We know the frustration. Your straight-haired friends can take care of their hairdos with little to no effort while you’re running late for the regular Friday night drinks because your curly strands won’t behave no matter what you’ve tried. There’s really no way to sugarcoat it – curly hair requires more attention than straight hair does. And that’s just because it has other needs. 

You may have noticed that it seems dryer and less responsive, and more often than not, this is simply because you don’t know enough about it, and not engaging in proper hair care. So if you’re a curly-haired guy, and you want to show off those gorgeous curls, you should learn how to take extensive care of your hair, and especially what kind of products it needs. 

Table of Contents:

• Types of Curly Hair
• Type 2 Curls
• Type 3 Curls
• Type 4 Curls
• Recommended Hair Products for Curly Haired Men
• Hair-Care Tips for Curly Haired Men

Types of Curly Hair

Hair types fall into 4 main categories – with category 1 representing subcategories of straight hair, and categories 2, 3, and 4 representing increasingly curlier hair. It is important to understand the category your hair falls in to know exactly what it needs in terms of hair-care products and methods. Here’s a breakdown of each category: 

Type 2 Curls

Straight-passing more often than not. This is where you’ll find slight curls with straight-haired tendencies. 

2A – People with type 2A have hair that is barely wavy and rather flowy. Still, that’s enough to qualify it as a type of ‘curl’. This kind of hair can easily be weighed down by styling products, and it’s a curl that is hardly noticeable, with just a little volume at the roots. 

2B – This kind of strand is pretty straight starting at the roots with s-shaped stronger waves usually framing the face. 

2C – S-shaped strands starting straight at the root, a little bit thicker and coarser and more prone to frizz. 

Type 3 Curls

This is the main kingdom of the curls. Type 3 holds the most noticeable, actually curled hairdos. 

3A – Type 3A hair has looser curls with larger loops, which are typically shiny; the hair strand is not necessarily very thick or coarse. Frequent wash days can be a violent enemy, and leave-in treatments are often a necessity.

3B – These ringlets tend to be dryer and tighter, and need a lot of moisture and care. Chances are that if you have 3B curls, the loops will be looser in the front. 

3C – Voluminous loops, tighter than 3B, with a circumference similar to that of a straw and a lot of curl patterns going on in your hair. 

Type 4 Curls

The curliest of them all. Pay extra attention to the specific needs of your curly hair if it falls into this category. 

4A – With type 4 start the coil shapes that need a lot of care and nourishing. Typically, 4A curls make the hair look a lot shorter than it actually is. 

4B – Rather than a coil, 4B hair strands have more of a zigzag pattern going on. They are fragile and prone to breakage, and very porous. 

4C – This type means hair that is tightly coiled, to the point that the pattern is not exactly visible. These coils wrap around themselves a lot, leaving no space in between, and need all the love and care possible. 

Recommended Hair Products for Curly Haired Men

Our hair relies on the natural sebum that the scalp produces to stay moisturized. Because of the coil shape, the oils don’t find their way down to the ends, making it harder to get uniform nourishment. As such, type 3 and type 4 curly hairdos specifically require that extra bit of attention that only a dedicated product can provide. Here’s what you should look out for:

Moisturizing Shampoos and Conditioners

Curly hair needs a lot of moisture, one of the best hair care tips I can give is to start to look for products that contain healthy oils and nutrients. And as a pro-tip: always stay away from sulfates! They are incredibly drying, and will almost always damage your hair further. 

An organic combo of coconut milk-based shampoo and conditioner will offer exactly what you need to revitalize your curls and bring them back to their bouncy, shine-filled nature! Not only does it hydrate the hair strands, but it also remedies any split ends, so it’s a true win-win for your hair. 

Leave-in Treatment and Extended Care Products

Sometimes, when you have a coil-filled mane of hair just using a good shampoo and a traditional conditioner is not enough. Thinking outside the box, a leave-in treatment (such as a leave-in conditioner) might be the day-long solution for your hair’s long-term dryness, giving you all the essential oils that it is currently lacking. 

Alternatively, you should consider trying hair oils, masks, serums, or other treatments. Organic products that are specialized for dry hair, and that are focused on nourishment, moisturizing and hydration will be your best hair tamers. Test them out, see what goes hand in hand with your baseline treatment, and stick with it. Your hair will be the envy of all of your friends in no time!

Hair-Care Tips for Curly Haired Men

Now that we’ve nailed the products you should be using, let’s take a look at the dos and don’ts of a curly hair care routine before we wrap up. Here’s what you need to keep in mind: 

Have a post-washing routine 

Curly hair care doesn’t end with a bath and some products after washing. You need to know how to dry and take care of your hair post-washing as well. 

First of all, do not rub or scrub your hair with a towel. Pat and scrunch it instead. The latter motion helps define the curls better. Scrunching is actually what will keep your curls defined even before applying curl-defining products and other treatments too.

Secondly, it’s best to let curly hair air-dry. If that is not possible, use a diffuser (it comes with any blow-dryer nowadays, and it usually looks like a bowl) on its lowest settings. 

Finally, people who fall in the longer categories of curly hair should scrunch their hair into a towel, t-shirt, or another form of coverage and keep it in for about 15 minutes. 

Brush mindfully 

Do not dry brush your curly hair, ever! You will just be frizzing it up and losing the coil shape. Instead, brush your hair when you apply something like a leave-in conditioner. This makes sure that you don’t create any frizz. 

Also, don’t worry – you’re not actually breaking your hair strands when you have curly hair and brush it while wet, unlike with straight hair. 

Explore the WOW website for more natural hair care products. From our all natural sulfate, silicone and paraben-free hair care collection we recommend Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Red Onion Black Seed Oil Shampoo. And if you would like to learn more about apple cider vinegar's benefits or onion oil's benefits check out our ultimate guide on how to use them on your hair.