Some hair types may be able to wake up to perfect curls on their first wash and go but for the majority of us it’s a process. Patience is a virtue during this process. I’m still working on my wash and go curls and I started doing them in 2014. Beyonce was not built in a day and neither are your curls. Remember that everyone’s hair is different so your curly look will be individual for you. You are your hair goals. Below are a few suggestions for curl training.
Wear your curls. Practice makes perfect. Just like any other goal you want to achieve you have to just get started. I promise you will be glad you did. Your favorite natural hair influencer didn’t just stumble upon their perfect wash and go they’ve probably been wearing curly hair for forever. I don’t flat iron shame because you will see me with a silk press at least once a year but if you wear your hair straight often you will have heat damage and those pieces will not curl up the way you want them to. Period.
Moisture is the key. I talked about water in a previous post that I recommend you read. Leave-in conditioners are your best friend. It should be used to moisturize your hair until your next conditioning treatment. Leave-ins contain humectants. By definition a humectant takes moisture from the air and puts it in your hair to help strengthen it and make it more elastic (curly/stretchy). My favorite leave-in is Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner. Deep condition weekly.
Wet brushes are amazing. I have a few different wet brushes but my favorite is the Denman brush. This is the holy grail of wet brushes in my opinion. My wash and go will not come out right if I don’t use it. This brush helps detangle while defining at the same time. I use it in the shower when conditioning by dividing my hair into sections and slowly detangling. I’ve heard some say they don’t use wet brushes because it takes their hair out but I think these brushes are just technique sensitive. If using a brush on your curls it must be a wet brush on wet hair and always use it from from your ends up. I DO NOT recommend a dry brush on curls. I only use that standard wood brush for slick backs.
Twists are a great protective style that mimics curls. Twists are one of the easiest ways to define your curl pattern especially when you twirl the ends. The more you have your hair in a curly state the more it will gravitate to that state. Finger coils and braid outs can do the same thing but I’m partial to twists.
Trim your ends. We think of trimming our ends for growth but trimming your ends can help define your curls. Sometimes your curls thrive at a certain length and once it gets longer than that they can lose volume. Fresh, non split ends will lead to bouncier curls. Split ends lead to hair frizz.
Products junkies are the best junkies. Products enhance your natural curl patterns. To live your best curl life you have to find the best products for your hair. This is trial and error. You can watch YouTube University all day but you still have to try out different products and find the one that gives your hair the best definition. I usually use a gel and a curl creme cocktail on my wash and go’s.
Over time these things will become part of your wash routine and you won’t even think about them. When I first started wearing my hair curly I didn’t even detangle it. It was a mess. I hope this helps someone who wants to take the leap into wearing their curls.
Luv,
Curl Muva
Curl Friends Forever 