Article: Curly Hair Glossary: Understanding the Language of Curly Hair Care
Your curls have a whole vocabulary, and you deserve to know every word of it.
Let's be honest, when someone first told you to scrunch out the crunch after plopping, you probably blinked twice. Welcome to the curly hair world lingo.
This glossary is going to be your cheat sheet so that you are ready to walk the talk that your curls have been waiting for!
In This Article
Curly Hair Glossary (Common Terms Explained)
From understanding what is a gel cast to hair porosity and more, this glossary is going to come in handy for you to choose the right hair care products.
Curl Types & Hair Patterns
- Curl Pattern: The natural shape your hair takes when it’s loose and dry. Your curl pattern is your hair’s built-in style.
- Wavy Hair: Loose, S-shaped waves that aren’t straight but not fully curly either.
- Coils / Kinky Hair: Tight, spring-like curls with lots of definition. These hold their shape best but can feel dense and textured.
- Shrinkage: Shrinkage refers to how much shorter your curls look when wet hair dries.
- Density: It is the total amount of hair covering your scalp. It affects how full your hair looks.
Curl Care Techniques
- Scrunching: Gently squeeze wet curls upward from the ends toward your scalp using your palms. This boosts bounce, defines your natural shape, and helps fight frizz.
- Finger Coiling: Take a small section of wet hair, wrap it around your finger like a ringlet, then slide it off. Finger coiling helps in creating uniform curls that last longer.
- Plopping: Lay a clean microfiber towel flat, flip your wet hair onto it, and wrap it up like a turban for 10-20 minutes. It absorbs water gently without rubbing, setting shiny, clumpier curls.
- Micro Plopping: Bend forward, squeeze excess water from ends up with a microfiber towel, no full wrap needed. Great for quick drying without messing up your curl pattern.
- Rake & Shake: “Rake” a creamy product through your hair with spread fingers, then flip your head and shake the ends vigorously. This clumps curls together for a natural look.
Curly Hair Product Terms
- Leave-In Conditioner: A light, non-rinse lotion or cream you spritz or smooth into damp hair. It seals in moisture all day, fights frizz, and preps curls for styling.
- Curl Defining Gel: A gel (styling must-have) that you rake or smooth through wet hair. It clumps curls, fights frizz, and adds hold.
- Curl Cast (Gel Cast): The hard, crunchy shell your gel dries into.
- SOTC (Scrunch Out the Crunch): Gently scrunch damp or dry hair upward with oiled hands to break the gel cast. This reveals soft, touchable, bouncy curls without losing definition.
- Deep Condition / Hair Masque: Intensive hydration treatments. You can explore deep conditioning hair products for weekly care at Manetain.
Hair Health Terms
- Porosity: It refers to how well your hair soaks up and holds moisture. Low porosity repels water; medium is balanced; high absorbs fast but dries out quickly.
- Frizz: Frizz refers to pesky flyaways and halo hairs popping up around your curls. It happens when hair lacks moisture and humidity sneaks in.
- Breakage: When dry or damaged hair snaps off leaving short, uneven ends. This can result from over-brushing, or ignoring deep conditioning.
- Build-Up: Sticky residue from styling products or hard water, that coats your curls and weighs them down.
- Heat Damage: Fried curls from too much blow-drying, flat-ironing, or curling wands.
Curly Hair Community Terms
- Curly Girl Method: If you are wondering what is the curly girl method, just hear us out. It is a routine created by Lorraine Massey that ditches sulfates, silicones, and heat tools. Instead, it focuses on gentle cleansing, deep hydration, and scrunching to bring out your best curls.
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Co-Wash: Washing hair using a non-foaming moisturising answer conditioning cleanser instead of regular shampoo to retain moisture.
- Wash Day: Your full reset routine; cleanse, condition, style.
- Refresh: Quick revival between wash days: Mist with water + leave-in conditioner, scrunch, and air-dry or diffuse. This will keep curls bouncy without a full re-wash.
- Pineapple: A loose, high ponytail on top of your head secured with a scrunchie. Protects curls from getting smashed overnight.
- Second Hair Day: Day 2 after styling. This is when the curls often look even better, softer, shinier, with less product crunch.
Conclusion
The curl community is very passionate about its hair. Now that you've become fluent in the language of curls, you're fully equipped to actually build a routine that loves your hair.
Also, now let's put this new knowledge to work with Manetain's full range of curl care products. That includes hair setting spray, products for a breezy haircare routine, scalp scrub, hair cap, and so much more.
FAQs
What are common curly hair terms beginners should know?
Beginners should be able to understand terms like scrunching, plopping, porosity, gel cast, refresh, etc. These form the foundation of any curly hair routine.
What is a curly hair glossary?
Curly hair glossary is a collection of some essential curly hair definitions that explain techniques, products, and hair types that are used in curly hair care.
Why is it important to understand curly hair terminology?
When you understand curly hair terminology, it helps you choose the right products, follow the correct routine, and avoid damage that might be caused by incorrect techniques.
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