Why Most Beginners Get Curly Hair Wrong
When most people start their curly hair journey they make the same mistake: following 10 different influencer routines at once, buying 15 products in a week, then wondering why their hair looks worse. A consistent 5-step routine done correctly twice a week beats an elaborate 12-step routine done inconsistently every time.
Step 1: Pre-Poo
Apply coconut oil or olive oil to dry hair before shampooing. This protects your hair from the drying effects of shampoo and makes detangling far easier. Leave on for at least 10 minutes or overnight for maximum benefit.
Step 2: Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Focus shampoo on your scalp only. Sulfates strip moisture from curly hair aggressively. The shampoo rinses through the length naturally as it runs down, cleaning without direct scrubbing of the fragile mid-shaft and ends.
Step 3: Deep Condition for 20 Minutes
Apply deep conditioner from mid-shaft to ends, cover with a plastic cap, add heat for 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Deep conditioning is the highest-return step in any curly hair routine.
Step 4: Apply Products on Soaking Wet Hair
Do not towel dry before applying products. Products must go onto dripping wet hair. The water carries products into the strand and helps them distribute evenly through curl clumps.
Step 5: Plop or Diffuse
Plopping means wrapping wet styled hair in a microfibre towel for 20 minutes. It removes excess water without disturbing curl clumps. After plopping, air dry or diffuse on low heat with a bowl diffuser.