How I Am Preventing Dry Curly Hair This Season By Devri Velázquez

For me, the colder weather always tends to bring on a special set of annoyances for my curly hair.

A few of them include a higher risk for extreme dryness, breakage, and an itchy scalp, to name a few.

Each year I have learned to combat this in diffe

rent ways. First of all, If I am not wearing my hair in a braided or twisted protective style, chances are I am rocking a fresh haircut (since I like to get my curls professionally trimmed every six months or so).

Add a heavier oil to the regimen

I like to add a heavier oil to my usual mix, as it can help with promoting a healthy scalp. I have been pleasantly surprised to notice such a difference in revisitation with Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil. The viscosity once scared me off years ago, but now I think I am willing to give it another chance due to its deeply penetrating properties for dry and damaged natural hair.

Twist nightly

Another pain, but re-twisting not only helps with maintaining defintion, but locks in moisture for a longer amount of time than a wash-and-go. I myself lean more towards wanting to wear my hair in its completely unaltered state and with a little manipulation as possible, but if twisting or Bantu knotting every night for about thirty minutes to an hour means that I can go longer in between using up a Sunday afternoon for wash day, it seems like a fair deal to me. Tip: cocktail super light but creamy SheaMoisture Coconut Oil Leave-in conditioner onto the hair shaft, working it down with your fingers and then apply sheen-boosting CURLS Blueberry Bliss Twist-N-Shout Twisting Cream to seal the ends for amazing second day hair and beyond.

Detangle frequently

I know, detangling a full head of kinky curls can be bothersome. In the lifespan of my entire hair journey, this is the step has always been the most dreadful because my hair likes to get matted overnight with even the slightest bit of moisture added to it. This is why I schedule a wash day that will allow me to spend more time finger detangling underneath the showerhead as well as brushing with my Wet Brush Pro.

Don't forget to deep condition

Deep conditioning is a year-round thing for those of us with coarse curly to coily hair, but consider adding one with moisturizing butters like mango and shea. I like to use Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Penetrating Hair Treatment which contains a plethora of amazing oils and cocoa seed butter to hydrate the thirstiest of curls. If drier air calls for it, I sometimes also double-condition my hair every few days or so with Elucence Moisture Balancing Conditionerand DevaCurl One Condition Decadence Ultra Moisturizing Milk Conditioner, as they work together to leave my hair super soft and defined for the moments that I'm into keeping a healthy wash-and-go style.

Need more tips for naturally curly and dry hair?

I've got you covered. Follow me on Instagram @devrivelazquez and read more of my hair advice below: