Does curly hair actually need more moisture?

The idea that curly hair is naturally dry has been turned into a problem that the beauty industry tries to “fix.” However, this is outdated info, spread by CGM enthusiasts, salespeople, and hairstylists who lump all curls into one category - “dry, frizzy, unruly.”

Frizz, dryness, and flyaways do not necessarily mean your hair is dry. Frizz is a natural part of curly hair - without it, curls wouldn’t have their shape. We often confuse frizz with dryness, but they’re not the same. If I comb through my curls, they get frizzy. Go outside on a humid day, they get frizzy. Does that mean they’re drier? No. Frizz can be tamed with styling products like gel, but it’s also a signal of curl volume. If you want volume, you have to accept some frizz.

Yes, some curly hair is naturally more porous and drier, but from my experience, much more beautiful curls come from hair that isn’t overloaded with moisture and feels smooth and slippery. I often see clients with curls weighed down by too many conditioning products. In the North and Eastern Europe, most hair isn’t even curly enough to be naturally dry, so all that extra product just makes hair limp and stretched out. When you try to tame “dryness,” you actually tame the curls.

So here’s some advice that goes against what you might hear elsewhere: if your hair isn’t the “dry curly” type (coarse, porous, quickly dries, and easily absorbs moisture) and you’re not causing too much damage, try moisturizing your hair less. Use fewer masks and less conditioner. If your hair is very thin and slippery, you can skip conditioner altogether or just use a light leave-in. Cut back on creams - sometimes just gel is enough to style. You’ll get tighter, longer-lasting curls with more volume.