6 Ways to Maintain Your Wet Hair Curl Pattern

Contents:

• Shingle Method
• No Towel Drying
• The Comb And Pray Method
• Curly Girl Method
• Maximum Hydration Method
• The Water Only Washing Method

You get in the shower, wash and condition your hair, follow all the steps your favorite natural hair gurus have suggested, and even used hair products that are labeled “curl defining” and promises you popping curls, but then you are disappointed the absolute moment your hair starts to air dry.Well, there are a few methods you can try that helps define those curls and KEEP those curls popping way after your hair drys.

Keeping your curls popping long after it has dried as a matter of technique. Here are a few methods you can try that will help define and KEEP those curls popping way after your hair is dry.

Shingle Method

The shingle method is simple. It just requires clean, wet hair and the process involves taking your hair section by section (super small sections) and applying a soft styling gel to each section saturating each and every strand.

This method may even turn into finger coiling if that’s what it takes to make your curls appear. Once all of your hair is perfectly curled and coiled, you can either use a diffuser* to dry your hair or air dry.

The key to a great shingle set is cutting down on frizz. Diffusers can cut down on frizz and it is important that you do not touch your hair as it dries. The less you mess with it, the more likely the curls will dry in place and remain popping.

No Towel Drying

We’ve all heard that towels can damage our strands and dry out our hair. They are also a common culprit for frizz for curly naturals. Why not eliminate this step altogether? Instead of drying your hair with a towel or t-shirt, just try thoroughly squeezing your hair out section by section and then applying your products. Again the key is to eliminate frizz by just avoiding touching your hair as it dries.

Again the key is to eliminate frizz by just avoiding touching your hair as it dries.

Contents:

• Shingle Method
• No Towel Drying
• The Comb And Pray Method
• Curly Girl Method
• Maximum Hydration Method
• The Water Only Washing Method

The Comb And Pray Method

This one is pretty easy as well. You simply start off with wet hair. Grab your leave-in conditioner* or moisturizer, and take your hair section by section applying the product. After applying the product on the first section, using your fingers, comb through that section repeatedly until you start to see your curls getting more and more defined.

Apply more product using your hands and smooth the product into that section with your hands in a praying motion. This will cause the curls to clump together and stay. Again, do not touch your hair after you’re finished.

The more you retrain your hair to set in a more defined curl pattern, the easier it becomes with every was day.

Curly Girl Method

The curly girl method was made popular by Lorraine Massey, who wrote the curly girl bible. Somehow ( in my opinion), this has always seemed to work primarily for those within the type 3a- 4a range, it certainly won’t work for everyone. Sure it improves the manageability of the hair for those of us with brittle undefined kinks, but if you are a 4C you may be met with some disappointment if you follow this to get some super defined bouncy, effortless looking curls.

Sure it improves the manageability of the hair for those of us with brittle undefined kinks, but if you are a 4C you may be met with some disappointment if you follow this to get some super defined bouncy, effortless looking curls.

With the curly girl method you are more than likely do no-poo which means instead of using a shampoo to cleanse, you use a co-wash or a clay. For this to be successful you have to turn a blind eye to styling products that have silicones in them.

It also means abstaining from using heat as this is thought to weaken the hair in general; also avoid anything that causes friction. The CG regimen also dictates that you scrunch styling products into your hair in sections, then leave it to dry. Over time the hair adapts to this and the curls begin to look luscious.

Contents:

• Shingle Method
• No Towel Drying
• The Comb And Pray Method
• Curly Girl Method
• Maximum Hydration Method
• The Water Only Washing Method

Maximum Hydration Method

This method can be used by all curlies but the results it has delivered for type 4c have been phenomenal. If nothing else works this seems to be one of the greatest things for those of us with kinks that make us wonder if they left us off the hair typing system. The MHM was created by PinkCube and staunchly defended and promoted by MsDeeKay. It is based on the rationale that well-moisturized hair holds curls better and for longer periods. It is basically a regimen that you do consistently every day for a specified time.

Similar to the CG method, you use curly girl products; no silicones, sulfates or parabens. The series of steps you choose to do would be dependent on the porosity level of your hair.

This decides whether you need to use baking soda to help you open the cuticles. At the end of the specified time, you would have seen visual evidence that your hair is more moisturized. In order to prepare for this you must ensure you have:

• Apple Cider Vinegar*
• Bentonite Clay*
• Sulfate-free Conditioner
• Leave-in Conditioner*
• Gel

The first step is stripping the hair with the ACV rinse. Next, you use the Bentonite Clay* to help cleanse and moisturize by filling in gaps in the cuticle layer and adding some weight to the hair to make the curls elongate.

The sulfate-free conditioner comes next to help moisturize while you detangle. All this is raked through the hair a step at a time and after the rinse, you finish off styling with a Leave-in conditioner* and a gel. This is done daily ( yes it is a little time consuming) but the results are awesome.

The Water Only Washing Method

Next on the list comes the water only method for cleansing your hair. I have always wondered what people did for hair care before the first shampoo and conditioner was made. Water only washing seems the closest thing to what they did; it’s seriously back to basics. It’s also curly girl friendly because as with the CG and MHM, you would have to eliminate sulfates and silicones so there will be no need for shampoo and co-wash.

So basically the principle behind this method is that water is the ultimate moisturizer and cleanser. No build up is created from piling on styling products and so surfactants don’t dry out your scalp and mess with the natural oils* it produces. This sebum-rich environment is ideal as you would then help the sebum down the length of the hair by smoothing it down with your hands.

I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of this method. It takes a few months so if you are looking for a quick fix, this isn’t it, but from what I have observed, with this method the hair takes on a life of its own. The curls pop more in the areas where you smooth down the sebum on the hair shaft, and since water is used every day, the hair is moisturized, bouncy and healthy looking.

From observation, it is no secret that maintaining that ideal curly look is easier for some than it is for others. If you are in that group that has found it more challenging to maintain the pattern, perhaps an adjustment in your regimen will do the trick.

What about you? Are there any specific ways you maintain your curl pattern? Comment below!

Updated by Marsha Buchannan