How to Get Curly Hair: Tips for Straight, Wavy & Curly Hair

Learn how to get beautiful curly hair with our styling tips for straight, wavy, and curly hair.

Suffering from a bad case of curl envy? If you’re a straight-haired gal, you might think bouncy curls are unattainable for your hair type. And if you already sport naturally curly or wavy hair, fighting frizz and achieving that perfect curly texture is probably a daily struggle. So what can you do to get the shiny, luscious curls you crave?

The key is learning how to work with your hair’s natural texture using the right products and styling tools to achieve gorgeous, natural-looking curls. Here’s how to get beautiful curly hair, whether you’re starting with straight, wavy, or naturally-curly locks.

How to Make Straight Hair Curly

It takes a little more effort to get curls when you have naturally straight hair, but fear not—it can be done! Here’s how to make straight hair curly.

1. Use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

Getting curls with naturally straight hair often involves heat styling. Prime and protect your locks by washing and conditioning them with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.

2. Strengthen and protect your hair with a leave-in conditioner.

Leave-in conditioner helps protect your locks against heat damage while promoting smoother, stronger hair.

3. Air dry or diffuse wet hair.

Encourage your locks to develop a natural wave by air drying about 90% of the way, then blow-drying with a diffuser on the lowest setting while cupping sections of hair in the palm of your hand and scrunching upwards.

4. Use a curling iron on stubbornly straight strands.

If your hair is still stick-straight after drying, it’s time to bust out the heat tools. Use a curling iron or wand with a smaller barrel than the size curl you want, as curls will loosen over time.

5. Try a no-heat curling method.

From foam rollers and rag rollers to braids, buns, and pin curling, there are plenty of no-heat methods for creating curls. To enhance curls and ensure the style lasts longer, gently work in a curl-defining gel, spray, or mousse before rolling or pinning small sections of your hair into coils, buns, rags, or rollers.

To enhance curls and ensure the style lasts longer, gently work in a curl-defining gel, spray, or mousse…

6. Add volume and texture with a sea salt spray.

Add volume and texture with a sea salt spray. Spritz a sea salt spray on your freshly curled locks and scrunch upwards, working the product into your hair to create plenty of hold, lift, and beachy texture.

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How to Make Wavy Hair More Curly

If your hair already has a wavy texture to it, soft, defined curls are easy to achieve. Here’s how to make your wavy hair curly.

1. Use a shampoo and conditioner that’s designed to fight frizz.

Wavy and curly hair textures are prone to dryness and frizz. Wash and condition once or twice a week with an anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner.

2. Add definition with a curl-enhancing styling foam.

Finger-comb a curl-defining foam into your strands to enhance your curl pattern and tame frizz.

After using a frizz-fighting styling foam or frizz mousse to define your curls, let them air dry.

3. Air dry or diffuse wavy hair to prevent frizz.

Heat styling can damage wavy hair and promote frizz. After using a frizz-fighting styling foam or frizz mousse to define your curls, let them air dry. Cup your hands and scrunch your locks upward to encourage curls to form as your hair dries. In a hurry? Use a diffuser on the lowest setting to speed up the drying process.

4. Smooth frizzy flyaways with nourishing hair oil.

A frizz-fighting hair oil helps moisturize, define, and smooth curls and waves without weighing hair down.

5. Spot-treat flat or misshapen curls and waves with a no-heat styling method.

Pin-curling works great for this. Twist and coil any frizzy or lifeless sections of hair into small buns, and secure them with bobby pins. Wait about 10 minutes, then remove the bobby pins to reveal soft, frizz-free ringlets.

6. Protect your style with hairspray.

Spritz your style with a frizz-fighting hairspray to fight humidity and keep your curls in place all day.

7. Get regular trims.

Dryness and damage can weigh your strands down, sapping their elasticity and preventing curls from bouncing back into shape. Removing dry, damaged ends with regular trims helps ensure your curls stay fresh and healthy.

How to Style Naturally Curly Hair

If you’re lucky enough to sport naturally curly locks, you only need to focus on defining those curls and combating frizz. Here’s how to get the curls of your dreams.

1. Keep your curls moisturized with shampoo and conditioner for curly hair.

Curly hair is naturally drier than other hair types; look for cleansing products designed for curly hair types. To protect your curls, use a shampoo to cleanse your hair and then detangle and nourish curls with a curl-defining conditioner.

2. Combat humidity with a frizz-fighting serum.

Humidity is a nightmare for anyone with curly hair.” A dime-sized amount of hair serum on soaking wet hair will seal in moisture, repel humidity and ensure your curls stay soft and defined.

3. Air dry and define your curls.

Blow-drying is a big no-no for dry, delicate curls. Instead, gently scrunch in a curl-defining gel, spray, or mousse, then let your curls air dry. Coat each curl liberally to help hydrate and protect your strands, promoting smoother, shinier curls.

4. Boost your natural curl pattern with a styling spray.

Restore elasticity, fight frizz, and keep curls defined all day with a daily styling spray for curls.

5. Tame frizzy flyaways.

For smooth, touchably soft curls, use nourishing hair oil to tame frizz and define each curly coil.

Loving your new curly hair lifestyle? Check out more of our hair care tips for curly hair.