Tips For Curly Hair : How to Care for Kinky & Coily Curls

September 04, 2020

2 mins

Goutaman Ram

No matter your curl type, if you get these right, you should be well on your way to unlocking gorgeous looking curls in no time!

The journey towards caring for curls anywhere in the 3A-4C range can be immensely rewarding.

But, if you’re curly haired, it can be confusing with the wealth of information online on hair care tips for curly or kinky hair types. So confusing that it can be easy to overlook the basics.

Hair Care Tips for Curly Hair: How to Care for Kinky & Coily Curls

No matter your curl type, if you get these right, you should be well on your way to unlocking gorgeous looking curls in no time! Here are some curly hair tips:

1. Cleansing

One of the top issues for naturally curly hair types is dryness and loss of moisture. A surprising number of issues like breakage, frizz, and itchy scalp can be traced back to this single cause. It’s common practice to clarify your hair often due to a large amount of product used for curlier hair types.

But traditional shampoos contain harsh ingredients like sulfates, parabens, and alcohol which dry out the scalp and hair.

Type 3 Hair

The S-shaped coils on Type 3 curls have the potential to easily lose definition and moisture. This dryness can cause your curls to be easily damaged, making it more prone to frizz & breakage. This means even finger curling & scrunching can cause more frizz than curls.

Type 4 Hair

Kinky hair types have a tighter, is more z-shaped even though there may still be 3c/b curls present depending on your exact curl type. Being exposed to harsh ingredients can cause issues like shrinkage & thinning as your hair type is technically drier as it gets curlier.

This means dryness has an emphasized impact on the hair. And since it’s so difficult for the oils on the scalp to spread out across the hair shaft, Type 4 hair type is also prone to an oily or itchy scalp. Harsh ingredients can irritate the scalp and cause excess sebum production.

The Solution

We recommend using a natural, clarifying shampoo that’s gentle on both your scalp and hair. The WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo & WOW Activated Charcoal Shampoo are excellent choices for this purpose.

Shop the WOW Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo .

Shop the WOW Activated Charcoal Shampoo .

2. Conditioning

One of the best curly hair tips is that, if you have kinky or coily hair, your number one priority is hydration. You want to keep your locks as moisturized as possible to add definition to your curl pattern and prevent frizz and split ends.

Kinky/coily hair is the tightest of all curly hair types, and it’s especially prone to dryness because the shape of the strands make it difficult for the scalp’s natural oils to lubricate the entire length of the hair. Kinky hair often needs extra moisture to keep it looking and feeling its best.

No matter your curl type, it’s always important to ensure you take out some time every week for a deep conditioning treatment for your locks. Regular conditioners & hydrating creams are great for styling & maintaining your curls but most products aren't able to penetrate deep into the shaft.

Type 3 Hair

One of the biggest worries for nourishing products is greasiness & having it weigh your curls down. This is a valid concern but if you regularly use a clarifying shampoo, this shouldn’t be a problem.

It’s also easy to overlook the importance of deep conditioning with Type 3 curls as loss of moisture is less obvious than Type 4 curls.

When your follicles are not deeply nourished, things can seem alright in the first few weeks but the signs start to show towards the end of your conditioning cycle. These are signs like having your usual products suddenly stop working & you’re having way more bad hair days than normal.

Type 4 Hair

Having Type 4 locks means rich and nourishing products are basically part of your daily routine. But you may still want to look out for products that contain harmful ingredients like silicones & mineral oils as they are notorious for causing buildup.

The Solution

Other than using a regular conditioner for your hair, you should have a lightweight natural hair oil and a nourishing hair mask in your hair care arsenal. Hair masks are excellent for providing that deep, penetrating nourishing treatment that virtually all curly hair types need. And the hair oils are especially useful for kinky hair types if you want to take it the extra mile for locking in moisture & reducing shrinkage.

We recommend using these natural conditioning products!