Men with curly hair need maintenance to ensure healthy growth and luscious hair. However, understanding what, when, and how to do it can be confusing with the plethora of information out there. That’s why I bring you easy steps to maintenance for curly guys in this post.
Curly maintenance for guys’ hair requires inspecting the condition to see the level of damage and what the hair needs. A proper haircut and deep treatment are helpful. Using a clarifying shampoo to clean the scalp and refresh your hair can significantly impact you, and you can switch products.
It is rare for guys to put in much effort for their hair. The reason is that they often don’t realize the importance, or they don’t know how. Curly hair needs much more attention, and men with curls sometimes need guidance. This post offers you all the help you need for curly hair maintenance.
Why is Curly Hair Maintenance Important for Guys?
Curly hair maintenance is common in the curly girl community, but it is just as essential for guys. Men tend to do less to care for their hair and, in turn, suffer a lot more damage, leading to unhealthy strands, undefined, messy curls, and significant hair loss. Product build-up is also pretty common.
That said, maintenance can mean different things to people. For some, it means the daily regimes and effort you put in to care for your curls. That is undoubtedly important, and you can check out my post on Curly Haircare for Men and Boys to learn more.
On the other hand, to many, maintenance refers to the occasional routine and steps you take to evaluate your hair’s condition. This can be done every couple of months or 3-4 times a year, just as you would visit a dentist or physician to check your oral or physical health.
That means you can find out where your hair stands and reevaluate if anything needs to change. You can also focus on a full maintenance regime to ensure your curly hair gets what it needs. So, if you need to get new products or change your daily haircare routine, you will know.
That’s why, in this post, I have put together the five most essential and basic tips to do your occasional hair check-up. Remember, your hair is one of your best accessories, and as a curly guy, you want to ensure you don’t miss out on giving your hair the best care and health for your benefit.
Steps to Curly Maintenance for Guys
You can follow these steps to maintain the best health for your curls:
1. Check your Hair’s Condition
Before you can do maintenance, you must check the condition of your hair. This will help you determine what precisely your hair lacks, what damage it holds, and what it requires most. Some of the things you should focus on are:
- Dry and split ends
- Scalp condition (dryness/dandruff/excessive oiliness)
- Breakage/frizz/flyaways
- Dryness and dehydration
- Softness/smoothness
- Hair fall/thinning/balding
Once you can see what areas need attention, you can focus on those factors instead of mindlessly following routines and slathering products that won’t do anything for your hair.
For example, if you notice excessive frizz, you know your hair needs extra moisture or hydration. In this case, incorporating deep conditioning treatments or using products with moisturizing and or protein ingredients could be more beneficial than a generic routine.
Tip
Protein is a hydrating conditioning agent in that it grabs water and hangs onto it. Protein, in the context of hair care, is known to be hygroscopic, meaning it has the ability to attract and retain water molecules. When you use a protein-based conditioning product on your hair, the protein molecules essentially act like magnets for water. They attract water molecules and then hold onto them, preventing excessive moisture loss from the hair shaft.
Here are some techniques to check your hair and curl condition:
- Wash and condition your hair, and do not apply any product afterward. This will show you the moisture level, smoothness, and breakage. It will also be easier to see your curl definition and notice if your hair is lackluster and weighed down.
- The health of your hair lies in its ability to stretch without snapping, showcasing its elasticity. This characteristic is a key indicator of health. When the balance of moisture and protein in your hair is disrupted, it can lose this essential quality, becoming more susceptible to breakage—a clear signal of damage.
- Try this at-home test: Select a strand of wet hair and gently tug at both ends. If the hair breaks without any noticeable stretch, it’s a sign that your hair might be lacking in protein and moisture, leading to reduced elasticity.
- Get close to a mirror and inspect your scalp by sectioning your hair at the scalp. Rub it with your finger to see if there are flakes that could indicate dryness or dandruff. Get hold of one strand and look for thinning, dry, and split ends.
- Check your hair’s porosity level. This will tell you much about your damage levels and how to move forward.
- Test: Begin with freshly washed hair, comb out a few strands, and place them in a glass of water to observe their behavior. Healthy hair tends to sink gradually as it absorbs water. If the hair floats, it suggests low porosity, and if it rapidly sinks, it signals high porosity.
- Split ends serve as a clear indicator of hair damage. While each split end may seem minor on its own, their cumulative impact can significantly affect your overall appearance. The result is hair that appears uneven and untidy, making styling more challenging.
- Self-Check: Take a small section of your hair and inspect the ends to identify any individual strands that have started to split into two, forming a V shape.
2. Get a Haircut
While you may get regular trims, once every few months, consider getting a more substantial haircut to address any damage, refresh your look, and simplify your maintenance and hair care routine. (This will be more effective for guys with longer hair).
3. Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Whether you get a haircut or not, use a clarifying shampoo every few months. This deeply cleanses out any product residue, environmental toxins and build-up, and general dirt and grime that does not come out with regular shampoo. Learn more about hair clarifying and its benefits in this post.
4. Do a Deep Treatment
Once you’ve had a haircut and clarified your hair and scalp, it is time for a deep treatment. It could be a deep conditioner, a hot oil treatment, or even a protein mask. You can do this yourself or visit you’re a professional hair salon.
A deep treatment includes ingredients and formulations to restore and enhance your hair’s moisture level, repair damage, strengthen your hair, reduce frizz, and help with curl definition. It can also restore protein loss, and a gentle massage will stimulate blood flow and promote healthy growth.
5. Switch Out Products
Something many guys don’t do is switch to products for curly hair. This is more important than you realize. It makes sense to find a few products that work for you and stick with those for the rest. But your hair can get used to certain formulations and stop feeding on them properly.
Here’s how you can switch products to help with healthy curl maintenance:
- Get a different brand of products.
- Switch from regular shampoo to sulfate-free.
- Go silicone-free or incorporate silicone-based products if needed for coarse hair.
- Have 2-3 varying products and switch between them seasonally.
- Use a different shampoo for 2-3 washes, then switch back to your regular one.
- Get products specifically for your condition. E.g., a conditioner for medium porosity instead of high if you find a change in that.
Conclusion
Your hair’s overall health and curl condition will depend on how you care for it. Effective daily routines are essential, but regular maintenance every few months can be crucial when you take the time to do it. Hopefully, the above tips and steps will help you ensure the best health for your curls!
