How to Style Curls that Fall Flat, Don’t Last, or Are Overly Soft
If your curls fall limp, frizz, struggle to hold a curl, or feel too soft and flat, then you need a to make these teaks
Do your curls turn frizzy, undefined, and limp the second you step outside? Humidity is likely your biggest enemy if you have naturally curly hair. I walk through all of my best tips and techniques for humidity-proofing your curls in this step-by-step summer routine.
Purpose: Prevent damage from heat when diffusing and UV rays
Start with clean, damp hair. Apply a heat protectant if you’re going to be diffusing or going outside in the sun. I highly recommend diffusing to fight humidity, which I’ll explain more later.
The Curlsmith Miracle Shield is great because it not only protects your hair from heat damage when diffusing, but it also contains UV protection which is crucial if you’re going to be outside in the summer. Have your ends ever gotten lighter in the summer? This is sun damage! It increases your porosity which in turn makes it more likely to frizz in humidity.
Purpose: Moisturize and smooth the cuticle
The next step is to apply a base moisturizer, which can be any styler or leave-in that is moisturizing. If you’re using a very moisturizing gel and want to maximize your hold, you can skip this.
If you have dry brittle hair, use a leave-in or a curl cream.
I went with the Twist Weather Up Lotion because it’s designed for humidity. It contains Polyquaternium which is the best frizz-fighting ingredient, and it contains silicone. Silicone is typically avoided by those who follow the traditional curly girl method, but there are some benefits when used strategically that I will explain in just a moment.
Brush it through to ensure it’s evenly coated.
You don’t have to use a cream with anti-humidity ingredients if your gel has them, but for extreme humidity it will help to have multiple.
This is the most critical step in this entire routine and that is to apply a strong hold gel with anti-humidity ingredients. I am using the Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Stronger Hold Gel.
If you’re looking to get this, make sure it is the one that says “stronger hold” and not the regular.
Not using a gel and only styling with a cream will leave your curls frizzy and undefined by the end of the day, especially in humidity. Gels that form a cast and provide hold even after you scrunch out the cast are crucial in humidity.
I recommend brushing your gel through for the most even coverage and more frizz protection. When you just scrunch in your gel at the end, you’re just creating a light coating on the outside.
This may reduce volume, but your curls will hold up longer.
I am also pretty heavy-handed with my gel. If you’re not getting a cast, you may not be using enough gel. It’s hard to show the exact amount I use, but it’s usually at least a nickel size per section. I go by the feeling in my hair.
My hair is also not too wet, and just damp which increases my hold.
I created a free checklist that you can download if you want a list of ingredients to look for.
Purpose: Defined curls will last longer because the frizz will stay tucked into curl families/clumps.
I know you’re probably sick of my harping on the importance of styling techniques, but they really do make a difference! I prefer brush styling because it’s fast and smooths my coarse frizzy areas, but you can even just use your hands to create clumps or finger coil.
Putting in a bit of effort to style your curls on wash day will save you so much time on wash day.
Have you ever looked closely at frizz in humidity? The hair sort of puffs up and the hair strands separate. Grouping your curls into their natural curl families with styling techniques binds them together, and they’re more likely to stay together even when exposed to humidity.
Short on time? Focus on problem areas or just the top.
I often finger coil around my face because those curls have a mind of their own.
Purpose: Adding gel to hair that is drier will increase your gel cast and prevent frizz for stubborn frizz.
This step is optional but is great for those who struggle with getting a gel cast and hold in the hair. This is also ideal for those who like to style soaking wet.
Scrunch your hair with a hair towel or T-shirt to soak up excess water. Glaze in a light layer of your gel. This will really add hold because the drier your hair is, the more hold you’ll get from your gel. This is why I like to damp style.
You can also use a strong hold mousse or a water-based hairspray at this step. Some people also find it helpful to begin diffusing, then stop halfway and add their extra product for a boost of hold.
Purpose: Set the curl shape and the gel cast right away, preventing frizz from forming.
This is another one of the most important steps for preventing frizz in humidity. Diffusing, when done properly with the right diffuser, will prevent frizz more than air drying especially in humidity. You want to get your curls dried as soon as possible before going out into humidity, because humidity will disrupt your curls and cause frizz when the hair is wet.
Diffusing will set the gel cast, which is that protective shell that forms from using a strong hold gel. It’s not a bad thing! You can scrunch it out once your hair is fully dry if you don’t like it.
I prefer to skip oils and serums most of the time so that I can maintain more of a gel cast. When it comes to humidity, a finishing hairspray may be a better option to tame stubborn frizz. You can also glaze a bit of gel on dry hair to tame frizz.
The Curly Hair Tracker & Planner has helped me pinpoint the perfect routine for humid days. I’m able to look back on the days that I marked as humid and my results showed low frizz, and see what products and techniques I used. It also helps me see which products left my hair frizzy and undefined on humid days so I can avoid those next time.
Need more help with curls frizzing up after wash day? Watch my video on Reasons Your Curls Don’t Last here.
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