I’m always asked how to style curly hair and this trick with gel really surprised me.
When I used to think of gel, I’d remember crispy curls. Hair that’s so hard you can’t touch it.
But it turns out I was using gel wrong the whole time.
You see, gel is a two stage process.
Gel does make your hair crispy but that’s not where you finish. You have to do the important second step to get the perfectly defined curls you’re searching for.
Gel forms a casing around your hair that allows your hair to dry into fine ringlets and yes it does feel crispy. But the idea is to break that cast around the hair and soften it to release the natural curls underneath.
The reason I didn’t get to the second step very often is because it requires patience. Patience is a virtue that I do not naturally possess. But if you are like me, there is a way to get through it and once you see the results you’ll be able to persevere.
How to style curly hair with gel
Gel is the final styling product that you’ll apply to your hair when it’s wet.
I like to use a curl cream first to shape and define my curls. I do this straight out of the shower so my hair is soaking wet.
Then I’ll grab a t-shirt and scrunch the curls up and squeeze them to remove any excess water. You can see more of this process in my post on how to style frizz free curls. There’s a video which helps to explain it.
Then I apply a dollop of gel, say, around a 20 cent piece (that’s around a quarter size depending on how much hair you have). I rub the gel between my palms and then I apply it to the ends of my hair, scrunching lightly up into my curls.
I also smooth the gel down my hair with open palms. You don’t rake your fingers down your hair when applying gel, using more of an open palm hand to smooth the gel over the surface of your curls.
The next step is to wait. You need your hair to be completely dry for step 2.
You can speed this up by using a diffuser or just let your hair air dry naturally. Then once your hair is completely dry, you can scrunch out that crunch.
Now it’s time to release your curls from their crispy coating.
Use your hand to scrunch out your curls and you’ll feel the gel soften and release allowing the gel cast to break and the softer hair to come through. You can also use your diffuser again at this stage on medium heat and low speed to warm up your hair. This has the effect of softening the gel to really release your curls from that crispy coating. Another tip is to use a soft t-shirt to scrunch your hair and release the gel.
As a final stage, I like to flip my hair over and put my fingers right through to the scalp and give my hair a little bit of a shake. This just lifts and releases my hair at the root giving my hair a little bit more volume and releasing that gel cast right through.
Gel styling tips
- Apply gel as the last stage in your curl styling routine on wet hair.
- Don’t rake the gel through your hair, apply it to the surface of your curls with an open palm and lightly scrunch up.
- Allow your hair to dry completely. Be patient!
- Scrunch out the crunch to remove the gel cast. Use your hands, a soft t-shirt or your diffuser to break that crispy coating and release your curls.
The difference in not using gel on my curls
I find that if I don’t use gel, I end up with so much more frizz. The ends of my hair dry first and become really frizzy and the gel makes a really noticeable and dramatic difference.
The gel I’ve been using is the Schwarzkopf Taft Mega Styling Gel. I also hear good reviews on this gel too. It’s alcohol free and has a really high hold without stickiness. The best thing is it doesn’t flake or leave any white marks as it cracks out on your hair.
Why does my gel leave white flakes in my hair?
If your hair gel leaves white flakes on your hair, this can be caused because of your reaction between the gel and the conditioner or styling cream that you use underneath.
To test if this will happen, mix a little bit of the styling cream or conditioner that you would like to style your hair with and the gel together in the palm of your hand, if it starts to bead up or roll into a ball, you know it’s going to flake in your hairs so you don’t use them together.
Gel for frizz free curls
So if your frizz is really bothering you, I highly recommend trying gel on your curls next time you wash your hair. Have patience and push through that crispy stage and once your hair is completely dry, crunch your way to super soft and defined curls.
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Good luck styling your curls and leave me a comment below letting me know if you’ve tried gel before and what brand of gel you like to use.
What is the best oil to use after the cream, gel & scrunch out I don’t want it to look oily or glossy!!
What do you use??
Hi, I’m a guy and I have short curly hair. How can I Scrunch out the crunch if I have short hair?
yes this still works in short hair 🙂
I always get a crazy bed head in the morning. Is there anything I can do so that I don’t have to brush and wash my hair everyday? My hair doesn’t get too dry like other people’s do but it takes up a lot of my time. I have 3b curls.
Hey, I saw someone on tiktok putting hair spray on their curls after they dry, maybe try this? Never tried it myself but the people in the comments seemed to think it worked xx
Ok so I’ve tried every product practically on the market. My curls are a 3a for the most part, however, the back is more tightly coiled. I recently bought DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel and was going to sell it bc I didn’t like the crunch it left. But this was before I seriously started reading ingredient lists on products and how to apply. So it does say on the bottle that it leaves a cast. Your post about gel has made me ambitious to try this highly regarded gel out again, along with your recommendations! For instance I went to a highly priced salon in St. Louis and the stylist first scrunched Bumble and Bumble oil in gel cream into my hair and scrunched while soaking wet and then applied a Bumble and Bumble curl spray and manuipulated it a little more then left the salon like that. I had definition to my hair, yes, but it was crunchy as could be! First off, I recently read wet hair repels oil and it cannot penetrate so not sure about the oil in gel. And yes, so many products have alcohol. I was told by a stylist at another salon that its not bad and helps to define the curl as long as it isn’t high up in the ingredient list.
You suggested a curl cream right after showering. Is just a regular styling cream ok instead, followed by my DevaCurl gel? I have some Morracain oil cream cream but never liked it at least on its own, and people love the line! Would appreciate any suggestions, you have gorgeous curls and I’m definitely looking to have my hair polished and a go-to routine that I can rely on day after day. I’m interviewing for high level positions so I need to look polished on a daily basis….it always helps and gives you that extra boost of confidence. My hair has been a source of frustration since it turned from straight to curly at age 16. Thank you for any advice. Your post has reenergized me to continue on working with my naturally curly hair. One more thing…is shampoo and conditioner for curly hair all that important? Best
Gteat post, I was wondering though , Is your hair naturally curly or permed? And if so what style perm? (: thanks
Hi Summer, this is my natural curl 🙂
What gel do you use?
Hi Shyla, I use a Taft gel which you can get here – http://bit.ly/1qYARXP xx
I always use gel because of frizz but i read that gel has a lot of alcohool inside and that make the curly hair drier than they naturally are. Is it right?
Hi Lise, it depends on the gel and this formula in the Taft gel is fine. You can also DIY and make your own flaxseed gel. I know a few girls who do this but I haven’t tried it yet myself x
Thank you so much for this! I tried your routine for my normally super dry and frizzy curls, and it worked! Never have I had these smooth, shiny curls without a curling iron and hated my natural hair… NOT ANYMORE!
yay, thanks Eva! That’s so great to hear xx
This is simply gorgeous. This is an absolute perfection. I mostly use GKhair gel to create sleek and smooth hair style with long lasting strong hold. I love this hair gel very much for creating my desired hair style. 🙂 <3
thanks Mary! Really appreciate your recommendations x
How do you pin your hair up overnight, ready for the non-wash days? I find my day 2 curls are flat and frizzy, but frequent washing makes my hair so dry. Do you use more product on those non-wash days?
Hi Lisa! I use a flat clip (this one – http://bit.ly/1WOelic) and clip my hair up on top of my head. In the morning I use a water spray bottle to revive my curls and a little oil or serum to reshape any squashed curls. I’ll be shooting a video on this soon xx
Thank you for this tutorial ! you are so sweet
Thank you!
What curl cream and gel do you recommend? My hair is thick like yours.
Kxx
Hi Kate! I love the Schwarzkopf Taft mega styling gel and I change my curl creams around. I like the Schwarzkopf curl cream for the price and Matrix Biolage Defining Gel Cream or evo liquid rollers are salon faves. Christina x
Having major hair envy over here! It’s gorgeous!! I know you have already posted an article about your haircut, but that was so long ago I didn’t know if it had changed? Your hairstyle/cut looks different. I’m trying to figure out how to convey what I want to my stylist. I get so scared evert me I need a haircut!
*every time
whoops!
Hi Sarah! yes you’re right – I need to update my curly haircut post! I’ve switched from a V-shape cut to a rounder style. I’ve just had a haircut and had more layers cut into my hair again after having only long layers for a while. I recommend taking in lots of photos of what you like to show your hairdresser. Even better, take in photos of what you don’t like as this is just as important to show them. I also take in old photos of my hair to show them styles that worked well (and ones that didn’t!). Good luck xx
Your hair sounds a lot like mine !
Thanks for sharing your routine and tips.
I love your website !!!
I often wash my hair at night. Do you think it would work if I left the gel until morning and scrunched it out then? I’ve never tried gel before and am a bit nervous!
Hi Rebecca, great question! I would leave it to the morning to scrunch out the gel. I washed my hair in the afternoon recently and didn’t scrunch out my gel until the next morning. It worked well and my curls were good the next day. Some of the gel was scrunched out in my sleep even though I slept with my hair clipped up. Then in the morning I just worked the rest out with a t-shirt and my hands. Good luck and let me know how you go xx
Will you come and do my hair?
I wish I could! I hope that the blog is like having me in your pocket to help xx
I use Loreal EverCurl and it seems to do a pretty good job on my hair. Thanks for giving us some more tips on styling curly hair it much appreciated.
Thanks Pamela! It’s great to hear another recommendation and hope you’re enjoying my curly hair posts this month 🙂
Oh yeah !!
I have a question…what is your hair routine ?
I know you use gel but do you also use shampoo, conditioner or leave in products?
What brands do you use?
Oh sorry they are three questions instead of one 😉
All good questions Carla! I haven’t posted before as I don’t really have a set routine. Part of my blogging job is trying and testing products so my routine often changes. As a baseline guide, my hair is coloured and naturally dry so it soaks up all the moisture. I do use shampoo as I try a lot of styling products but I alternate with a co-wash product on less styled days. I wash my hair 1-3 times a week depending on what I’m shooting. I always use a hydrating treatment and conditioner. My hair can’t get enough conditioner! I even add a little more conditioner to my hair as a leave-in, or use a leave-in spray. Then I apply curl cream to my hair when it’s really wet and gel is the final product. I scrunch my hair with a t-shirt to dry it and then either leave my hair to airdry. I diffuse dry if I’m in a hurry or want more volume. Once my hair is dry and I’ve scrunched out the gel, I might add a little serum or oil to the ends of my hair – it depends on how it looks.
Hope this helps! I should write this up as a full post soon xx
This is what confuses me. Doesn’t the tshirt remove most of the gel?
no because the gel is already setting around my hair. If you want you can apply more gel before you diffuse if you feel it’s all come off x
What serum or oil do you use??
Gel is the key!
Makes sooooo much difference, right Carla? x
I simply adore your curls! Gorgeous photos and great tips, as always. x
Thanks lovely! The gel trick is weird but it works xx