Top five everyday tips to encourage your natural curl pattern - Dispatch Weekly

World News

April 21, 2017 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Spring is finally here, now being a great time to think about getting your kinks, coils, waves or curls in best-ever shape, particularly if you are planning on wearing your hair loose more often.

We caught up with Vernon François, award-winning hair stylist and founder of the VERNON FRANÇOIS® Collection, for his top five tips to encourage and make the best of your natural curl pattern.

  • Hydrate from the outside: oils like argan and grapeseed are very hydrating for hair without leaving a greasy feel. Warming a few drops by rubbing in between your palms, then gradually working upwards through your strands, is a good technique.  Doing this on dry hair up to an hour before washing with a sulfate-free shampoo can be beneficial. Steer clear of applying oils to wet hair though, because you might find it harder for your hair to dry and end up with a greasy instead of hydrated feel.  You’re also more likely to risk an uneven application if the hair is wet to begin with, which may result in a mix of oily and dry patches.  Spray application is a way to solve this issue, which is why it’s a big feature of my collection.

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  • Hydrate from the inside: kinky, coily and curly hair tends to be dry and remembering to drink water regularly throughout the day and evening is a good way of keeping your locks, as well as your body, hydrated. Try drinking two litres of water a day and you should notice more vibrant energised curls.  Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh veg and healthy fats like those in oily fish, seeds, walnuts and avocado will help too.
  • Back off the heat: really limit the time that you spend working with hair driers, tongs, and so on. If you want to tong for a special occasion for sleek and defined curls, don’t set it to very hot, as this can have the opposite effect, making hair limp instead of bouncy.
  • Hands off! Once you’ve created your style and you’re happy with it, leave it be.  It’s fine to twist, either dry or with a touch of serum, here and there during the day but resist the temptation to keep primping or prodding for the sake of it, or out of habit.  This is a sure fire way of wicking moisture away, breaking up the curl pattern and it can even make hair appear more frizzy.
  • Don’t shampoo too often: give your kinks, coils or curls a chance to benefit from the natural oils produced at the scalp. Unless your hair is dirty or you hit the gym very regularly, leaving it a few days in between washes is a good thing and your curl pattern will benefit from this.  There are no hard and fast rules, so try out a few options and see what works best for your lifestyle and your own hair.

DW Staff

David Lintott is the Editor-in-Chief, leading our team of talented freelance journalists. He specializes in covering culture, sport, and society. Originally from the decaying seaside town of Eastbourne, he attributes his insightful world-weariness to his roots in this unique setting.

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