Hairstyles for Curly Hair

Curly hair may be a little bit more difficult to style than straight hair, but there are just as many, if not more, hairstyle possibilities. The size and length of the curls often determines the exact styles that are right for the hair. Larger curls tend to be easier to manage than smaller curls, and smaller curls tend to need extra frizz control during styling to achieve specific hairstyles. Does this Spark an idea?

Function

The shape of the strand of hair determines how straight or curly the hair is. A rounder hair shaft is straighter than an oval hair shaft. The further away from round the hair shaft goes, the tighter the curls will be. Tight curls often need products like Frizz Ease or a leave-in conditioner to make the hair ready to accept a hairstyle and to keep the hair from becoming too frizzy to be styled. Once the curls have been treated with a leave-in treatment, the hair may need to be styled while it is still slightly damp to make it easier to coax it into a specific shape.

Types

The updo is an easy hairstyle for any type of curls. it works as well for tight curls as it does for looser curls and waves. To create an updo, simply run a small amount of hair gel, about a dime-size amount for medium-length hair, through your curls. Wind the back of your hair into a loose roll and pin the end under the top of the roll. You can use a barrette or bobby pins to pin the hair down. Once the hair gel dries, your hair will stay in the updo, even in windy weather.

Features

Long, loose hairstyles often look better when the curls are larger. This gives the hair a tousled "bed head" look rather than a frizzy look. If your curls are smaller, you can make them looser by curling them loosely around a curling iron to change the shape of the curls for the day. You can also use hair gel and hot rollers to loosen up your curls. Once you have the curl size you desire, make sure your hair is combed free of any tangles, and scrunch the curls with a little hair gel to make the curl size stay in place. Allow the hair to air dry. Using a hair dryer will add frizz and take away from the loose look.

Identification

Short curly hair leaves fewer style possibilities than long curly hair, but there are still several looks that can be maintained with hair that is shorter than shoulder length. One look is to gel the hair upward for a full look. This is done by scrunching the hair upward with hair gel and blow drying it with a diffuser to make the gel dry quickly. To keep the hair from becoming frizzy, using more gel than you normally would for this look. Another short look for curly hair is hair that has a side part and that falls down each side of the face. This look is easy to maintain with a little hairspray or gel. Tight curls may also need Frizz Ease or a similar product to keep the curls from becoming too tight.

Effects

For curly hair that is medium or long, an easy hairstyle that always looks put together is a quick sweep of the top third of the hair backward, while leaving the rest of the hair to flow freely. A barrette or a coated hairband will hold the hair in place behind the head. This is usually done with some hairspray or gel to keep the hair at the top third from coming free from the barrette or band.