16 Tips, tricks, & hacks for beautiful, healthy curls

Harsh shampoos and cleansers—particularly those containing sulfates—strip curly hair (all hair really) of their natural oils and because curly hair has a tendency to be drier, this can be extra damaging. Switch to a hair cleanser labeled sulfate-free or consider co-washing at least some of the time. Co-washing is the process of using conditioner, water, and scalp massage to loosen dirt and debris and clean the scalp without using shampoo.

Once you get rid of sulfates in your cleanser, you'll have to make sure your conditioner is fairly clean, too, or you'll risk ending up with product buildup that leaves your curls dull and lifeless. Look for highly moisturizing conditioners free from silicones and parabens. The best conditioners use natural oils and butters, like coconut oil, shea butter, argan oil, and avocado oil, among others. Just be sure that label says "silicone-free."

It's always a good idea to detangle your hair while it's wet, and there's still at least a bit of conditioner in it. But if your curls are particularly parched, you might want to consider skipping rinsing out the conditioner altogether. Your hair will have more time to soak up all the moisturizing ingredients in the conditioner and if you choose a good conditioner, you don't have to worry about any negative effects from not rinsing it out.

Regular terry cloth towels can agitate curls and cause frizz. Instead choose a microfiber hair towel or microfiber turban, which are much more gentle on curls. In a pinch, you can also use a soft, cotton T-shirt to scrunch excess water out of your hair.

"Plopping" is a curly hair technique that involves piling your just-washed curls on top of your head after applying styling product. It helps curls stay defined and voluminous while they dry. A lot of people plop with a cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel, but this idea of using a cheap, dollar store laundry net is intriguing.

If you have dense, thick curls that take forever to air dry, consider braiding the hair into two neat braids immediately after washing, conditioning, and detangling. Separating the hair into sections allows more airflow, helps the hair dry much faster and makes for nicely tamed curls when you take the braids out.

In between regular wash days, a hair mask can be beneficial, especially for dry, damaged curls. Store-bought is fine (check the ingredients), but it's also really easy to whip up a DIY hair mask. Even rapper Cardi B has one she recommends using avocado, egg, mayonnaise, and various oils.

Though most hairbrushes aren't good for curly hair at all (never, ever brush dry curls), with more and more people embracing their natural curls, there are now a number of brushes on the market that work super well for curls. The Denman brush seen here is said to be excellent for defining and shaping curls, the Tangle Teezer is amazing for getting out snarls and knots without any pain and some people swear by the Q-Redew DewDetangle brush.

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Finger coiling curls as a styling method is admittedly time-consuming up front, but the results are gorgeous and some people get several days of defined, minimally frizzy curls out of them. There are several methods to check out, but this two-finger method looks interesting and seems to help make a looser curl pattern.

The most traditional finger coiling method goes a little quicker. Using the styling products of your choice, you simply wrap individual curls smoothly around one finger and release, almost how you would wrap hair around the wand of a curling iron.

Gel doesn't work well for every type of curly hair, but sometimes you really want that extra bit of hold to keep frizz at bay, so we really like the look of this hair gel hack. Simply add a bit of water into thicker gels to dilute them, make them easier to distribute and create a bit of a softer hold to avoid the crunch factor.

We know, the idea of cutting bangs into your curls is scary, but they look so cute. Thankfully, there's a cool hack for creating the look of curly bangs without using scissors that works really well, particularly for thick, coily curls. All you need is a small butterfly clip.

It's easy to get used to parting your curls in the exact same place every day, but over time your hair gets used to it too and doesn't seem to want to work any other way. That's one of the reasons it's a good idea to move around your part from time to time. Changing your part can help avoid thinning and damage on one side and will help your curls remain versatile.

Protective styles are super important between wash days. Wearing your curls out all the time can be extremely damaging and lead to knots that cause thinning and tearing. We're big fans of braids and buns for more put-together styles, but we also love the idea of throwing curls up into a high pony and using a simple cotton headband to keep flyaways from getting crazy while exercising, participating in sports, or running errands. It works really well for bedtime, too.

With curly hair, it's easiest to avoid having to soak your head every day, especially since curls tend to take a long time to dry naturally. But sleeping on curls flattens them and stretches them out. This hack to fluff them back up without water may work for certain hair types.

Alternatively, you can try to refresh second, third, and even fourth day hair by simply misting the curls with water or a mixture of water and a few drops of conditioner or a natural oil like almond oil or jojoba oil. Give them a scrunch and you may be good to go.