If you weren’t born with curls, you can create a natural-looking wave in your hair. Editor Trudi Brewer asks Danny Pato from d&m Hair Design how to rock an on-trend curl.
Short to Medium length curly cuts.
Curls, wave or just some messy movement in hair is super youthful - not to mention bang on trend. However, the difference between curl and frizz is a fine line. NZ's hairdresser of the year (for the second-year running) Danny Pato shares his recipe on how to get the best-looking curl.
What is the best way to dry curly hair?
Towels are not ideal for drying curly hair, as they roughen up the cuticle and cause frizz. Try wrapping your hair in an old cotton T-shirt, or scrunching it dry with a microfiber cloth towel. Once you’ve removed excess water, apply a leave-in moisturising styling product, such as Oribe Curl Control Silkening Crème, $69 or Davines Curl Moisturising Mousse, $44. Then dry hair on a low speed, medium heat using a diffuser attachment you fit on your hairdryer. This spreads the airflow out over a wide area to gently dry curls. Stop once your hair is almost dry. Alternatively, go heat free and gather up your curls into a hair net and let them naturally air dry.
What shampoo and conditioner do you recommend for naturally curly hair and any washing tips?
Only wash curly hair once a week or when it feels dirty. As curly hair is usually dryer and washing is quite a mission, concentrate on shampooing the scalp only, and use heaps of conditioner or a moisture mask on the mid-lengths and ends. I also recommend rinsing hair in water that’s as cold as you can handle – it slams down the cuticle and encourages shine.
What’s the best way to straighten curly hair?
Make sure you set aside plenty of time. Prepare the hair by washing and conditioning it with products specially designed to smooth, such as Oribe Moisture and Control Cleansing Creme, $57 and Davines Love Smooth Shampoo, $36 and Conditioner, $37. Always remove excess before applying products, and use a blob the size of a $2 coin. Next (this is where you need time) dry your hair in small sections using with the nozzle attachment on the dryer, and angle downward. Use a high-quality round brush such as Brushworx Gold Ceramic Hot Tube Hair Brush, $29 so you can create tension. Make sure your hair is 100 percent dry, and then If you want an even smoother finish, run a wide GHD IV Styler, $230, through section by section. Finally, finish by applying a light serum or dry oil to remove frizz such as Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Oil, $79.
What about hot tools, what works best on curls?
My favourite tool to create a defined curl in curly or straight hair is the GHD Curve Wand, $270. It’s a wand shape with a tapered barrel and is perfect any taming unruly curl.
Any styling tips to help beat frizz?
I would avoid using a brush, use a wide tooth comb to remove tangles with spread conditioner through the hair. Always apply styling product or leave-in moisturiser when your hair is still wet. Use products with UV protection to stop your hair drying out, like Davines SU Hair Milk, $38 or Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream, $81. If your hair becomes a bit frizzy during the day, use a tiny amount of a pomade such as Davines Shine Wax, $44 – warm it up in your hands first and then apply it to hair to tame the strays. Finally, sleep on silk pillowcases. Cotton fibres soak up moisture and roughen up the cuticle, causing frizz and breakage, whereas sleeping on silk causes less friction and is so gentle on your hair.
What cuts work best for curly hair and can you go short with curls?
There are so many cuts that suit curly hair. LOBS (long bobs) and WOBS (wavy bobs) are fantastic, especially when you incorporate layers. In fact, even with straight hair, I always style these cuts by adding some wave. It depends on the type of curl, but some curly haired women can go quite short – Halle Berry and Audrey Tautou spring to mind. Both have graduated pixie cuts that look beautiful. As a general rule of thumb, curly hair is best cut dry and it loves layers.
Some of Pato's top Styling products Ideal for curly hair.
