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If you have straight hair you want curly and if you want curly hair you want straight - one of the facts of life! However, achieving and maintaining the opposite of your hair type can be hard work, expensive and damaging to the hair. Using hair straightners or blowdrying your hair straight regularly significantly damages the hair, especially if it is curly as, it is already dry and will be more prone to split ends and breakage. These styling methods also pull at the roots which could result in hair loss.

Enough incentive to make the most of your curly hair? Well here's how.

The basic and main difference between straight hair and curly hair (apart from the obvious visual difference!) is that curly hair tends to naturally be a lot dryer, hence the common problem of frizz. So with this fact in mind, it gives a good idea of what to and not to do.

Firstly let's start with the first stage of the process: Shampoo and Conditioner.
Shampoo dries your hair and conditioner returns it to the correct PH balance i.e. it adds moisture. The most important thing to remember about shampoo and conditioner is to always get the products that suit your hair type. For example, if you have coloured hair, use a shampoo and conditioner that is designed for this. So for curly hair, the best product is to use a shampoo and conditioner for dry hair.

Second stage: Drying you hair.
When you are drying your hair, regardless of your hair type, it is always advisable to use a product that will protect your hair from the heat. This is even more important for curly hair as without this protection, your hair will become drier and possibly frizzy. You don't have to spend lots of money on this; even something like a light mousse does the job, just as long as there is a layer of product between your hair and the heat.

Curls are better to be dried using a diffuser at the end of your hairdryer. As the heat travels upwards, it does not straighten the hair. The way to use a diffuser is to let a section of your hair fall into the diffuser before the hairdryer is switched on, and then proceed to dry. While drying, scrunching the hair using your hands is also good for making the curls more bouncy.

A last tip when drying your hair is only dry until it is around 95% dry, and let the rest dry naturally. This again, acts as damage control for your hair shafts, reducing the dryness.

Third stage: styling.
When selecting what product to use, select one that is designed for curly hair. On the whole, mousses and cream based products work well as they are lighter in weight and add moisture. Something like a serum however can often weigh down the hair and reduce the bounce in your curls. Many companies now sell a 'scrunch gel' in the form of a spray. Using this on semi-dry hair and with a diffuser creates nice bouncy, defined curls.

Learn more about this author, Sumantha Dutta.
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