by Casey Murphy

1) How to shower with curly hair

• Shampoo and curly hair get along as well as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. That being said, don’t shampoo but once a week or even once every two weeks. Although when it comes to conditioner, the more the better! Personally, I use a handful of conditioner every shower. IMPORTANT: Let the conditioner sit in for at least 10 minutes to really moisturize and deep condition your hair. After my shower, while my hair is still damp, I add a dime sized amount to the crown of my head, where my hair seems to frizz when dried. While in the shower, use your fingers as a comb to get out the stubborn knots. After adding more conditioner, wrap your hair into a large cotton t-shirt and let it sit in there no longer than 20 minutes to prevent weird-shaped curls and drying wrong.

2) How to style curly hair

• Never never never use a blow dryer when styling curly hair unless there is a diffuser attached to the end of the blow dryer. When applying extreme heat to curly hair, it just freezes up. Air drying is the best way to go. Unfortunately, that means it takes about an hour or two to have completely dry hair. Unless you are trying to throw it back to the 70’s and pull off the Afro, don’t brush your dry, curly hair.

3) How to buy products for curly hair

• Ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve tried around 30 different hair products from 30 different brands trying to manage my curly mess of a head. Fast forward 8 years and I’m convinced I’ve found the perfect lineup of products. First, I apply two heaping handfuls of TRESemme Extra Hold mousse all over my head, starting at the tips of my hair and scrunching up. While doing this, flipping your head down may help to not miss any hair. Second, I apply TRESemme gel to the top of my head, only a quarter sized amount. If you add too much, your hair becomes very crunchy and stiff (gross). Third comes the Garnier Fructis Curl Renew Reactivating Milk Spray. Since it is a spray, I try to cover all of my head and a little on my roots. This product is great for adding some shine considering the mousse and gel that was just applied. Fourth, I squirt a dime-sized amount of TRESemme Keratin Smooth Shine Serum into my palm and smooth it over the ends of my hair. Just like before with Milk Spray, the Keratin Serum will smooth out any crunchy or stiff parts of your hair while still managing the frizz. Lastly, I do an all over coverage of TRESemme Extra Hold Hair Spray to lock everything in and prevent fly always. Hold the can about a foot away from your head to prevent adding too much hairspray and getting a stiff appeal.

4) How to fight humidity with curly hair

• Sorry it’s inevitable… If the humidity is really bothering you, moving to New Mexico or Arizona may be the thing to do. Also investing in a couple good baseball caps is never a bad idea. Although, you can put your hair into a braid or a pony tail to help your hair from getting HUGE. While this may be a let down, some people love the voluminous look and humidity only helps them achieve the ideal curls.

With these tips, I hope you can now learn to manage your crazy curly hair!