Hairstyles for Long Naturally Curly Hair

Long, naturally curly hair can be a blessing....and a curse! The maintenance for this type of hair consists of a lot of brushing, conditioning and styling. It is always good to know a variety of easy and fancy hairstyles, but first you must start with the basic hairstyles that you can wear everyday, from managing your curls to styling them straight. Knowing how to control your curls naturally can let you create a sexy, low-maintenance style that takes less time than you think.

Things You'll Need

• Hair brush
• Comb
• Bobby pins
• Hair elastic ties
• Gel
• Soft hold hair spray
• Molding putty or wax
• Silk serum
• Leave-in conditioner
• Anti-frizz serum
• Hair straightening iron
• Straightening serum
• Blow dryer

Instructions

Maintaining Your Curls

1. Visit your stylist and have her cut your naturally curly hair into long layers, as this will help keep curls under control and make your style a little more edgy. With your natural curls, it is always good to incorporate a little product while using your hands to style your curls.

2. Create loose curls by brushing out your hair when wet and using a leave-in conditioner. Smooth a small amount of the soft wax or putty from the middle of your hair down to the ends. Wrap pieces around your fingers and hold for 5 to 10 seconds to create a more polished look. Use a mist of hairspray over your hair to set.

3. 

   Create bouncy tighter curls by not brushing your hair out when wet. Wait until dry, then use some hot rollers. If you want very tight curls, spray soft hold hair spray on each piece of hair before you wrap it in the rollers. Let the rollers set in your hair for about 10 minutes. Once you remove the rollers, separate the pieces of your hair and mist with hairspray or shine serum. Flip your hair down and massage some hair gel into the underside of your hair to create body.

4. 

   Create flowing waves in your hair by not brushing your hair out when wet. Flip your hair over and scrunch a a mixture of shine serum and medium hold hair gel into your hair from the base of your scalp to the ends. Keep scrunching with your fingers, and keep your hair flipped over the entire time in order for it to set, than flip it up.

5. 

   Controlling your curls if they are naturally frizzy can be a challenge. After showering, combine a smoothing product and shine serum together and apply to your hair, than roll up pieces of your hair into rings and pin to your head with bobby pins. After drying, take out the bobby pins and shake your head back and forth to let your curls fall freely into place. Make sure you do not brush or comb. Use an anti-frizz serum on wet or dry hair if your hair is very susceptible to frizz, or if you live in areas of high humidity.

Styling and Keeping Your Curly Hair Straight

1. Purchase a hair straightening iron, as this is the best tool for creating straight hair besides getting a relaxer procedure at the salon on your curls. Wait for the iron to warm up, then clamp 1-inch sections of hair in the iron near the scalp. Slowly run the iron down the length of hair. Repeat until all sections of your hair are straight. You may want to clip up the higher layers of hair first to get to the under layers if you have thick hair.

2. Create straight hair by brushing your hair out after showering and applying a straightening serum from the roots to the tips. It may also be beneficial to apply a shine or anti-frizz serum to create the smoothest effect possible.

3. 

   Blow dry immediately while brushing out. Using a diffuser while blow drying your hair may help create the effect of no frizz and straight hair. After hair is dry, brush hair thoroughly and flip hair forward, massaging your roots with your fingertips to create body.

4. Rub gel between your palms and use your finger tips to apply it near your roots to create body in your straight hair. Or, you can life up the top inch of your hair from the part and spray hair spray underneath the layer on either side to create more volume.

Tips & Warnings

• Always limit the amount of product you use. You can always add more, but too much causes hair to appear greasy, especially at the roots.