How to Get Consistent Results with Curly Hair + Exciting News!

Does your curly hair turn out differently every time you wash and style? This is common and normal, but there are some tips you can try to improve the consistency of your curly hair. In this video, I walk you through how to diagnose your hair’s needs, plan your wash day based on those needs, and track your results using my new Curly Hair Tracker & Planner.

Why are curls & waves inconsistent?

• Naturally curly and wavy hair are versatile. They’re malleable and can change in shape and size.
  • This is great if you like to switch up your look.
  • It’s common to have different hair textures, porosities, and curl patterns on your head.
• My hair looks different on day 4 compared to how it did on wash day.
• The more porous our hair is, the more sensitive it is to the environment.
  • The more damaged your hair is, the more porous it will be. Therefore it will absorb more moisture in the air or moisture will evaporate more quickly in dry air.
  • Our hair is always trying to maintain equilibrium with the environment, which is always changing unless you’re fortunate to live in a mild climate like California.
• Our hair is fragile.
  • Sleeping on it and friction can mess it up.
  • Friction creates frizz.
  • It can break easily.
• We are styling our curls with our hands, brushes, etc. which will naturally result in some variation compared to people with straight hair who use heat tools to manipulate their hair’s appearance.
• We rely on products to create definition, tame frizz, create volume, etc. instead of heat.

Ways to improve consistency

#1 Track your results

I’m excited to announce the launch of my new digital product, the Curly Hair Tracker & Planner. If you struggle with diagnosing what your hair needs, planning your routine, and evaluating your results, this is for you.

1. First I’m assessing how my hair looks and feels prior to washing. I selected the following answers:

2. Then I determine if I need to wash or refresh based on the answers and by using the guide on the Labels tab of the spreadsheet. I’m logging my sleep protection as well.

3. Next I plan out the products that I am going to use. I also log the number of products that contain protein to keep tabs on my protein use.

4. After I’m done drying my hair, then I like to log the styling techniques that I used in that routine. Finally, I log my results. There are questions within the spreadsheet that help you assess your results, record your thoughts, and any notes for things you would change the next time. Adding a photo to the tracker is also extremely helpful.

Continue logging your hair every day so you can document how your styling products hold up. You can also log what you do on refresh days.

#2 Improve your hair health

When your hair is more porous, it’s going to turn out more inconsistent and be sensitive to things like the weather. The only true fix is to grow out any damage, and then properly maintain your healthy hair. In addition:

• Stop the heat styling (blowouts, straightening, curling irons). Going back and forth will only prolong your natural curl recovery. Once your hair is recovered/grown out, then you can safely heat style every once in a while.
• Get frequent trims as you grow out the damage, or do a big chop if you’re brave.
• Use bond repair products and proteins.
• Use heat protectant.
• Avoid harsh detangling.
• Avoid excessive brush styling.
• Treat your hair like it’s extremely fragile because it is.

#3 Tweak your routine to address your hair’s needs at the time

The ability to assess your hair’s needs is one of the biggest advantages of the Curly Hair Tracker & Planner. In the guide, I walk you through if you should wash or not and what to use. For example:

• If your hair has buildup, use a clarifying shampoo.
• If your hair is dry, you need to deep condition.
• If your hair is lacking bounce back, you may need protein.

#4 Use the right products consistently

Use the shop page of my blog to find the right products for your hair’s needs. You can also watch my playlist on how to pick the right hair products.

When testing new products, it’s crucial to test them more than once. Curly hair is like a science experiment! Only change one variable at a time when testing. For example, if you test a gel and it doesn’t give you any hold, try it the same way again but do not use a cream or a leave-in under it. Log the routine and your results in the spreadsheet so you can see what you did when you liked your results. Include photos!

#5 Identify the right styling techniques

You would be surprised at how much product application and styling technique make in your results. You can use the same products different ways and your results will look much different. The tracker enables you to document those techniques and if they worked or not.

Different areas of your hair may also need different techniques. For example, the lower half of my hair is much healthier than the top so it doesn’t need much brush styling. It clumps too much sometimes. The top section, on the other hand, struggles to clump and often turns stringy and frizzy. I can focus my brush styling efforts just on the top section and save time.

#6 Protect your hair at night

Don’t ruin all that work you did on wash day by not protecting your hair while you sleep. This will help you preserve your curls so they will look more consistent in between washes. I prefer a satin pillowcase and a bonnet.

If you often forget to wear your sleep protection, make it part of your nighttime skincare routine. I put my bonnet on before I wash my face so it doubles as protection from the water when washing my face.

#7 Protect your hair from the weather

The biggest cause of inconsistency in your curls day-to-day is the changing weather. Unfortunately it’s impossible to completely waterproof your hair, but there are some things that can help.

• Use products with ingredients that help resist the absorption of humidity such as polyquaternium. Look for this in your gel, mousse, and hairspray products. Even better if there are multiple polyquats!
• Use strong hold stylers so your curls last.
• Use moisture-rich products, film-forming humectants (i.e. aloe, flaxseed), and sealing oils (i.e. jojoba oil) in dry climates.
• Protect it from the wind with a silk scarf or hood

#8 Embrace the versatility of curly and wavy hair

Remember that inconsistency is normal and our hair will never look identical every day. It doesn’t always mean there is something wrong with your curls. If you have damage though, just know that your hair will become more consistent as the health of your hair improves.

Download the Wash Day tracker & Planner to better assess your hair’s needs, plan your routines, and track & analyze your results.

If you need more help with cycling your wash days, watch this video which includes a free Wash Day Schedule & Guide.