Not all curls are created equal... Ranging from fine and wavy to very full and tight curls. Knowing your own hair type and recognising the types of curls your child may have can guide you towards the correct treatment and techniques to achieve the best results from the CurlyEllie collection.
To understand what hair type you have, you need to look at your hair follicle - this is the shape of your hair as it comes through the roots of your scalp. Straight hair follicles are a round shape while Curly Hair follicles are oval.
You then need to determine which way the follicle tunnels into the scalp. In straight hair, follicles generally slant vertically from the scalp and right down into the dermis. With curly hair, the follicle runs down vertically, and instead, enter the dermis at an angle, which then in turn creates a curve that leads to fab curls.
The curving is what can lead to dryness, as it is harder for the sebum to travel down the follicle efficiently
Take a look through the guide below to discover your curly hair type, and the right Curly Ellie products for you
WHAT IS 2A HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- you have a light wave in your hair
- when you brush it it may even look perfectly straight
- high porosity (means that the waves will absorb products well and products don't just sit on your hair)
- don't use too much product on 2a hair, it can weigh the waves down.
- Scrunching the hair should be helpful to add volume and bounce.
- Detangling Spray should offer extra moisture with light hold. You could even team up the Detangling Spray with the Styling Serum for extra hold and flyaways.
WHAT IS 2B HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- less curly at the top of your hair and gently falls into a more defined S-shaped pattern
- frizz is your main enemy
- Styling Serum really helps keep frizz at bay - simply put some in the palm of your hands and run it over the top of your hair.
- Scrunching the hair with a microfibre towel and applying some serum can offer you volume and hold for your waves.
- The Styling Serum is light enough to not weigh down the waves, but enough to take care of any frizz or fly-aways without making the hair greasy.
WHAT IS 2C HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- the waves start earlier as your hair comes out of the scalp.
- hair tends more to be thicker and more defined
- prone to frizz
Tips
- with frizz to control, it may mean that the Serum will not be enough for you. Try spraying the Detanglng spray and then follow with the Serum or the Leave In Conditioner.
- Diffusing the hair on low heat and low volume from damp can add volume to the waves. Pair with the Intensive Treatment Mask as a replacement to the Leave-In Conditioner to add some heat protection.
- If you don’t want to dry with heat you can add some Leave-In Conditioner to wet hair and scrunch with a microfibre towel or cotton t-shirt.
- Once dry, apply some Styling Serum if there’s any frizz or if you want extra hold for your waves.
WHAT IS 3A HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- a happy medium between very curly and not so curly curls.
- big, loose curls and ringlets.
- this curl type is more voluminous and does not need more scrunching or manipulation to get volume..
- As your curls tend to be looser, try to finger curl your hair damp and flip it over before finishing your styling routing. This will help your curls look more defined and give fab volume once dry
- Why not try spritzing some Detangling Spray to dampen your hair first to give you extra moisture and help hold the curls in place.
- Use the Leave in Conditioner on damp hair and brush through the curls to make sure that all the hair is evenly coated. Scrunch and leave to dry.
WHAT IS 3B HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- springy - from ringlets to corkscrews.
- voluminous and can be quite course.
- The Leave-In Conditioner is your best friend here,
- a weekly dose of the Intensive Treatment Mask can help keep the curls moisturised.
WHAT IS 3C HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- described as curly-coily - very dense corkscrew curls, about the width of a pencil, and very voluminous.
- most prone to dryness and breakage.
- A weekly or bi-weekly treatment of Intensive Treatment Mask, applied in the shower or bath to let the steam really help work the moisture into your hair, will help with any dryness.
- The Detangling Spray contains Pro Vitamin B5 for hair to help helping absorb and retain moisture, so give it a quick spritz to get rid of any dryness.
- Leave In conditioner is your best friend - use it as you layer your up stylers. Layering should be your new key word for styling - start with the Detangling Spray, add some leave in conditioner, finger comb it through,
- Then when almost dry, use the serum for the intense shine and definition.
WHAT IS 4A HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- usually dense and either fine or wiry.
- whilst type 4 hair may seem to be tough and robust, it is actually the most fragile hair type and needs a lot of moisture, but often has the most difficulty absorbing it.
- The Leave-In Conditioner and the Styling Serum will offer you some moisture and shine!
WHAT IS 4B HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- normally closer to a “Z” shape than an “S” and the curls are much tighter and have less definition.
- The strands can range from anywhere between fine hair and much wirier, courser strands.
- can have low porosity and can be difficult to get products to absorb to add moisture.
- Try using the Leave-In Conditioner and covering your hair to let the heat from your head help the moisture along a little.
WHAT IS 4C HAIR TYPE AND HOW TO LOOK AFTER IT
- similar to 4b hair but coils are less defined and your hair gets shorter as it dries).
- the most delicate out of all the hair types and craves moisture, but can be difficult to absorb the moisture the curls need.
- Use the Intensive Treatment Mask, but coat the hair well, and cover with a towel or cotton t-shirt or shower cap. Let the heat from your head open the hair cuticles and absorb the product better.
- The Styling Serum and the Leave-In Conditioner will also work well on type 4 hair
CurlyEllie products have been custom crafted to blend layer and compliment each other. The 50ml mini works range is a great place to start - we hope you enjoy discovering your favourites!
Looking for more natural hair care tips? Read our blog 'Why to Switch to Natural Hair Products'.
