My hair is constantly being a pain in my butt! It has always been wavy/curly with a dash of frizz – which is not exactly the most manageable attribute. I tend to straighten my hair everyday; in fact, most of my friends don’t even know my hair is curly!

My bad habit of using heating tools (as well as consistently dying it) has caused my hair to look dried out and even frizzier! In pursuit of saving my locks, I have been taking extra care of my hair.

So, for all of the ladies (and gents) with curly tresses, here are some hair care tips  provided by Keneesha Hudson, owner of Urbanbella Hair Apothecary & Salon in Atlanta, GA, to help you achieve happy and healthy hair!

How to Fight Frizz! Naturally frizzy hair is best controlled while it is wet.  Frizz can be greatly reduced by applying frizz control gels and mousses right after you have rinsed out any hair conditioner, essentially while your hair is still wet.  You do NOT want to towel dry your hair, as the friction of the towel against your locks just adds to frizz.

For the summer months, you want any frizz control product to be as lightweight as possible. The ingredient you want to look for in a good gel is Polyquaternum, a polymer that makes the strands of hair bond together and give a nice hold.  The result is hair that looks sleeker, and more defined, as opposed to frizzy strands flying all over the place!

Can Your Hair Handle the Heat? Everyone’s first reaction when dealing with frizzy summer hair is to whip out the straightening iron.  This leads to heat damage and just makes hair dryer and frizzier.  If you must use heating tools, be sure to take the necessary precautions to protect your locks.  Look for thermal protectant products containing amodimethicone and dimethicone.  These ingredients provide a protective film on the hair cuticle that prevents water loss and keeps the cuticle from cracking and breaking.  Apply these products to hair before heat styling.

Limp Locks To keep curls bouncy and plump, use products that contain keratin, a natural thickening protein found in hair.  This product can be found in thickening shampoos and volumizing sprays. These products also thicken and lift hair with natural alcohols such as Beetroot Alcohol.

Heat-Free Styling Tips!

Try these tips for air drying:

Use lighter styling aids such as mousse and light gels for faster air drying time.  Gently squeeze excess water out of the hair after applying styling aids to reduce air drying time.  Remember, avoid towel drying!!

Some really cute hair styles can be achieved without having to put a hair dryer, straighter, or curlers to your hair.   The three I mention below give really beautiful beach beauty waves that work with summer humidity and heat instead of fighting it:

-    While hair is still wet, apply your light gel or mousse, and simply wrap hair into a bun on top of your head.  After hair has dried at least 60%, remove bun and you’ll have soft and beautiful waves.

-    Another way to achieve that beach-y look, twirl damp hair around your finger, applying styling gel as you go along.

For the easiest way to get those waves, simply put your wet hair in braids, let dry, unbraid and voila!

Thanks, Keneesha, for all of your tips! To learn more about Urbanbella, you can visit their website.

Photo Credit: Queen of Babble and Bella Public Relations, Inc.