#styling techniques

They are moody. They are bendy. They are curvy. They need a lot of care and attention. They behave well when you feed them right. Sometimes, when you think you know what they want, they prove you wrong. But, whatever said and done, they make you look and feel good. What can I say? Curls are unique! When I found out about the ‘CG method’ and all the information that was out there on the internet, it felt pretty overwhelming at first. I didn’t know where to begin and what to do. I had to try and test different methods to figure out what styling method worked for my hair and what didn’t. I had to pay attention to the signs that my hair was showing. After all, different hair types have different needs. What works for one person might not work for the other. Always notice how your hair behaves when you are styling it a certain way. Once you figure out what works for you, make it your go-to styling method. At the same time, don’t shy away from trying out new styling techniques. I usually experiment with new techniques when I don’t have any plans of going out. That way, even if it doesn’t turn out to be a good washday, well, who cares? Nobody’s going to see me anyway ;) Tips to keep your curls hydrated and get bigger clumps Most of us want frizz-free curls. Let me tell you something, curly hair is rarely frizz-FREE. Start embracing the frizz ‘cause it gives your hair the volume that others absolutely envy. Don’t try to get rid of it, just tame it. How do I do that, you ask? Well, curly hair needs a lot of moisture and hydration. Along with using deep conditioners, regular conditioners and leave-in conditioners, there are few other ways to keep your hair hydrated: 1. Squish To Condish - Bowl Method: Apply conditioner on the lengths of your hair and leave it on for 5-10 minutes. Now, bend your head forward, pour half a mug of water on your hair and start scrunching your hair towards the scalp. Collect the water that comes out of your hair in a bowl. Now, dip the lengths of your hair in the same water and scrunch again. Repeat this process a few times. You should hear a squishing sound when you are scrunching your hair. This process will keep your hair super hydrated and give you big, fat curl clumps. 2. Wet Plopping: You can do this before or after styling. Just put on a shower cap while your hair is still wet. Keep it on for about 10-15 minutes. You can then take off the shower cap and resume your washday routine. Now that you know how to prep your hair, let's get into the styling bit. My top 5 styling techniques: 1. Praying Hands Method This is one of the most basic styling methods. All you have to do is – take a little bit of your styling product, rub it in between your palms and smooth it on to different sections of your hair. Keep your palms together the way you would when you are praying. For maximum curl definition, gently scrunch your hair after applying the products. 2. Raking In To style your hair using this technique, just coat your palms with your favourite styling product and finger comb small sections of your hair. Your hands should be shaped like a claw or a rake when you are doing this. If you have loose curls or wavy hair, then end it by scrunching your hair to get tighter curls. 3. Smasters Technique (Created by Smasters467) In this technique, the focus isn’t on how you apply the product, but on how much product you are applying and when. Start by taking half of the styling product you’d normally use. Apply this all over your hair using either praying hands method or by raking it in. Now, diffuse your hair (or let it air dry) until it’s 50% dry. Next, wet your palms, take the same amount of product and gently smooth it on to your hair. Wet your palms whenever you feel that your hair is sticking to it. Diffuse (or air dry) your hair until it's 100% dry. This technique is a hit amongst people who have wavy hair or loose curls. 4. The Smooch Method (Created by Elizabeth Alex) This method is very similar to the praying hands method. Smooth the product on to a small section of your hair and immediately follow it up by scrunching the same section. Repeat this on every section of your hair. And, that’s it! Using this technique will give you bigger clumps, more curl definition and lesser frizz. 5. Roping Method To get the best result from this technique, divide your hair into small sections; squeeze a tiny amount of your styling product and rub it in between your palms. Now, hold each section in your fist (the way you’d hold a rope) and squeeze it from the roots to the ends. After you’ve applied the product evenly throughout your hair, go ahead and scrunch it. Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind when you are styling your hair- - If you have wavy hair or loose curls, end your styling process with scrunching to get tighter curls. - Whenever you see a few unruly strands, finger coil it. - Always style your hair when it is soaking wet to get better results. - If you are a one and done kind of person, choose a curl cream that can do it all - hydrate your hair, increase curl definition and give your hair a light hold - like the Curl Up Curl Defining Cream. Try these techniques to see which one works the best for you. Embrace your natural hair whether it’s wavy, curly or kinky. It may be high maintenance but it’s totally worth it! ABOUT THE GUEST : Seema Rath is a lifestyle blogger, an avid art lover and loves all things organizing! She is a YouTube Content Creator and loves and embraces her natural curls. Her cheery and inspiring work on Curly Hair has helped many other Indian Curlies explore the celebrated CG-Method.