11 Ways to Make Curls Last Longer

Are you a person with naturally curly hair and looking for ways to make curls last longer?

1. Your curls don’t hold beyond wash day and become a frizzy or flat mess the next day
2. You would like to extend the days between your wash days
3. You have a long travel or special event after your wash day

If any of the above ring a bell, let’s look at ways to make curls last longer!

Note : All of the steps are not mandatory, you can choose the ones that are easiest for you to implement.

1. Use a gel; and use one with good hold

I know many of you who are afraid of gels because of their sticky texture. Gels are probably the biggest player in curl definition! You can read more about them here – Curly hair gels : Everything you need to know.

They become more important if you live in a humid place. Use hard hold gels that have good polymers.

2. Apply enough styling product on wash day

I cannot stress this enough because of the number of times I have seen readers implement this and see a massive difference in their curl definition. Use a moderate quantity of leave-ins/curl creams according to your curl type (looser curls and waves especially require lesser creams and leave-ins). But use a good quantity of gel.

3. Use a diffuser to dry your curls

Using a diffuser locks in the curls & creates a cast much better than air drying. If short on time, use a diffuser till you get a cast and air dry the rest of the way.

4. Check if your hair needs protein

Protein give your hair strands body and enable them to curl. Check if your hair needs protein.

5. Try Smasters method

Smasters method is applying a bit of gel again half way through drying your hair. This gives a stronger gel cast and hold.

6. Protect your curls while sleeping

Use a silk bonnet or silk pillow to protect your curls at night so that they don’t open up and frizz because of all the tossing and turning.

7. Refresh your curls on day 2 and beyond

After wash day, refresh your curls. Using the 1st method in the post along with a gel will ensure that curls don’t fall flat as the days go.

4 Ways to Make Curls Last Longer During Travel and before Special Occasions

Tip 0.5 Use the above tips on your wash day. Then,

1. Leave the cast on till after your travel or just before getting dressed and scrunch out the crunch at the last minute. This will protect your curls for a longer time.
2. Cover your curls with a silk scarf to protect hair from wind, contact with seat covers etc
3. Try not to sweat after your wash day and before a special event as it will open up your curls
4. Plop your curls into a bonnet and then wear a helmet for those using two-wheelers

I hope these ways to make curls last longer was helpful to you. Please let me know in the comments 🙂