EP 330: How to Style Curly Hair

Curls don’t misbehave—they react. Once you learn how water sets the pattern and product simply locks it in, styling stops feeling like a battle and starts feeling like play. We unpack the small, high-impact habits that turn crunchy ringlets into soft, defined curls that last, drawing on decades behind the chair and the real-world wins of clients who finally found their rhythm.

We start with the foundation that matters most: a clean, hydrated base. You’ll hear how to use gentle clarifying every four to five washes to remove product film without stripping, then follow with moisture so your curls can drink. From there, we share the game-changing timing of soaking-wet application—why applying leave-in, curl cream, and gel or mousse to dripping hair captures the pattern while reducing frizz before it starts. We also get practical about tools and technique, including when a vent brush on wet, product-loaded hair helps distribute evenly, how to clip roots for lift, and why low, slow diffusing protects clumps and shine.

Night care and refresh strategies round it out. Learn how silk or satin saves your ends, how to “pineapple” without dents, and how a light mist or targeted curl spray reactivates yesterday’s products for a quick, clean second day. We keep it simple with a three-step product trio and clear guidance on choosing gel versus mousse based on your climate, density, and porosity. Whether you identify as 2B, 3C, 4A—or skip the labels—you’ll walk away with a repeatable routine and confidence to style down, half-up, or into sculpted updos that celebrate your texture.

If these tips he

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome, Curls And Confessions
• 3:14 Mini-Episode Format & Why It Matters
• 3:54 Myths, Types, And Mixed Messages
• 5:34 Clean Slate: Clarify And Hydrate
• 6:54 Soaking Wet Application Secrets
• 8:04 Simple Trio, Tools, And Gentle Detangling
• 9:54 Drying, Heat, And Nighttime Care
• 11:34 Refresh Days, Links, And Support
• 12:54 Confidence, Updos, And Final CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:54

You know, curls have been a part of my life for as long as I've been behind the chair. And honestly, they've taught me patience. I'll never forget my very first curly-haired client back in the 90s. I was so determined to give her the perfect spiral curls that I overloaded her with mousse and spent forever diffusing. Only for her to leave with crunchy ringlets and a look on her face that said, uh, thanks, I think. We've all been there. If your curls sometimes feel unpredictable or hard to love, today's episode is for you. Welcome to All About Hair, where we talk to shop, share stories, and spill the secrets behind great hair and a great career. I'm your host, Denise Keilitz, a former salon owner, educator, and a lifelong hair crusader. Whether you're a new stylist building your book, or just someone who loves learning about all things hair, you're in the right place. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm gonna try something a little bit different. I get so many articles, I read so much about hair, hair articles, industry information, and I feel like I want to save it all till my podcasts or my YouTubes or my newsletters, and then I forget about it. So I think I'm gonna just start recording little tiny podcasts throughout the week and just upload them, see how it goes. They're gonna be sometimes they're gonna be five minutes, sometimes they might be 15 minutes. I don't know. But I just feel like there's so much information, I just really want to share it with you. Today's gonna be one of those short little episodes about curly hair. So curly hair can feel like it has its own personality. You know what I mean. One day it's soft and bouncy, and the next it's flat or frizzy. I live that way. And you've probably tried every trend from social media, from you know, t-shirt plopping, drying your hair with a t-shirt, to praying hands application where you just put the products in your praying hands and apply it that way so you're not crunching anything up. But you still feel uh like you're frustrated when your curls don't last, or you just don't like the way they they look. They don't look the way you imagine them to look, right? The truth is there's no single magic formula. Curls are they vary wildly. You've got the loose 2B pattern curls, you got springy three C's and coily four A's. If you know, you know, I guess no, it that's really categories that some people like to use to define your curl pattern. I don't really listen to that so much. Curl is curl, and yes, curls vary widely. But I guess they just came up with these categories. So if you have a 2B and you're talking to somebody who knows curly hair, they're gonna know kind of in their mind what a 2B curl looks like. Don't worry if you don't know what those are. Sorry, I have a really frog in my throat today. What works for one texture doesn't necessarily mean it's gonna work for another texture. Plus, there are so many mixed messages. You know, you hear, don't brush your curls, don't detangle wet hair, air dry only. It's enough to make anyone give up and reach for a flat iron. Am I right? I've done it myself. So here's what I've learned and what curl experts trust that I trust say that really work. As I'm going through here, I'm gonna list some products and don't worry, all the links will be in my show notes. So if you hear of something you want to try, just click on my link. It'll lead you probably over to my Amazon storefront. So just know that that if you click on the link, I might get a little bit of commission for it. Just know that. Some of these don't though. First of all, start with a clean, hydrated base. Every four or five washes, you want to clarify your hair to remove all the buildup from all the product. One that you can use that's not too hard on your budget is Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo. Yeah, it's kind of budget-friendly. Uh, you can get it at the drugstore as well. But if you'd rather get a professional product, the Aveda B curly advanced shampoo is a good one. A lot of professionals love to use that one. Follow this with hydrating cleanser or conditioner so your curls can drink up the moisture after you just clarified. Another tip is you would want to apply products to soaking wet hair. This is huge, huge. And I know myself because I've got curly hair that I've paid attention to this and I've kind of experimented with this. If I put on my products right when I get out of the shower and I squeeze them into my curly hair, and if I'm wearing my hair curly that day, I get a lot better curl pattern than if I've brushed my hair out or combed my hair out after the shower and walked around, did my makeup and all that, and then put my products on. I don't know, I just don't get as great a curl, a curly pattern. A long time ago, um, early in my career, I watched a stylist completely transform a client's curls just by applying product while the hair was still dripping wet. You see, so water actually sets your curl pattern. Your products just lock it in. So that's kind of a cool way of thinking about it, right? Just remember that. If you remember nothing else, try that by itself. And then build a simple product trio. And what I mean by that, a leave-in conditioner to lock in hydration. One, I really, you know me, I love the Euphora leave-in conditioner. Of course, the link's gonna be in the show notes. But there's one also called the Potion Studio Rose Balm Leave-in. There's a curl cream for softness and InnerSense Quiet Calm Curl Control is a huge favorite. We used to carry InnerSense in our salons. The curly girls loved it. So definitely if you're gonna try a curl control lotion. And then you can either get a mousse or a gel. There's one all about curls high definition gel, or you can use Orabay curl-shaping mousse if you like mousse, and it depends on how much hold you need for your curl. Again, links are gonna be in the show notes. After you put your products on, you want to detangle gently. And using tools are okay, you don't have to just use your fingers. I once had a curly client a long time ago who swore she couldn't use a brush because of an old rule she'd heard. And the day I told her about a vent brush on wet hair and that you can evenly distribute the product section by section, she texted me later. This is life-changing. Yeah, crazy. The crazy things that we go through life believing, right? You also want to protect your hair from damage, so don't rough towel dry your hair. Use a microfiber towel or remember the soft t-shirt trick. Yes, that that works incredible. So if you have a cotton t-shirt that you are gonna toss, just use that to dry your curly hair. You want to make sure you're gonna avoid tight ponytails on wet hair. Whew, that'll break your hair off. Minimize heat. And if you do diffuse, keep it low and always, always, you know me, use a heat protectant. Then what about your nighttime care? You know, people ask me this all the time. Uh, sleeping in a satin or silk bonnet or on a silk pillowcase, does that help? Absolutely, it helps. It saves so much frizz and so much breakage. So if you want to get yourself a silk pillowcase or ask for one for the holidays. And then on those days that you're not going to wash your hair and you're not gonna go through all of this, just lightly mist with water or a leave-in spray to refresh your curls and you steam from a hot shower to help them bounce back. My very favorite is the Euphora Curl Spray. It is wonderful for next day hair curl and it is kind of like a you mist it on, it reactivates the products that you already have on your hair. It also is a um odor deodorizer. So, like if you've been at a campfire, or I would say if you're in a room where people smoke, but that doesn't happen very much these days, uh, it actually helps with that. So I don't know, pick your favorite products. I'll have all these links in my show notes so you don't have to worry, you don't have to go search for them, and you don't have to back up and say, what does she say about that? And if you have questions about any of these products, just text me or uh leave me a go to my website, deniseKilets.com, and leave me a little email over there. I answer all of them, I see all of them. So, well, once you find the right rhythm for your curls, styling stops feeling like a battle and it starts feeling like you could actually play with your hair and enjoy it. You'll have definition without crunch, bounce without frizz, and the freedom to wear your curls down, half up, or pinned into gorgeous updos. There's something about curly hair in an updo, it's beautiful, right? And you won't have to worry that your hair is going to rebel by midday. So if this episode has helped you feel more at peace with your curls, then I am thrilled. I know it's short and sweet. I've spent decades helping women embrace the texture they were born with. And trust me, once you learn the rules of healthy curl care, you can break them intentionally and create any look you want. Be sure to subscribe to All About Hair with Denise on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you are curious, go over to take a look at my Amazon storefront where all those links are waiting for you. And remember, when you know better, you do better. Thanks for tuning in to All About Hair. If you loved this episode, hit subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with a fellow stylist or hair-loving friend. You want more tips, tools, and behind the scenes goodness? Follow me on YouTube or head to my website at deniseKeilitz.com. Yes, I know it's hard to spell, so don't worry, the link is in the show notes. Until next time, keep learning, keep creating, and keep loving what you do.