Embracing your curly hair as a man can prove to be a difficult task if you're not quite sure how to actually take care of your hair. However, caring for your curls is a pretty straightforward process, you just need to have a good and consistent routine that will keep your hair healthy and happy, so you can rock your curls with confidence.
If you've been wondering how best to take care of your curls for a dapper look, we've got you covered. In this article, we're revealing all the necessary steps needed to create the perfect men's curly hair routine.
Before The Routine: Understanding Your Hair Type
It is very common to assume all curly hair is the same. However, curly hair comes in different types with different features and the needs of your hair can vary slightly based on these factors. So it is very important to know the unique features of your hair if you want to establish a hair routine that actually works for your hair. Let's start with the two key features you need to know about
Hair Type: Your hair type is the shape or pattern of your curls and it is categorised into three main groups namely: type 2, type 3, and type 4. Type 2 hair has loose waves with an “s” pattern. Type 3 hair has loose ringlet curls that look like corkscrews and type 4 hair has tightly packed corkscrew coils.
Hair Porosity: Hair porosity is your hair's ability to absorb moisture and it is determined by how loose or tightly packed the cuticles on your hair strands are. Your hair can either be high porosity, meaning it absorbs moisture very easily or low porosity which has a harder time absorbing moisture because it's closely packed cuticles.
Want to know which category you fall in? Just hydrate your hair for a few days with our Everyday Curl Refresh and pay attention to how easily your hair takes up moisture. Does it take time for you to feel hydrated or not? If it takes a while for your hair to get wet or soak up products, you have low-porosity hair. Meanwhile, if your hair does the opposite, it is high porosity.
What Product Should Men Use On Curly Hair?
Men need to use nourishing hair products that do not contain harsh ingredients and will keep their curly hair hydrated, soft, and healthy. So you will need Sofnfree's Hydration Shampoo, Moisture Rich Conditioner, Manuka Honey Leave-in Conditioner, as well as our Stylers Bundle to help define your curls.
Curly Hair Routine For Men
Cleanse Your Hair
A clean hair and scalp are the foundations of any healthy hair routine so that should be the first thing you nail in your routine. Curly is prone to dryness so avoid using harsh shampoos that that further strip your hair of moisture and make it super brittle. Instead, use a gentle and effective shampoo like our Hydration Shampoo to cleanse your hair 1-2 times a month. If you have long or very thick type 4 hair, you'll find it helpful to wash your hair in sections instead of pilling everything up at once as they do in those shampoo commercials.
Never Skip Conditioner
After shampooing your hair, a hydrating conditioner like our Moisture Rich Conditioner should be your next step as it is going to help soften and hydrate your hair, and make it more manageable. When applying your conditioner, make sure you distribute it evenly from The roots of your hair to the ends.
Deep Condition Frequently
A deep conditioner is a more intense and nourishing conditioning treatment that goes beyond softening and smoothing your hair and penetrates your hair to help strengthen and rejuvenate the strands. It is very important to incorporate it into your routine at least once a month. If you have low-porosity hair, use a steamer to incorporate some heat into your hair after applying our Manuka Honey Deep Conditioning Mask to help improve penetration. For optimal results, leave the deep conditioner in your hair for 10-15 minutes before rinsing.
Detangle Properly
Before you step out of the shower, take your time to detangle your hair while the conditioner is still in your hair. When detangling curly hair, you'll need a wide tooth comb or detangling brush that can easily glide through your curls. Additionally, if you want an easy and seamless detangling session, start from the ends and gently work your way up to the roots.
Moisturise Your Curl Often
As we've already mentioned, curly is prone to bouts of dryness and can become brittle and damaged quickly when it does not get adequate moisture. So keep your curls hydrated with our Manuka Honey leave-in Conditioner and seal in the moisture with our Hair & Scalp Oil. Sealing in that moisture is very important for keeping your hair moisturized for longer, especially if you have high porosity hair that absorbs moisture easily but loses it super fast.
Style and Define Your Curls
Once your hair is moisturised, styling it is next. At this stage is important to use good quality products like our Curl Elongating Gel, Curling Mousse, and Twist & Braids Gel that will deliver perfect results while still keeping your curls hydrated and simple. If you want to show off your curls, you'll need to learn how to define your curls so listen up. There are a few ways you can define your curls depending on your hair type.
Scrunching: This styling technique is pretty simple and involves scrunching/ squeezing your hair in an upward motion to encourage curl formation. It often works best with type 2 and 3 waves and curls. To do this technique, first, apply our Coconut & Jamaican Castor Oil Curling Creme and Curl Elongating Gel, then scrunch the hair in sections.
Finger Coiling: This technique requires you to coil your hair with your fingers by twirling small sections of your hair around your fingers to encourage curl definition. This method is the best for those with type 4 hair and requires a good formula like our Curl Elongating Gel that will help minimise shrinkage while providing long-lasting hold.
Brush Curling: The brush curling technique uses a hairbrush to encourage curl formation. It can work on any hair type but produces the best results on type 3 curls. To do this method, just apply any product included in our So Defined Bundle and use a brush to comb your hair in an outwards and upwards motion. Working sections and run the brush through each section 2-3 times for best results.
Nourish Your Scalp
To promote a healthy scalp environment and prevent dryness or itching, you'll need to nourish your scalp with a scalp treatment like our Strengthening Oil which is designed to improve scalp health and boost hair growth. This is going to be the most laid-back part of your routine and does not have to be done frequently, you only need to apply the oil to your scalp once or twice a week.
Dry Your Hair
After styling, how you go about drying your hair is also an important part of your routine. Air drying is the healthiest option since it limits your exposure to heat styling tools that can cause damage but it often takes way too long, especially if you have thick low porosity curls. On the other hand, diffusing is a great alternative to air drying that does not take too much time. So feel free to wing it, try both methods and see which one best suits your needs.
Protect Your Hair Before Bed
Protecting your hair with a satin durag or silk scarf before going to bed is essential for preserving your hairstyles and minimising frizz. It also helps prevent breakage that often happens when your hair rubs against the fabric of your bedding and creates friction. If you're not a fan of covering your hair then opt for a silk pillowcase instead.
Trim Your Ends Regularly
Natural wear and tear can cause your curls to develop some fraying and split ends. So snipping off a little bit of hair on your ends from time to time is essential because those split ends can cause breakage and make your hair hard to manage if left unattended. The good thing about trims is only have to do them 2-3 times a year and you don't need to cut off a whole lot of hair, just around a quarter to half an inch of hair.
Master Some Men’s Curly Hairstyles
A key part of rocking your curly hair with confidence is making sure you wear it in some dapper curly hairstyles. So after getting down to the basics of your hair care routine. You can try some of the hairstyles below.
Curly Fro
Curly Fade
Curly Bangs
Whether you have loose curls or coils, if you want to rock your natural hair texture with confidence as a man, nailing your hair routine is key. So be sure to follow the steps we've discussed, spend a little time styling your hair to understand its needs and in no time, you'll be sporting perfect hair all the time.