Hair Care
Hair Care for Different Hair Types: Tailoring Your Routine for Success
Aug
You probably already know how important it is to match your skincare products with your skin type, but did you know that the same rules should apply to your hair care products too?
There are four main hair types out there, each one based on the shape and structure of the hair. Whether your locks are straight, wavy, curly, or coily, read on as Nubi explains how to tailor your hair care routine to ensure that it’s suitable for your hair type.
Determining Your Hair Type
Your genetics control your hair type. While there are plenty of hair styling tools out there that can take your strands from curly to straight and back again, they don’t affect your basic curl pattern or change your hair’s DNA. Sure, many of those styling options may produce semi-permanent results but, each time your hair grows, it will be reasserting its natural structure and curl type.
So, how do you identify which hair type your locks fall under?
The easiest way is to wash your hair and then allow it to air dry, without adding any styling products in. Then, decide which of the following hair types best describes your strands:
- Straight – hair doesn’t have any bends or curls
- Wavy – hair shape has a slight curve or bend to it
- Curly – hair has corkscrew-shaped curls or ringlets
- Coily – hair has dense spirals or a zig-zag shape to it
Now that you know your hair type, you can move on to learning about how to care for your locks in a way that helps them to thrive!
Straight Hair
Straight hair tends to lie flat against the head from root to tip. It’s usually very soft and silky. This means that bringing out the natural shine and gloss of straight hair is far easier than when dealing with other hair types.
The downside to having straight hair is that it can often end up greasy. The sebum produced by the scalp quickly makes its way down the hair shaft, with straight hair providing no curls or kinks for the sebum to work around.
Caring for Straight Hair
Research confirms that people with straight hair need to be quite cautious in their approach to hair care. Many of the hair care products out there are laden with rich oils but, with this hair type already veering on the oily side, those products will only leave your hair feeling even greasier.
Because of this, avoid products that are designed for dry hair. Instead, use lightweight formulas that don’t contain too much oil. Stick to a gentle shampoo but swap this for a dry shampoo every once in a while. This will help to soak up any excess sebum while preventing you from over-washing your hair, which could potentially stimulate your scalp into producing even more oil.
Styling Straight Hair
Since straight hair lacks natural texture, it’s always worth having a high-quality hair curling tool in your hairstyling arsenal. Nubi’s Sleek Curl Clipless Curling Wand, which can be found in The Set Up, is perfect for this. With its tapered 3/4″-1″ barrel, you’ll be able to create everything from subtle beachy waves to tight ringlets. It will give you plenty of versatility when styling your locks.
Since straight hair tends to be so silky, it would also be worth investing in a good styling spray. These can be a godsend when creating an intricate style, such as a complex updo. You won’t have to worry about any of your slinky strands coming undone and you’ll also be able to give your hair some extra texture.
Wavy Hair
Wavy hair sits in the middle of straight and curly hair. With that said, this is one of the hair types that can be broken down into more subcategories; type 2A refers to gentle tousles, 2B to subtle S-shaped waves, and 2C to defined and tumbling S-shaped waves.
Wavy hair tends to be thick and often has quite a rough natural texture. This is great for styling as it means that the hair is able to hold styles quickly and easily without the need for too much product.
Caring for Wavy Hair
As mentioned, wavy hair can often feel quite rough. So, your hair care routine should contain products capable of softening and smoothing the feel of your strands.
Look for formulas that give your hair plenty of moisture while also reducing the appearance of frizz, which is a common concern among those with wavy locks.
Styling Wavy Hair
One way to eliminate the appearance of frizz that often accompanies wavy hair types is to make sure that you use a diffuser when blow drying your hair. This little attachment fits onto the end of a hair dryer to focus the flow of heat. Hold it pointing downwards, moving from your root to your tips, and you’ll not only be able to quickly dry and de-frizz your strands but you’ll also be able to enhance the natural shape of your waves. With two diffusers included in the box, the Nubi Blow Me Away blow dryer would be a great choice for wavy hair!
In addition to the gorgeous waves that you sport, another advantage to having this hair type is how you can quickly style it to be either curly or straight. Since it’s already naturally halfway there, it’s so quick to achieve both straight and curly finishes.
Of course, you’ll need the right hair tools for this, which is where Nubi’s Set Up comes in. With a curling wand as well as a straightening brush, this duo will take care of all of your styling needs!
Curly Hair
Curly hair is blessed with a beautiful S-shaped pattern. It tends to be denser than straight or wavy hair, meaning that styling this hair type can take a little longer.
Due to all of those intermingled curls, curly hair is also more prone to tangles and knots. Frizz can be an issue too because of dryness. Since the sebum produced by the scalp has to work its way around each individual curl, it takes a while to reach the ends of the hair, leaving them feeling relatively dry.
Caring for Curly Hair
Since curly hair is so prone to dryness and frizz, it’s extremely important to keep your strands moisturized. To do so, start by assessing your shampoo. Make sure that it doesn’t contain any drying ingredients, such as sulfates. These will only strip away your hair’s sebum before it has the chance to travel down to your tips.
A moisturizing conditioner, like Nubi’s Nourishing & Moisturizing Conditioner, is vital too. This rich formula is brimming with plant oils and proteins to leave your strands feeling deeply hydrated and fortified.
Styling Curly Hair
Many people try to brush out their curls, but this is a big no-no. In fact, over-brushing curly hair can severely damage the definition of your curls, making them even harder to style. So, go gentle with your hairbrush and consider adding a wide-toothed comb to your hairstyling toolbox as well.
Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side. So, if you have curly hair, then chances are that you’ll want to straighten it once in a while. The Nubi Soft N’ Straight 1.25” Ceramic Pink Styler is ideal for taming curls. It comes with an adjustable temperature control, making it ideal for both fine curls as well as wild and thick spirals, with the maximum temperature of 450ºF being suitable for even the coarsest of strands.
Coily Hair
Finally, we have coily hair. This hair type consists of very tight curls that also happen to be extremely fragile. Coily hair may look quite coarse and rough but it’s actually quite soft to the touch. It also happens to be highly prone to damage and breakages, with each coil being surprisingly delicate. This makes it vital to care for this hair type properly.
Caring for Coily Hair
Coily hair needs to be treated with the utmost care. Washing this hair type too often will only leave your strands damaged and dry, so dial back your hair-washing regimen to once or, at most, twice, a week. A rich conditioner should follow each shampoo session. A weekly hair mask to repair the look of damage while giving your hair an extra moisture boost would also be a good move.
Since coily hair is often on the dry side, don’t be afraid to use thick products that are loaded with natural oils and butters. From argan oil to shea butter to coconut oil, your locks will drink up all of the moisture provided by these hydrating ingredients.
Styling Coily Hair
Coily hair is most definitely having its moment. Back in the day, people used to shy away from rocking their super curls but the revolutionary natural hair movement has changed that.
So, don’t be afraid to embrace your beautiful coils. Care for them in the right way and your hair will look full and thick, allowing you to show off your natural texture with confidence.
With that said, if you would like to switch things up every once in a while and see what life is like with straight hair, find a flat iron that’s powerful enough to straighten your coils in one or two passes.
One big mistake that many people with coily hair make is using a weak hair straightener. The more times you run those plates over your locks, the more damage you cause. So, look for a tool that can get the job done quickly and efficiently, just like the Nubi Sleek Control Royal Teal. With a maximum temperature of 450ºF, this hair straightener will give you the smooth and sleek style that you’re seeking in no time at all.
Summary
As you can see, not only do the hair care methods for each hair type vary quite significantly, but the styling techniques do as well. This is why it’s so important to understand your hair type. Doing so will enable you to pick the perfect hair care products for your locks while also styling them with ease, ensuring that your hair always looks and feels as healthy as possible.
