Layering multiple products or using a lot of a product might look good at first because you'll get a ton of definition, but it will weigh down your hair throughout the day and cause your curls to go flat. The weight of the product pulls on your curls so they will stretch out and droop.
Here are some tips for getting your curls to stay throughout the night so you can wake up in the morning with a head full of bouncy curls. Use a scrunchie: If you have long hair, use a scrunchie to loosely secure your hair to the top of your head. This will prevent you from sleeping on your curls and flattening them.
The answer: The sooner you can set your curls, the better. For that reason, it's recommended that you apply styling products while your hair is still damp and before the frizz has time to set in. If you wait too long, you may rough up the hair cuticle, causing your swirls to become frizzy and undefined.
Always Apply Styling Products to Soaking Wet Hair
With your fingers or a detangling brush, work the product evenly throughout the hair. Then scrunch or use the finger curl method to enhance the look of your curls. "Keep in mind scrunching activates and enhances curls, while finger coiling elongates them," says Sanders.
As mentioned earlier in this post, frizzy curls are often dry curls. Curly hair is naturally drier than straight hair, so it generally needs more moisture. You can achieve well-hydrated and moisturised curls through the products you use to wash and style your hair, and using techniques like 'Squish to condish'.
Rake your gel, mousse, cream, or other styling product through your curls gently, and scrunch upwards gently to encourage your curls to form. Be sure to coat each strand liberally with product to help curls clump together for a more defined, frizz-free look.
If your curls are inconsistently defined, you might be... using too little product. If your curls tend to look inconsistent - defined in some places, frizzy in others - you may not be using enough gel or styling cream to coat every strand.
Michelle Paterson, Hair Manager at Pouts and Pinups, is a big fan of using a hairdryer when encouraging curly hair, and suggests attaching a diffuser and drying locks “on the low setting, as this will help even out and accentuate your natural curls”.
MOISTURE, MOISTURE, MOISTURE
Moisture and hydration are essential if you want to define natural curls because the drier your curls are, the more prone they are to frizz. While deep conditioning is a quick way to instantly moisturize your strands, you can also avoid rinsing your hair in hot water.
Use a mousse and heat protectant before you blow-dry in order to give the hair more hold. Prepping with a setting spray is also great for locking in your curls. Many of them offer heat protection, too. Matrix Biolage Thermal Active Setting Spray ($11) helps curls go the distance.
Use a Leave in Conditioner/Curl Cream
This will keep your curls hydrated until next time you wash it and keep it free from tangles and frizz. A leave in conditioner is used for providing moisture whereas a curl cream helps define the curls and helps them last longer.
“Using too much product and improper methods of rinsing can lead to product buildup and lackluster curls," Lemonds explains. "Product buildup creates a film on the hair and prevents moisture and even water from getting into your hair follicles. Curls need water and moisture to remain soft and bouncy.
Suddenly your once springy curls seem stretched out, undefined, and just not performing the way you want them to. This can be due to added weight – potentially because your hair has gotten longer, or you're using heavy products over and over again, that are leaving behind residues and building up on your strands.