Loose Curl Traits
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Curl Shape
Loose curls are made up of S-shaped waves. These waves can be large and loose, almost straight, or almost spirals. When wet, loose curls look almost (or fully) straight.
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Frizz Factor
Out of all textured hair, loose curls are less prone to frizz and are mostly able to combed or brushed through dry (although this is not recommended). Having less frizz also means it's less likely to tangle with less breakage compared to other hair types.
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Maintenance Level
Loose curls are generally very simple to care for with few steps. It's possible to wear the hair fully natural with no product (resulting in an appearance of frizzy-looking straight hair), but also very easy to define the curls with a wide range of products. It is very easy to achieve flat ironed hair with minimal damage.
Tips For Care
While you may have grown up believing you should wash your hair every single time you shower, with textured hair types, it's not recommended to wash hair too often as this can lead to the hair drying out and breaking. When drying your hair, use either a t-shirt or a microfibre towel so as to not disturb your natural curl pattern.
Acquiring voluminous hair with loose curls requires more effort compared to other curl patterns. For maximum volume, flip your head upside down when applying product and scrunching the cream or gel. Scrunch the product from tip to root instead of running your hands from root to tip (as this will result in a flatter end result).
Be conservative with your product use otherwise your curls will be weighed down and lose volume. Specialist haircuts (known as 'curly cuts') can also help with achieving more voluminous locks. The longer your hair, the flatter the end result.
To keep your hair defined until your next wash day, only brush or comb your hair right before applying your product. When your hair is dry, try not to touch your hair too much to not disturb your curls. When going to bed, sleeping on either sleep on a silk pillowcase or wearing a silk bonnet is a great way of protecting your hair!
