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How to Style Curly Hair for Men: A Grooming Guide

Need some an exact haircare regimen? Here are some steps to follow.

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Published Aug 17, 2023

Having curly hair is a rigorous process. It takes a lot of time, care, and consideration in order to achieve great hair health along with an equally great style, but it's a process that's well worth it when you consider the final results. Similar to skin, our hair is always changing, and when you consider the fact that there's always new haircare products hitting the market, there's never a bad time to consider a new grooming and style routine. Maybe you've never really been into styling your hair on a daily basis but that's slowly starting to change. Or perhaps the routine you've had for years isn't working anymore and you're looking for some new suggestions. Maybe you're somewhere in the middle.

Whatever the case may be you're here, and since you're here, we've put together a grooming guide on how to style curly hair for men. We've already given you tips on how to smell good and keep your skin moisturized and refreshed, so why not finish it all off with the hair? Check out our selections below.

The basics of styling curly hair for men:

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Styling curling hair is not for the faint of heart. Here's an overview of what we're going to cover.

Shampoo less often (or never!)
Invest in products designed for curly hair
Dry your hair with a tee shirt instead of a towel
Use a diffuser on your blowdryer (or avoid blowdrying)
Use a wide toothed comb
End your shower with a cold rinse

Now let's break each of them down one by one:

1. Shampoo less often (or never!)

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Different hair types and textures require different respective sets of care. When it comes to curly hair, it's recommended that you shampoo less than other hair types for a couple of reasons. For starters, curly hair is more likely to get dry than other types of hair, and shampooing everyday can dry out your curls even more. Shampooing everyday can also strip your hair of the essential oils it needs to remain moisturized, which it turn can effect your curl pattern. There's an emphasis placed more on conditioning, and the general recommendation is that you shampoo your hair one to two times a week unless for some reason you feel more is needed.

2. Invest in products designed for curly hair

As we just said, different hair textures require different types of care. Keeping this top of mind, it is absolutely worth it to invest in products that are specifically designed for curly hair as they take into consideration all of the elements needed to have healthy curls and styling. Considering what we just said about shampooing curly hair, there's actual curly hair shampoos on the market that are efficient enough to meet that one to two times a week mark from a cleanliness standpoint, while also making hydration and moisturizing top priorities.

To that point, there's also conditioners that are geared specifically towards curly hair along with gels, curl creams, curl masks, curl definers, products geared towards split ends and hair growth, and much much more. A deep dive of the various products on the market is well worth it in our opinion.

3. Dry your hair with a tee shirt instead of a towel

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It's natural to gear towards using towel when washing our hair because we've basically been using towels as a part of the wash and dry process since they've been invented. That said, sometimes towels can be a big aggressive on our hair, which in turn can cause some breakage. A cotton t-shirt is another option to consider for washing and drying as the material is soft, and doesn't latch on to your hair strands. The fibers built into cotton also help with absorbing water, so definitely keep the idea of using a cotton tee in mind the next time you wash. If a cotton t-shirt doesn't sound appealing, then opt for a microfiber towel as another option.

4. Use a diffuser on your blowdryer (or avoid blowdrying)

It's no secret that excess heat can be primary factor in hair damage. Too much blowdrying (0r blowdrying too hot), in particular, has also been proven to be the cause in your natural curl pattern being taken away (this has happened to the editor). If you can't or don't want to avoid blowdrying altogether, then it's important to use a hairdryer diffuser on low heat with low power, as it provides a much gentler way of blowdrying your hair. There's plenty of great ones on the market, so make sure to give them a browse.

5. Use a wide toothed comb

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For curly hair in particular, using a wide tooth comb allows for easier movements through you hair and less tangling as brushes and non-wide tooth combs can cause breakage and damage. Not only do wide tooth combs prevent breakage and damage from happening in the first place as the space between the comb teeth helps to minimize harsh impact, wide tooth combs also help with the styling component as well when it comes to parting and creating sleek looks.

End your shower with a cold rinse

Not only is ending your shower with a cold rinse incredibly relaxing, it's also great for your hair. While you should make sure the water is warm while actually washing your hair, the conditioner portion of your hair washing routine should be done with cold water as the coolness helps with retaining moisture. Additionally, rinsing with cold water helps to prevent frizz, along with making your curls tighter.

How to actually style curly hair

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Now that we've broken it down one by one, let's detail how to style curly hair step by step. You ready?

Step One: Shampoo your hair less often so that way your hair doesn't loose it's curl pattern, and retains moisture. Losing your hair's natural oils is an automatic no-go, and shampooing roughly one-to-two times a week is a good balance.
Step Two: Ideally you should be using a conditioner specifically meant for curly hair. Either way, conditioning roughly two-to-three times a week is the sweet spot for curly hair, and you can use leave-in conditioner on the days you don't wash as a substitution. If washing in the shower, make sure you end with a cold rinse.
Step Three: Use a cotton t-shirt and gently dry your hair
Step Four: Once done with either shampooing/conditioning or using a leave-in conditioner and drying, grab that wide tooth comb we just mentioned and gently detangle your hair.
Step Five: Grab that cotton tee again after combing your hair and dry your hair once more just to make sure the excess water is eliminated.
Step Six: Get your blowdryer diffuser and gently blow dry your hair on low heat with low power. It's essential you use the low setting as high heat can damage your hair and ruin your curl pattern.
Step Seven: Lastly, use a hair styling gel meant for curly hair and your fingers to work through your curls and style the way you wish. You can also use your comb to help with sleekness and parting, but your fingers should be enough to achieve your desired style.

FAQs about curly hair for men:

How do I make my curly hair look good?

You can make your curly hair look good by shampooing less often, having a good conditioning routine, drying your hair with a cotton t-shirt or microfibre towel, using products that are specifically meant for curly hair, using a blowdryer diffuser on low heat with low power, and a styling gel to help your curls look sleek.

What products should I use on curly hair?

As we just mentioned, it's best to use products meant for curly hair on curly hair as different hair textures require different products and care. The products that are made for curly hair take into account all that we've mentioned above, with many of the creators of those products being made by individuals with curly hair themselves. Now this isn't a "hard rule" because we know hair care (and its respective products) is always evolving, it's just our recommendation.

Can I straighten curly hair?

You absolutely can straighten curly hair, you'll just need to do it with a blowdryer diffuser or straightener on a low setting as too much heat can ruin your curl pattern. Also, be aware that straightening your hair too much can be a cause for curl patterns being lost. Just something to keep in mind.