Embrace your natural curls without the harsh chemicals! As an experienced hairstylist with over 10 years of experience, I'll guide you through simple, chemical-free techniques for achieving beautiful, bouncy curls on your natural black hair.
Ditch the chemicals and embrace the beauty of your natural black curls! With these simple, chemical-free techniques, I'll show you how to achieve the bouncy, defined curls you've always desired. Let's embark on a journey to unlock the true potential of your natural hair.
How To Make Natural Black Hair Curly Without Chemicals?
There are many ways to make natural black hair curly without chemicals. Some of the most popular methods include:
- Twist-outs: This method involves twisting sections of damp hair and letting them dry naturally. The size of the twists will determine the size of the curls.
- Bantu knots: This method involves creating small buns of hair and letting them dry naturally. The buns will create tight, springy curls.
- Braids: This method involves braiding sections of damp hair and letting them dry naturally. The braids will create long, flowing curls.
- Flexi rods: This method involves wrapping sections of damp hair around flexi rods and letting them dry naturally. The size of the flexi rods will determine the size of the curls.
- Diffusing: This method involves using a hair diffuser to dry damp hair. The diffuser will help to prevent frizz and create defined curls.
- These are just a few of the many ways to make natural black hair curly without chemicals. With a little experimentation, you can find the method that works best for you.
If you don’t want to use chemical-based curl enhancers, then I’ve listed out some tips below on how to make natural black hair curly without chemicals.
Twist and Press Method
Do you know the biggest reason why your natural hair doesn’t appear curly enough? Frizz!
When the cuticle layer on the hair strands get opened due to whatever reason, it leads to your hair appearing rough and bushy.
And the biggest culprit when it comes to damaging your hair cuticle is towel drying your hair.
When we towel dry hair our hair, we usually apply a lot of force on the strands due to the vigorous rubbing motion.
So to avoid frizz and keep your natural black hair curly, I suggest using the twist and press method when towel drying your hair.
Here, you don’t rub the towel back and forth on wet hair. You gentle press the towel to the wet strands and twist to get the excess water out.
It’s also much better to use an old T-shirt or a microfiber cloth to dry your hair instead of your regular bath towels.
- Related: How To Curly Hair For Black Men
- Related: How To Wash Natural Hair
- Related: How To Braid Curly Hair
Use Flexi Rods
If you’re wary of using heat styling tools like curling irons on your natural hair, then Flexi rods are the best option for you.
These are simple rods usually made of plastic or silicone material. They are available in different sizes depending on your curl type.
All you have to do is fix them in your hair and leave it for a few minutes. Some people even keep it overnight.
They add shape to your curls, making them look more defined.
How to use Flexi rods on natural, African American hair to make it more curly:
- Choose the Flexi rod size based on the size of curls your want
- If you want better curl definition, you should start off with slightly damp hair
- Divide your hair into sections using a rat tail comb
- Remove tangles using a wide-toothed comb
- Apply a leave-in conditioner or cream or styling gel (this will help lock the curls into place)
- Put the Flexi rods in your tresses and twist the hair sections around them.
- Twist the Flexi rods to secure them in place on your hair
- Repeat this process on all the sections of hair on your head
Try Finger Coils
See black hair is usually of the type 3c or 4b, or 4c textures. This means your hair is naturally curly, to begin with! So you don’t need to do a lot to get back your natural curl definition.
Try using finger coils to bring out your curls.
All you have to do is apply a curl cream (there are several chemical-free ones in the market that just contain oils and butters) and twist your hair with your fingers.
In fact, finger coils is very similar to Flexi rods, just that here you are using your own fingers to twist your hair sections around.
Stylist tip: Whether you’re using Flexi rods or trying finger coils, keep in mind that starting off with wet hair will give you the best curl definition. But if you start off with dry hair, it can give you a better length as it keeps shrinkage to a minimum
Style Them In Bantu Knots
Of course, you can use a leave-in conditioner or curl-enhancing cream on the hair sections before you start twisting.
The problem with solutions like Flexi rods that promise to make your natural, black hair curly is that they take time and cannot be worn outside.
Imagine going out with a head full of straws! Nope.
So this is where Bantu knots have an advantage over time-consuming finger coils or unsightly Flexi rods. They look stylish too!
To create Bantu knots you have to detangle your hair and divide them into sections as you’d done in the previous hacks.
Only here, you have to twist the hair section wrap it around itself at the base of your scalp. Then you need to secure it into place with hair clips to prevent it from coming out.
It’s like making a chignon bun, but only for that particular hair section!
You can wear these Bantu knots to bed underneath a bonnet and untwist them in the morning to reveal your curls.
Or you can keep it in the morning as a stylish hairstyle!
Don’t Use Anti-Frizz Products
This might sound counterintuitive, especially considering that frizz is the main reason why natural hair can lose curl definition.
But it’s really important to cut down on the anti-frizz products if you want to get those corkscrew curls!
And I don’t just mean the anti-frizz products with tons of chemicals like dimethicone that weighs down your hair.
Even natural ingredients that are supposed to cut down frizz, such as coconut oil, hydrolyzed proteins, plant butters, etc. are very rich.
They have a smoothening effect on hair and can make the hair appear “straighter” than usual as they weigh down your strands.
If you want to make natural, black hair curly, I strongly advise using a clarifying shampoo once a week at least to get rid of all the product build-up. This will give your hair volume!
Get A Feathered Ends Haircut
It’s great to be blessed with naturally curly hair, but to keep it looking good you’ll need the right haircut.
Yes, a haircut can either enhance your curls or make them look limp. The secret is adding volume to your tresses.
If you cut coily, African American hair in too many layers, it can prevent the curls from forming properly. But you still need some volume, so ask the hairstylist to just feather the ends.
This will give your curly type 3 or type 4 hair the “lift” it needs while making sure your hair can form curls properly.
Simply Wash and Go
If you have black hair, your hair texture is naturally either curly or coily. So to get those ringlets to come out, sometimes you just need to take a step back.
Using a lot of curl-enhancing creams or gels will simply add to product build-up on your tresses weighing them down.
This is the opposite of helpful when it comes to making your hair curly.
So it’s best to just wash your hair with a co-wash or shampoo made for your hair type, apply a good conditioner, and leave it be.
Yes, just shampoo, conditioner, and maybe detangle your hair to prevent any knots, and simply let it air dry.
Your hair will set to your natural curl pattern. The only drawback of this method is that it can take forever for your hair to dry.
So if you’re in a rush, you can use your hair dryer in the “cool air” setting and with a diffuser nozzle attachment.
Use Diffuser Instead of a Regular Hair Dryer
Like I said above, a diffuser attachment is great when you want to speed up the air-drying process on your hair.
But if you are a regular user of blow dryers, I strongly recommend investing in a diffuser attachment and using it always.
The regular nozzle of a blow dryer concentrates the airflow in one direction, messing up your curl pattern.
But a diffuser dries your hair naturally keeping your curl definition intact.
Oh, and don’t forget to use the hairdryer on a low setting with cold air.
Related: Best Diffuser For Curly Hair
Use A Detangling Comb Instead of a Hairbrush
Putting a hairbrush through curly hair is an invitation to frizz. Just don’t do it. Your curls don’t need that.
Use a wide-toothed comb if you must or a shower comb to detangle hair in the shower.
Also, the bristles of a hairbrush can break your delicate curly hair strands. Some bristle materials can increase static electricity on hair, making your curls frizzy.
So if you want to keep your curl definition on natural hair keep the hairbrush away!
FAQs about Curling Natural Hair
How to curl natural hair with vaseline?
To begin, dampen your hair heavily with water before proceeding to apply Vaseline to the entire head of your hair. Gently start curling by using a toothbrush-like tool in different directions until you achieve the desired look. Be sure not to overheat your locks or they may become brittle overtime! Letting your curls air dry is always recommended for best results.
How do you make African American hair curly overnight?
Also, remember to always take care of your scalp by applying moisturizer before bed and washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner in conjunction with regular deep-conditioning treatments.
Other techniques that work well for making African American hair curly overnight include using keratin-based products, Brazilian Blowouts, simply wearing wigs made from curlier human hair . All of these options require some practice and may take several tries before you get the curls you're looking for. However, once you've got the hang of it, creating gorgeous coils will become addicting!
If you’re having trouble keeping your coily or curly black hair well defined, these tips can definitely make a difference.
I also suggest using natural gels and curl-enhancing creams that do not have any chemicals in them.
Most of these simply moisturize your hair so that it doesn’t appear frizzy.
There are several hair products that are chemical-free and made specifically for black hair that can help you achieve amazing results!
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