How To Make Your Hair Curlier: 12 Steps That Actually Worked For Me

My Personal Journey: I spent years fighting my natural texture, using the wrong products, and wondering why my curls always fell flat by noon. After countless failed attempts and expensive salon visits, I finally cracked the code. Now, I'm sharing everything I learned so you don't have to waste time and money like I did.

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Get the Right Haircut (This Changes Everything)

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Before and after photos of a curly haircut transformation

Here's something most people don't realize: damaged ends can literally weigh down your entire curl pattern.

When I finally got my first proper curly cut (not just a trim at a regular salon), I was shocked. The stylist explained that my ends were so damaged and dry that they were pulling my curls straight. It's like trying to make a spring bounce while someone's holding the bottom.

Damaged hair shows specific signs that you need to watch for:

Your roots are curlier than your ends (this was my biggest clue). The ends feel rough, dry, or straw-like when you touch them. Your hair lacks shine and looks dull, especially at the bottom. You notice more split ends than usual. When you stretch a strand, it breaks easily instead of bouncing back.

If you're seeing these signs, it's time for a cut. I know what you're thinking because I thought it too: "But I'm trying to grow my hair out!" Here's the reality: keeping damaged ends will only make your hair look worse and feel less curly.

Consider finding a stylist who specializes in curly hair. Methods like the Deva Cut or Rezo Cut are designed specifically for curly textures and can dramatically improve your curl definition. These cuts are done on dry hair, curl by curl, which allows the stylist to see exactly how each curl falls naturally.

After my first Deva Cut, I walked out of the salon with curls I didn't know I had. The difference wasn't just visible, it was shocking. My hair felt lighter, bouncier, and suddenly wanted to curl up on its own.

Stop Using Products That Destroy Your Curls

This step alone transformed my hair more than anything else I tried in the first year of my curl journey.

Most regular shampoos contain sulfates, specifically sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These are the same harsh detergents used in dish soap and laundry detergent. Yes, the same chemicals that cut through grease on your dinner plates are in your shampoo.

When I learned this, I immediately checked my shampoo bottle. Sure enough, SLS was the second ingredient. No wonder my hair felt like straw after every wash.

Think of your hair like a spring (because structurally, that's what a curl is). A dry, rusty spring doesn't bounce well. A smooth, lubricated spring coils perfectly. Your hair works the same way.

But here's the other game-changer: stop washing your hair every day.

I know this goes against everything you've been taught. But daily washing strips your scalp before those natural oils can travel down your hair shaft. Those oils are exactly what your curls need to form and stay defined.

Aim for washing 2-3 times per week. Your scalp will adjust after about two weeks. During that adjustment period, you might experience slightly oilier roots, but push through. Your hair is learning to regulate its own oil production.

When you do wash, focus your scrubbing on your scalp only. That's where oil, sweat, and product buildup actually accumulate. The lengths of your hair will get clean enough just from the shampoo rinsing through them.

Deep Condition Like Your Curls Depend On It (Because They Do)

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Deep conditioning treatment products

If shampooing is about cleaning, then conditioning is about transformation. This is where you're building the actual foundation for healthy, bouncy curls.

After every single wash, use conditioner. Not a tiny dollop. A generous, almost excessive amount. I'm talking way more than you think you need.

Here's where most people go wrong (and I did this for years): they rinse out their conditioner immediately after applying it. This doesn't give the conditioner enough time to actually penetrate your hair shaft and provide the deep moisture your curls desperately need.

Instead, apply your conditioner from your ears down to your ends, avoiding your roots unless your hair is extremely dry. Then leave it in for at least 5 minutes. Better yet, put a shower cap over your hair and leave it for 15-20 minutes while you do everything else in the shower.

The heat trapped under the cap opens up your hair cuticle, allowing the conditioning ingredients to sink deep into your hair shaft. This is when the real magic happens.

Once a week, upgrade to a deep conditioning mask or treatment. These are more concentrated than regular conditioner and they provide the intense hydration that transforms dry, lifeless curls into bouncy, defined spirals.

Here's a trick I learned from a curly hair specialist: rinse your conditioner with cool water. I know it's not comfortable, especially in winter, but cool water seals your hair cuticle. This locks in all that moisture you just added and makes your hair significantly shinier and more receptive to curling.

The temperature change from warm conditioning to cool rinsing creates a cuticle-sealing effect that you can actually feel. Your hair will feel smoother and more slippery during the cool rinse.

Apply Products to Soaking Wet Hair (This Is Non-Negotiable)

This single technique changed my entire curl game. I'm not exaggerating when I say this made a bigger difference than any product I've ever bought.

Listen carefully: you need to apply your styling products to soaking wet hair. Not damp. Not towel-dried. Soaking. Wet.

For years, I would get out of the shower, wrap my hair in a towel, get dressed, do my skincare routine, and then style my hair. By that time, my hair was damp, not wet. I couldn't understand why my curls never looked like the tutorials I watched.

Here's the science behind why this matters: when your hair is dripping wet, it naturally wants to clump together. These clumps are the foundation of your curl pattern. When you apply products to soaking wet hair, you're coating these natural clumps and encouraging them to dry in that curled position.

If you wait until your hair is just damp, you've already lost this critical opportunity. Your hair has started drying in whatever random pattern gravity created, which is usually straighter, flatter, and less defined than what you want.

I know this feels messy and inconvenient. I resisted it for months because I didn't want water dripping everywhere. But once I finally tried it properly, the difference was so dramatic that I never went back.

This one change will make more difference than switching products, buying new tools, or any other single thing you can do for your curls.

Build Your Perfect Product Stack

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Product lineup showing leave-in conditioner, curl cream, and gel

Walk into any beauty store and you'll see hundreds of products, all screaming about how they'll give you perfect curls. It's overwhelming. I spent so much money on products that didn't work because I didn't understand what I actually needed.

Here's the truth: you need three products maximum. A leave-in conditioner, a curl definer (cream or gel), and optionally a mousse for volume. That's it.

Let me break down each product and how to use it:

Leave-In Conditioner: This is your moisture base. Apply it first to your soaking wet hair. Use about a quarter-sized amount (more if you have thick or long hair) and rake it through with your fingers. This provides ongoing moisture throughout the day and helps your other products work better.

Curl Cream or Gel: This is your curl definer and hold product. Curl creams are lighter and give you soft, touchable curls. Gels provide stronger definition and longer-lasting hold but can feel stiffer initially (we'll fix that with scrunching later).

You can use both if you want the benefits of each: apply cream first for moisture and definition, then add gel on top for hold and frizz control. This is called "layering" and it's what most curly hair influencers do, even if they don't always mention it.

Here's something important about product amount: most people use too little. You want enough product that your hair feels slightly coated, almost slippery. If you can run your fingers through and feel no product, you didn't use enough.

For medium-length hair, I typically use a golf-ball-sized amount of gel. For thick or long hair, you might need even more. Don't be afraid to use generous amounts, especially when you're first learning what works for your hair.

Master the Scrunch (This Creates Your Curls)

Scrunching is the actual technique that forms your curls. Everything else we've talked about supports this moment. Once you master scrunching, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Here's exactly how to do it:

Flip your head completely upside down so all your hair is hanging toward the floor. Take a section of hair in your hand (about the size of a small orange). Squeeze it upward toward your scalp, like you're making a fist around your hair and pushing it up.

You should hear a squelching sound. That sound is the product and water in your hair being squeezed around, and it's exactly what you want. If you don't hear this sound, your hair is too dry or needs more product.

Keep scrunching that section, over and over, for about 10-15 seconds. Then move to the next section. Do this all over your head until you've scrunched every section.

Your hair will start forming defined clumps that curl around themselves. These clumps are your curl families, and you want to encourage them, not break them apart. Keep scrunching until every section has visible curl formation.

This might take 5-10 minutes, and your arms will get tired. Do it anyway. This is the magic moment where you're physically creating your curl pattern. Everything else just supports this technique.

Try Plopping (Yes, That's Really What It's Called)

I know the name sounds ridiculous. When I first heard about "plopping," I thought someone was messing with me. But this technique is genuinely one of the most effective ways to set your curls while they dry.

Here's what plopping does: it keeps your curls scrunched up on top of your head while they start drying, instead of letting them hang straight down where gravity can pull them out. It also absorbs excess water without creating frizz.

Here's how to plop your hair:

Grab an old cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel. Do not use regular towels because they're too rough and will create massive frizz. Lay the t-shirt flat on your bed or bathroom counter.

With your head upside down and your curls freshly scrunched and coated with product, lower all your hair onto the center of the t-shirt. Your curls should pile on top of your head in a wet heap.

Wrap the t-shirt around your head, tucking in the ends so it stays in place. Your hair is now "plopped" on top of your head, held there by the fabric.

Leave it like this for 20-30 minutes minimum. You can go longer, even up to an hour or two. I usually plop my hair while I do my makeup and get dressed. During this time, the t-shirt absorbs excess water while keeping your curls scrunched up in position.

This is crucial because if your curls hang straight down while they're wet and forming, gravity will literally pull them straighter. Plopping defies gravity and lets your curls set in their curliest position.

When you unwrap the t-shirt, resist the urge to touch your curls. Just let them fall naturally and leave them completely alone.

Diffuse the Right Way (Or Don't Use Heat At All)

Air drying is always the gentlest option for your hair, but it takes forever. If you're in a hurry or want more volume, a diffuser attachment for your blow dryer is absolutely worth the investment.

But here's the thing: most people diffuse wrong and then wonder why their hair is frizzy and undefined.

A diffuser is that weird bowl-shaped attachment that looks like it has fingers. It disperses the airflow so it's not blasting your hair in one concentrated stream. This is critical because regular blow drying will literally blow your curl pattern apart and create massive frizz.

Here's the correct way to diffuse:

Attach your diffuser and set your dryer to low or medium heat and low speed. Cup a section of your curls in the diffuser bowl and hold it close to your head, but not touching your scalp. Hold it there without moving for about 30 seconds.

Do not rub the diffuser all over your head. Do not keep moving it around. Just hold it completely still in one spot, letting that section dry, then move to the next spot.

Dry your hair until it's about 80% dry, then stop. Turn off the dryer and let your hair finish air drying. Over-drying makes your curls crunchy, brittle, and more likely to frizz out.

Use Heat Protectant (Even If You Air Dry)

Heat damage is cumulative, meaning it builds up over time. You might not notice it after one blow-dry session, but after weeks and months of heat styling, your curls will gradually lose their ability to form properly.

If you use any heat on your hair, even just diffusing on low heat, you need to use a heat protectant spray. This creates an invisible barrier between your hair and the heat, preventing damage that would otherwise weaken your curl pattern.

Apply heat protectant to your damp hair after your styling products but before any heat. Let it sit for a minute or two to dry slightly, then proceed with diffusing or blow drying.

Scrunch Out the Crunch

If you used gel (and you should), your hair will dry with what's called a "gel cast." This means your curls will feel hard and crunchy to the touch. Don't panic. This is exactly what's supposed to happen.

The gel cast is what holds your curl pattern in place while your hair dries. Once your hair is 100% dry (this is important, don't do this on damp hair), you're going to "scrunch out the crunch."

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Before and after scrunching out the crunch

Here's how: take a small amount of oil (I love argan oil or jojoba oil) and rub it between your palms. Then gently scrunch your hair the same way you did when it was wet, but much more gently. You're breaking up the gel cast to reveal soft, bouncy, defined curls underneath.

You can also use a silk or satin scarf to scrunch out the crunch. This creates less frizz than using your hands alone.

The transformation is honestly magical. Your hair goes from feeling like a crunchy helmet to feeling soft and touchable, while keeping all that beautiful definition.

Try Overnight Methods (Zero Heat, Maximum Results)

If you have time and want to avoid heat entirely, overnight curl methods are incredibly effective and extremely gentle on your hair.

Start with damp hair (not soaking wet like for day styling) before bed. Apply your leave-in conditioner and curl cream.

For loose waves: Braid your hair into one or two large braids. The fewer braids you do, the looser your waves will be.

For tighter curls: Do four to six smaller braids. The more braids you create, the curlier your hair will be.

For spiral curls: Try twist-outs. Section your hair into 10-15 sections. Twist each section tightly from root to tip, then wrap it around itself to create a small bun and secure it with a bobby pin.

In the morning, carefully unbraid or untwist each section. Don't brush through it. Just separate the curls gently with your fingers. Apply a tiny bit of curl cream or oil to your hands and scrunch once more to refresh the curl definition.

These overnight methods take literally zero effort while you're sleeping and give you gorgeous curls that can last for days with proper maintenance.

Change the Habits That Are Secretly Killing Your Curls

You could do everything else perfectly and still not get great curls if you're making these common everyday mistakes. I made all of these for years before I knew better.

Never brush your dry hair. Ever. This is probably the number one curl killer that nobody talks about enough. Brushing separates every single curl into hundreds of frizzy pieces. I used to brush my hair every morning and wonder why it looked like a frizzy mess by noon.

Only detangle your hair when it's soaking wet and coated with conditioner. Use a wide-tooth comb or a wet brush, starting from the ends and working your way up to the roots. This is the only time you should be combing through your curls.

Stop using cotton towels and pillowcases. Cotton has a rough texture that creates friction and literally damages your hair's outer layer every single night. Switch to silk or satin for both towels and pillowcases.

This change alone made such a noticeable difference in how my hair looked in the morning. I used to wake up with one side of my head completely flat and frizzy. After switching to a satin pillowcase, my curls actually looked decent when I woke up.

Get regular trims every 8-12 weeks. I know you want to grow your hair long. I get it. But split ends travel up your hair shaft like a run in stockings, making it impossible for your hair to curl properly. The damaged parts won't hold any shape.

Small, regular trims actually make your hair look better, feel healthier, and grow stronger. You'll end up with longer hair in the long run because you won't have to cut off massive amounts of damage.

Stop touching your hair throughout the day. Every single time you run your fingers through your curls, you're breaking up those carefully formed curl clumps and creating frizz. Look but don't touch. I know it's hard (I'm still working on this), but it makes a huge difference.