Hair Routine for Curly Hair Types

The love for curly, wavy, coily hair and embracing natural texture shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. As many people discover their true natural hair texture the demand for education and tips on how to enhance and maximise curly textures is on the rise. 

Here at SILKE HQ, we have our co-founder, Maria, she’s a hair expert specialising in the most vulnerable and delicate hair types and textures through looking after her clients for over 37 years. She has mixed Caribbean heritage, and upon having to take extra steps to ensure her hair wasn’t experiencing unwanted damage and snapping she developed SILKE London’s first-ever product, the SILKE Hair Wrap. 

How can you determine your curl type?

If you find your hair difficult to manage, very frizzy, super reactive to humidity, or puffy when brushed, you may well have curly, wavy or coily hair. Before you can establish the best routine for your hair and find the most efficient products you have to pin down your hair type. Maria explains: 

“The best way to determine your hair type is to look at your hair when it is wet and without any product in it. Things to look for are:

Does my hair curl from the very root?

Does my hair have the same pattern of movement from root to end?

Does my hair pattern differ in different areas around my head?

Does my hair fall into separated waves or curls naturally?

Once your hair has dried, go through the list above again. 

Hair can look very different once it has dried, often our true hair type isn’t obvious immediately especially if we have previously used heat to style our hair or if it’s damaged. From assessing your hair you will be able to assess what type of products and routines are best to style your curls.”

Once you’ve studied your natural curl you can label it which will help when communicating about your hairstylist and finding products and methods that work best for you with ease. Maria says: 

“There are 4 basic hair types, 1abc, 2abc, 3abc & 4abc. Number 1 represents straight hair, through to 4 which is the tight coily hair. The a,b and c next to the number represents the gradual increase of curl from one number through to the next number.

Straight hair is at number 1, and then you ascend through the numbers the tighter the curl becomes, for example, waves are a 2, curls are a 3, and coils are a 4.

The easiest way to determine curl pattern is by looking to see if the curl rotates round and back to sit just below the curl above, that would probably be coily hair in category 4 abc. If the hair curls around but drops lower when moving into the next curl that is probably curly hair in category 3abc. Finally, if the hair doesn’t curl back around but drops into a bend, that is wavy hair in category 2 abc. It is common to have a different curl pattern in different areas around the head. The most common place where your curl pattern will differ is at the nape of the neck as it is the most sensitive part of the head and the hair generally is less curly and has good hydration.

My advice to anyone who wants to start to get to know their natural texture is to scale back on hair styling products and heat styling. Focus solely on creating a hair care routine dedicated to the wellness of your hair. Trim hair regularly every 10 – 12 weeks, do pre-wash oiling treatments, use hydrating and repairing products, leave-in conditioning creams, heat protection even if not using heat, and above all sleep protection with a SILKE Hair Wrap. All your hard work is lost unless you use nighttime hair protection to protect not only your hair but also all the products you’ve applied to your hair from being lost to the abrasive fabrics of your pillowcase. All this will truly enable you not only to discover your natural hair and texture but to fall in love with it.”

Now that you’ve defined your curl structure, let’s talk about porosity. 

The importance of porosity

The outer layer of your hair is covered with cuticles, they overlap to look like something that resembles fish scales or roof tiles under a microscope. When your cuticles are ‘happy’ they lay flat and smooth, resulting in light-reflecting, luminous locks. But when they’re ‘not so happy’ they have what’s known as ‘high porosity’ - this is common for hair that’s damaged, frizzy and experiencing breakage, colour fade and dryness. Maria explains further: 

“High porosity means the hair easily absorbs liquid and moisture, but it also releases it just as fast. If you think of your hair cuticles as windows, if you leave them open everything can flow in and out of those windows with ease. Once you close the window, whatever is outside stays outside, and everything indoors stays indoors. 

If you were to wash high porosity hair it would dry very quickly. The same would be if you colour the hair, the colour will not last and will wash away after just one wash because the hair cuticles are letting that colour straight back out. The same happens when trying to condition the hair because the outer cuticles are dehydrated and protein deficient, so are unable to lay flat and smooth to hold in moisture or products within the hair. 

Medium porosity means the hair is able to absorb important moisture and retain it within the hair. The cuticles are able to do their job of sealing in moisture. This is very beneficial to hair because protein and hydration are improved, andnecessary for healthy hair. 

Low porosity is commonly found in 4abc hair, the tighter curl type on the scale. The cuticles of the hair are lying down tightly wrapped around the hair shaft, making it very difficult for moisture to be absorbed into the hair. This is the reason category 4 hair is very delicate and easily damaged. When shampooing category 4 hair it is important to not do it quickly, really take your time. It’s important to properly saturate the hair completely with water, this is the time moisture has the best chance of being absorbed into the hair. 4 abc hair types generally are dense, so cleansing the scalp properly needs attention too. Once the shampoo is finished apply a leave-in conditioner, section by section, making sure to smooth it into and along the whole length of the hair, this will give your hair the best chance to seal in moisture.

Generally, when your hair is porous or dehydrated, it is difficult for strands of hair to cohesively form a wave or curl, appearing instead as frizz. Porosity can affect the appearance of your curl pattern and shine, and even appear as a different hair type. This is why it’s important to understand the porosity of your hair, and with the right products and techniques there has been an explosion of people discovering that they have curly hair on social media.”

Choosing the right products

When it comes to products, they can be essential to achieving good curls and improving hair’s porosity to the best it possibly can be, leaving your hair hydrated and healthy. Maria recommends:

“Products with water as its top ingredient will help keep your hair hydrated. I also like defining creams to help define texture without causing frizz. I would usually recommend opting for creams with proteins and fatty acids included in the formulations, these will help restore protein bonds and reduce the loss of moisture. Another option would also be to introduce a styling cream if you’re looking for more hold and structure when creating and enhancing your curl pattern".

But most importantly for all wavy, curly and coily hair types is to introduce a SILKE Hair Wrap into your routine. It really is a saviour when it comes to caring for curls and minimising the amount of time you spend on your hair; anyone with curls will know that time is a huge factor when it comes to making texture look its best. Maria says: 

“When you have put in so much time and money into buying products that work well with your texture it is unthinkable to lay your head on a pillow without any form of protection for your hair and styling. By doing this you’ll just wake up the next morning and need to restyle your messed-up curls, using additional products and heat to do so. 

More important than that is that your hair loses a lot of hydration whilst you sleep due to the abrasive fabric of your pillow that will literally suck the moisture from your hair, along with the friction caused by your hair being trapped between your head and your pillow. 

The best way to retain hydration, moisture levels, and perfect curls day after day is to lovingly cocoon your hair into our 100% mulberry silk Hair Wrap. The SILKE London Hair Wrap provides the perfect environment that facilitates your hair to be able to absorb and distribute hydration whilst you sleep without friction. Silk is a natural material that works in conjunction with our body temperature and will not cause overheating, so you wake up to perfect curls each morning!”.

Give back to your hair and love those curls, whether they’re newly discovered or need invigorating, with SILKE.