Having curly hair is both a boon and a burden. Your curls look super defined, polished and pretty one day but turn into a rat’s nest the next day. There is no in-between. The worst part is that you will not know what your hair is in the mood for until you sit down to style it.

We have listed out some tips and hairstyles to manage curly hair on its worst days so that you need not head out looking like you just got electrocuted.

Oil your hair
Oiling your hair is the key to dealing with the frizz that comes with curly hair. Curly hair is naturally very dry, especially at the bottom of the hair strands. Applying oil to your hair not only locks in moisture, it also adds a beautiful sheen to your mane. While coconut and argan oils are considered the best for hair care, you can also use almond or jojoba oil.
Oil your hair about an hour before you wash it. Apply the oil thoroughly from the scalp to the ends of your hair. You don’t have to worry about your scalp looking greasy. If you shampoo and rinse your hair properly then you should be fine because your scalp does not produce a large amount of natural oil like those with straight hair. You can oil your hair once a week or once in two weeks. Steaming your hair after oiling it also ensures that the oil penetrates the shaft and follicles and that in turn will help in controlling frizz. You can simply dip a towel in hot water, wring out the excess water, and wrap your hair with it. Keep it for 15 minutes and then wash your hair. 

Conditioning is the key. Shampooing, not so much
Many people don’t consider conditioning an important part of hair care but if you have curly hair, you will realize that conditioner is a lifesaver that efficiently tames your hair. This again boils down to curly hair being naturally super dry, frizzy and thick. Using a conditioner smoothens the surface of the cuticles of your hair so that it does not appear so rough. It also softens the hair follicles and prevents the formation of tangles in your hair. Be sure to apply a generous amount of conditioner to your hair every time you wash it. But something you should use less of is shampoo. Shampooing very frequently strips your scalp of the small amount of natural oil it generates. Limit your shampoo usage to once or twice a week and just apply conditioner to wet hair on the other days.

Limit brushing and combing 
It’s very tempting to brush your hair every hour or so because curly hair sometimes appears too messy or is all tangled up. But don’t give in to these temptations since it does more harm than good. Brushing dry hair will only result in unmanaged and frizzy looking hair. The only safe time to brush your hair is when it’s still wet. Also make sure that you never use a comb with small teeth or a brush with thin bristles. Instead of defining your curls, they just frizz it out even more. Instead wide-tooth combs or brushes with thick bristles. They separate the knots and tangles in your hair without deforming the curls.

Safe hairstyles for curly hair
There are a lot of hairstyles that don’t work on curly hair and, however much we try, these hairstyles never flatter our hair either. Instead of opting for that ridiculously hard braided updo that your straight haired friend rocked last weekend, try these easy to recreate hairstyles that complement your natural curls.

The top knot
Although we mostly see examples of this hairstyle on straight hair, it looks just as flattering – if not more – on curly hair. Just bunch up your hair at the top of your head and secure it in a bun with a hair tie. Leave a few strands poking out of your bun and some hanging out in the front to frame your face. Because of the sheer volume of curly hair, this style will look really good.

The messy braid
The key to owning this look is to intentionally disarrange and jumble up your hair. This is not really a big task for those with curly hair since, somehow, we end up with untidy and ruffled hair within five minutes of styling it neatly. The spiral ringlets of hair jutting out of your braids will add a naturally air swept charm to your look.

The half up bun
There is a bunch of really cool ways in which you can carry out this hairstyle. You can part your hair in the middle and French braid or Dutch braid the front portion of the hair on either sides of the parting. Braid it all the way to the end and tie the two parts together at the back of your head. Or, you can simply gather the hair at the front part of your head and tie it at the top in a bun or a ponytail. Or you can create a tiny hair crown using only the hair at the front of your head.

 
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