Curly hair glossary

Curly hair comes with its own set of terms and techniques that can be baffling to newcomers. So here’s a handy glossary to help you navigate the wonderful world of curls:

A

Anagen Phase: The growth phase in the hair cycle where the hair follicle is actively producing cells that form the hair shaft.

B

Bowl Method: A CRAZY technique that has proliferated TikTok. After applying conditioner, you dip your curls back into a bowl of water and scrunch the conditioner in, repeating this step multiple times. Do you need to do this for defined curls? Hell no! Who has time for this? Not me.

C

Clarifying Shampoo: A type of shampoo designed to deep clean the hair, removing buildup of products, oils, and minerals. It’s used occasionally to reset the hair and scalp. Try this one.

Curl Clumping: The tendency of individual curls to group together and form defined, uniform waves or curls.

Curly Girl Method (CGM): A hair care method designed for naturally curly hair that involves using sulfate-free shampoos, avoiding silicones and heat styling tools, and calling on techniques like scrunching to enhance natural curl patterns.

D

Deep Conditioning: A hair treatment that involves applying a deep conditioning product to the hair for an extended period to deeply penetrate and hydrate the hair strands. Try this one. 

Density: Refers to how many hairs you have on your scalp, determining the overall volume of your hair. Density can be classified as low, medium, or high.

F

Finger Coiling: A technique where individual curls are twirled around a finger to define and encourage the natural curl pattern.

L

Leave-in Conditioner: A type of conditioner applied after washing and left in the hair to provide continuous moisture and ease of styling. Interchangeable with curl cream. Try this one. 

P

Pineapple: A method of tying curly hair into a loose, high ponytail on top of the head (resembling a pineapple) to protect curls while sleeping and prevent frizz.

Plopping: A drying technique for curly hair that involves laying a cotton T-shirt or microfibre towel on a flat surface, flipping your wet hair over onto it, and then wrapping the fabric around your head to absorb moisture without disrupting the curl pattern.

Porosity: The hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. Porosity can be low, medium, or high, depending on how tightly the hair cuticle layers lie.

Prayer Hands: A technique used to apply products to curly hair gently and evenly. The method involves placing a dollop of product between both palms, rubbing them together, and then moving your hands down the length of your hair with your palms together, as if in prayer. This helps to smooth the product over the hair without disrupting the natural curl pattern.

Pre-poo: A treatment applied before shampooing to protect the hair from the drying effects of shampoo. Do I pre poo? No, not really!

R

Rake and Shake: A styling technique where product is applied to the hair using a raking motion with the fingers, followed by a shaking motion to encourage curl formation.

S

Scrunch: A technique used to enhance the natural curl pattern by gently squeezing the curls upward towards the scalp while the hair is wet and product is applied.

Squish to Condish: A conditioning method where you apply conditioner to soaking wet hair, then repeatedly squish the hair to help the conditioner penetrate deeper and enhance hydration.

V

Volume: Refers to the fullness and body of the hair. Techniques like diffusing with a hair dryer upside down can increase volume, particularly at the roots.

This glossary should help you get a handle on the basic terms used in the curly hair community, making it easier to understand tutorials, product recommendations, and care tips.

Did I miss anything? Email me at hello@curlytops.com.au to let me know

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