3 game-changing styling tips for curly hair

Calling all curly-mopped gals!

Beauty Crew Beauty Writer / March 20 2019

If you’re a naturally curly girl, you know the struggle all too well – styling curly hair can be a TASK. Sure, it would be an absolute dream if your curls would naturally dry into perfectly undone spirals sans the frizz and fluffiness, but life isn’t fair and more often than not your attempt at styling curls will probably result in a fuzzy tangled mess.

But truth be told, styling natural curly hair isn’t as hard as it seems, if you know what you’re doing. With just these few simple curly hair tips and tricks from Priceline Hair Director Kenneth Stoddart, you’ll soon be creating those goal-worthy curls spotted all over the recent Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Week (VAMFF) runway.

1

Apply a moisturising styling product to wet hair

According to Stoddart, one of the secrets to styling curly, frizzy hair is to apply the right kind of hair products. He says a curl cream will help hydrate and nourish your locks, which is key to taming frizzy hair. It'll also maximise the shape of your curls when you go to dry hair. Stoddart says to apply the styling cream while your hair is still wet; “In order to get [flawless] curls, you really need to put a lot of moisture into the hair. I think people with curly hair never really know how to wear their curls to make them look beautiful.” 

Try: Eleven Australia Keep My Curl Defining Cream

2

Use a diffuser to dry your hair

Using a hair dryer with a diffuser allows you to dry your hair without disturbing your curls or creating frizz. Stoddart’s weapon of choice? The Dyson Diffuser. To dry your hair correctly, divide it into four sections – two sections on the top and two on the bottom - and dry one section at a time. Check out our full guide on how to diffuse curly hair correctly using a blow-dryer.

3

Use a curling iron to create texture

Once you have dry hair, Stoddart recommends using a curling iron to create additional natural-looking texture – which is exactly what he did for the models walking on the VAMFF runway. “I just tonged pieces here and there to give it a different texture in amongst [the models’] natural texture –I think it’s really refreshing after seeing all the waves,” says Stoddart. “I think we’re seeing a lot of diversity on the runway and a lot more natural textures coming through.” 

Not blessed with natural curls? No worries! Stoddart says you can easily create curly hairstyles no matter what your hair type is. Yes, straight hair included. “The secret for that is using a small tong and winding some pieces towards the face and some away from the face, so on and so forth; then break up the curls. If you put them all in the same direction and then brush your fingers through it just goes into a big wave. In order to keep that textured curl pattern on straight hair, you just work a tong and twist it in different directions. The more haphazard, the more real it starts to look, and you just start building on it and building on it.”

Try: Remington Keratin & Argan Oil Nourish Curler

If you’re looking for more tips on styling curly hair, follow these four styling tips every woman with curly hair should know, as well as Zoe Foster Blake’s top curly hair tips (and rules).

Do you have any styling tips for curly hair? Share them with us in the comments below.

Main image credit: Getty

Erin Docherty is a Beauty Writer for BEAUTYcrew, Beauty Editor for Women's Health magazine and a Grooming Writer for Men's Health magazine. She has a keen interest in cosmeceutical skin care and is currently working on minimising her 9-step skin care routine – because ain’t nobody got time for that. When she’s not writing about the latest beauty news, or applying copious amounts of serum, you can find her spending all her money in Sephora.