has all of this volume with no structure. It also has a habit of fluffing up in muggy, humid weather as it sucks up all that outside moisture. A quick curly routine can take your from Hermione Granger to Shakira, so it’s worth trying out!
A great way of checking for curly hair is with the scrunch method:
The Scrunch Method
If you’ve already ventured into curlytok, you’ll have already come across this word. Scrunching is the cornerstone of curly haircare, and it’s incredibly simple.
Next time your hair is soaking wet (ideally after washing it and before applying conditioner) separate off a section. Place the ends of your locks in the center of your palm and lower the rest of your hair into your hand until you can close your fist around it. Give it a squeeze and release. There, you’ve done your first scrunch!
Because water resets the shape of curly hair, and shampoo washes away the product build-up that weighs it down, scrunching should help it hold a curl. Don’t worry if it’s a very loose one, curly hair often tightens up as water dries off.
The Plop Method
In her Tik Tok, Danielle wraps her hair up in a t-shirt but why?
The classic towel wrap you’ve been doing since your teen years is actually quite damaging for your hair. The heavy tower you’ve piled on your head pulls at your roots leading to follicle damage. What you need is something light and breathable, that gently holds your hair while it dries…Enter the plop method!
Take a t-shirt (the longer your hair, the bigger the size) and lay it out on your bed. Bend over it and lower your hair down on the bottom section, where your stomach would go if you were wearing it. Then take bottom hem of the shirt and tie it around your head. Now take the shoulders and fold the upper half over your head, so your hair is wrapped up. Lift up your head slightly and tie the sleeves around your forehead to secure.
Here’s a video from content creator Aparna to show you how it’s done:
Ta-Da! It might look a little strange, but it’s a gentle way of holding your curls in a long-term scrunch. You can leave your hair in this for 30 minutes to an hour before letting it air-dry.
Curly Wash Routine
Using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner is a great way to nurture your curls back to life, but they often need some additional help. When you start your hair journey, it’s best to stick to a simple routine of under four products to avoid aching arms and beauty burnout.
Briogeo | Curl Charisma Shampoo 236ml | £11.76
We recommend using Briogeo’s Curl Charisma Shampoo on your next wash day. Curl Charisma has a sulfate and silicone-free formula, with shea butter to moisturise hair and rice amino acids to lock in hydration.
Urtekram | Ultimate Repair Conditioner 180ml | £5.99
You might have some natural waves, but you could have a tight curl pattern that’s been damaged by hair dyes, treatments and heat. To unlock it’s true potential, we advise using Ultimate Repair Conditioner from Urtekram. This is salvation in a bottle for your stressed out tresses, with jojoba oil, aloe vera, and even more antioxidant-rich shea butter!
Sachajuan | Hair Mousse 200ml | £5.50
After shampooing and conditioning, it’s time to put your scrunching practice to the test. To help your hair hold it’s curl pattern, dispense some Sachajuan Hair Mouse onto your hands and rake your fingers through your hair. Distribute evenly by brushing your hair with a wide tooth comb before scrunching your ends. The more you scrunch, the curlier your hair will be.
A lot of people are wary of using gels and mousses because they don’t want brittle, crunchy hair but we have a secret weapon to combat this…
Three Little Words | Let’s Get Tacos Treatment Oil 125ml | £2.00
After your curls have formed and dried, put some oil on your hands and define each lock by either scrunching it in or twisting your curl around your oil-coated finger. This hack will prevent those crispy, 80’s-style waves while sealing in the moisture that your shampoo and conditioner have provided. Let’s Get Tacos treatment oil by Three Little Words is a great light-weight product that works for all hair types.
If you’re not happy with the results of your first curly routine, don’t be discouraged! It can take a while to train your hair, so keep at it. Remember to limit your use of heat tools and take a break from dying your hair so your curls have room to grow.
