A Man's Guide to Caring for Curly Hair

Guys with curly hair, listen up: Textured hair tends to be dry, coarse, and brittle. That means a little extra care is in order to keep your hair healthy and frizz-free. Here's what you need to know.

Products Every Curly-Haired Male Needs 

Keep your curls soft by adopting a good hair care routine. It doesn't have to be expensive or high maintenance at all. Grab the following supplies.

• Moisturizing shampoo: Creamy shampoos are more moisturizing than shampoos with a gel consistency. Opt for a sulfate-free shampoo like Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Shampoo ($3), as sulfates can strip your hair's natural moisture. Since curly hair tends to be on the dry side, you should only have to wash it a couple of times a week.
• Conditioner: You can't really over-condition curly hair. You should follow every shampoo with a heavy conditioner. Look for nourishing ingredients like coconut oil on the label. Garnier Fructis Curl Nourish Conditioner ($4) obviously makes a great pairing with the shampoo from the same line.
• Deep conditioner: If you're up for going the extra mile, a deep conditioning treatment once a week goes a long way to keep your hair soft and moisturized. SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Mask ($10) does the trick.
• Curl cream: Enhance your curls with a cream created for curly hair, like SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie ($9). Rub it in and let hair air-dry.
• Smoothing serum: Kiehl's Silk Groom Serum ($18) is a lightweight formula that curbs frizz. Warm a couple of drops in your hands and palm over dry, frizzy curls.

Curly Hair Styling Tips

Curls either behave or they don't, but there are a few things you can do to keep them looking how you want.

Put Away the Brush and Blow Dryer

Brushing and blow-drying definitely do not help frizz, so stick to finger-combing hair and letting curls air-dry. If you must blow-dry, use a diffuser, and cup hair with your hands from below (never scrunch curls, as that also invites frizz). Also, don't aggressively rub hair dry with a towel. Instead, try this gentler approach: Squeeze the moisture out with a cotton T-shirt.

The Less You Mess, the Better

The more you play with your hair, whether it's blow-drying or scrunching, the more likely it'll get frizzy. To give curls definition, twist wet curls around your finger, then let them air-dry.

Find a Good Stylist

You obviously know from personal experience that curly hair can be finicky, and some would say that only someone with curls can truly understand the struggle. If possible, you might want to find a hairstylist or a barber who has curly hair to be your go-to person. That's not to say straight-haired stylists couldn't be perfectly capable of navigating your curls. More than anything, you should simply go with someone who you trust. You and your curls deserve the best.