curly hair

Technically combing hair while wet is a big no-no. But if you've ever tried to detangle kinky hair, you know that conditioner and a wide-tooth comb are required. Thankfully, curl specialist Ouidad understands and created the Double Detangler ($26). This heavyweight comb has two rows of tines that don't snag on single-strand knots. Using the comb from the ends up to the roots easily eliminates tangles, meaning there's no need to go back a second or third time. Plus, we noticed that both the detangling time and the amount of hair around the drain were cut in half. You can't beat a comb that saves time and your strands.

The number of products on the market targeting curly hair can be overwhelming, but the core of any regimen is the tools you're using. Whether you're embracing your natural texture or heat-styling your strands, celebrity stylist Ursula Stephen (who frequently works with Rihanna) breaks it down to the six tools you really need to manage curly and kinky hair.

Although the ponytail is an easy go-to hairstyle for most, it can be hard to get thick hair like Thandie Newton's natural curls into one rubber band. At the Rogue photocall, she pulled her hair back in what appears to be a low ponytail — but it's all an illusion! To get her look, separate hair into two sections with a middle part, then smooth hair back securing just behind the ears with bobby pins. Fluff hair until the two pigtails blend for one large faux ponytail. You can also create a similar illusion for a high ponytail by doing a half-up hairstyle. Use Thandie's trick to wrestle unruly second-day curls or thick natural hair into a seamless casual style.

Get out of your hairstyling rut with Allure's expert ideas tailored to curly, coily, and kinky hair types.

After years of denial and multiple attempts with a flat iron — thankfully there was no Facebook to publicly immortalize my "awkward phase" — I finally came to grips with a fact: I have very curly hair. But now that I've embraced my ringlets, I've run into yet another dilemma, which is that wearing the same spirals every day can get boring. Since I don't want to just scald my hair straight, I asked celebrity hairstylist Diane Bailey, whose clients include Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill, for some tips on how to reinvent curly hair.

Natural-haired women: do you want longer-lasting, frizz-free, fully-defined, and superstretched twist-outs? Then follow a few simple tricks to make your spirals turn out better every time. From protective styling to keep coils safe from the Winter to mastering second-day twist-outs, you'll look your best yet when you keep reading.

Women with curly hair are known for their devotion to air-drying. But every time you walk out with wet hair in icy weather, you risk freezing your hair among other things. So how do you minimize frizz, avoid heat damage, and dry hair fast? Get multiple solutions depending on your morning time crunch when you keep reading.

Anyone who has ever gotten a comb stuck in her hair while trying to wrestle out a knot knows: there is hair that can be a temporary nuisance, and then there's hair that never does what it's supposed to. So for hair like the latter, there's nothing that you can do aside from beating it into submission with a myriad of hot tools, correct? That's not actually the case, says stylist Vanessa Fernandez of the Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City. It's about what you put into your hair that counts. "I can't stress the need for good products enough," she says.

Quality products that enhance your hair instead of weighing it down will cut out the need for a blast of heat from your blow dryer. "You will need something ultramoisturizing, like Shu Uemura Moisture Velvet shampoo ($48) and mask ($68)," Fernandez says. This oil-based cleansing system is especially formulated for superdry hair, which tends to be the most unruly.

Follow up with a hair oil to inject more moisture and reduce frizz, such as Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum ($30). And to enhance the waves you already have, Fernandez suggests finishing with a mousse, like Kaze Wave by Shu Uemura ($38). "Both products leave the hair shiny, moisturized, and with a good amount of hold without the stiffness," Fernandez says. See? You can have the hair you've always envied . . . without the strand-singeing end result.

If you're one of the many women who have thick, wavy hair, you know that it can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it holds style really well. But it can also be very difficult to wear in its natural state. So how do you reconcile? "Thick, wavy hair texture is all about finding the right hair products," says stylist Vanessa Fernandez of the Butterfly Studio Salon in New York City. While you may have to invest, the results will be amazingly healthy and lustrous hair people will envy. Find out where to put your money when you keep reading.

Curl definition. It's the one elusive element for many curly girls. But the secret to bouncy waves and minimal frizz isn't just about the products you pick. It also requires flawless technique. This one-hand move is equivalent to Michael Jordan's famed flying dunk, but you'll be making moves on the bathroom tile instead of the basketball court. First off, you want to apply product to your curls while they're still soaking wet. This way the formula can do its work on your most elongated curl pattern.

The move: Flip your head over, allowing your ringlets to hang. Use one hand to scrunch hair at ends, and push upward towards your scalp. This will separate curls while maintaining the ideal coiled shape. No time to air dry? You can use this same motion to dry hair. Just make sure to use a T-shirt instead of a towel to keep frizz away. You can also pull out this move on second-day hair when applying a leave-in conditioner to refresh your curls.