Not everybody strives for big hair, and this can be especially true if you're transitioning from your regular style to your natural texture. Curly hair naturally shrinks during the drying process and can take some getting used to!
Here are some techniques to consider when trying to retain your length without compromising your curl definition!
STYLE LOOSELY - Tight curls can make your hair look shorter than loose curls, so be mindful of this when applying styling products. Brushing and raking (taking a small section of hair and using your fingers like a comb to rake the product from root to tip) products through the hair will help create definition. Keep scrunching to a minimum, and be gentle when doing so.
CHOOSE LIGHTWEIGHT - So many reach for a heavy cream, thinking this is the product they need to elongate their curls. This can actually have the opposite effect! Using a cream or styler that is too heavy for your hair type will overload your hair, making it fizzy and ‘poofy’. Using a lightweight cream-based styler like Confident Coils and topping with a light hold gel like Spiralicious will give definition and hold, minimising the risk of ending up with big, unmanageable hair.
PLOP - Airdrying will give you less volume but can take a while and leave your roots looking flat. To help with this, plop your hair into a microfiber towel or turban so your hair will dry a little more and the weight of the water won't weigh down your root curls. This will also help make the bottom curls more elongated as they coil in on themselves as you place the hair into the towel or turban.
DIFFUSE UPRIGHT - If you like to diffuse, keep your head upright; instead of placing the length of your hair into the diffuser, which will encourage shrinkage, start by hover diffusing. This is where you hold the hairdryer with the diffuser attachment a few inches from your hair and gently move the dryer around. Once the cast from your gel starts to form, you can gently place the lengths of the hair into the diffuser and continue to dry.
Love Claire x
To learn more about our Chief Educator click here