Article: Getting started on your curly hair care journey

Getting started on your curly hair care journey
Remember when you’re looking at someone with great curly hair, there could be massive effort behind reaching those well-defined curls. The thing about getting on the curly girl journey is that it has to be YOUR journey.
Before we get into the steps - here's a video explaining the Curly Girl Routine.
Curly Girl Routine:
Steps/ Guide to Curly Hair:
Every kind of hair is different and may respond to certain treatments, hair care and products. But we’ve put together this short and basic guide for you to get started. A lot of information can be quite overwhelming, so take easy steps.
The very first thing to do is follow these simple steps:
- Understand your hair
- Leave combing your curly hair when it's dry.
- Use a gentle, preferably 100% natural shampoo, that is also sulphate-free
- Identify a conditioner and a leave in conditioner for your hair
- Comb only after using a conditioner and the leave in
- Identify hair stylers like a curl cream and gentle gel for more definition
- Avoid heat so wash your hair with luke warm or cool water
- Get in the habit of deep conditioning your hair once a week
- Get on the transition plan from use of heavy chemicals to a natural path
Understanding your hair to find the right products
You can start with understanding your hair better, and that’ll help you finding the right products for your hair type:
Wavy Hair: Hair that lies somewhere between straight and curly. There is a slight curl pattern at the ends of your hair.
2A - Thin, wavy hair
2B - Wavy hair with medium thickness
2C - Thick and wavy hair
Curly Hair: If your hair strands have an 'S' pattern that stays, is frizzy and prone to tangles, you have curly hair.
3A - Loose curls
3B - Medium curls
3C - Tight curls
Coily Hair: Coily hair follows a 'z' pattern. It can be rough and coarse and is prone to breakage.
4A - Soft
4B - Wiry
4C - Extremely wiry
Depending on what kind of hair you have, the care that you need to give it might defer.
In the case of wavy hair
Type 2A: Since the hair is straight from the roots to eye level, don't flatten those waves below, but define them. Use gels and steer clear of creams and oil-based hair care products.
Type 2B: Hair is curly from around the eye level to the ends. You can highlight these curls using balayage in the form of highlights.
Type 2C: With 2C hair curls begin at the crown. Type 2C hair is frizzy. So use a diffuser when blow drying, so that the heat does not end up making the hair more frizzy.
In the case of curly hair
Type 3A: This kind of hair has S-shaped curls. Do not brush harshly but wear a lose pony tail.
Type 3B: These curls are slightly thicker than type 3A and lack moisture. Use moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera and shea butter and avoid sulphates and silicones.
Type 3C: These curls are tight and coil perfectly. Use a leave-in conditioner to untangle hair as this type of hair is prone to breakage.
In the case of coily hair
Type 4A: Type 4A coily hair is a delicate hair that needs a lot of moisture. Consider deep conditioners, butters and creams besides oils.
Type 4B: This hair type may follow a zig-zag pattern and is prone to tangles. Use a leave-in conditioner and keep your coils intact using a curling creams or gels.
Type 4C: Use oils, shea butter creams and deep conditioners to manage tight curls.
Once you have identified your hair, then start with the steps in the beginning of this article.