Curly hair has always held a reputation for being trickier to manage than straight hair. In fact, research by hair tool brand, Bellissima, specialists in curly hair, has found that it takes on average 22 minutes a day to style curly hair - that’s five and a half days of styling time a year!

This maintenance effort has caused 52% of curly-haired women to sadly, fall out of love with their curls.

The research has also found that one in four women feel self-conscious about having curly hair (only 23% feel confident going on a date with their natural curls on show!) and despite 24% saying curly hair made them feel fun, only a tiny 7% say they’ve always loved their curls.

What’s Your Curly Hair Type?

According to the research, 56% of women are unaware of their curl type. Jacqui McIntosh, Bellissima hair ambassador, specialist in hair texture management and certified Trichologist, says: “Type 1 hair is straight with no natural curl or wave; however Type 2 curls are wavy and form an "S" shape. They tend to be fine or medium in texture and can be prone to frizz."

“Type 3 curls are springy and well-defined, forming ringlets or corkscrew shapes and Type 4 curls are tight and densely packed, often forming coils or zig-zag patterns.”

To suss out your curl type, wash your hair, then let it air-dry without brushing or styling it to see its true curl pattern.

“Once you know your curl type, you can pick products and hair care methods that won’t weigh down your waves or leave your spirals parched.”

Styling Your Curly Hair

If you’re blessed with curly hair, you might struggle to tame it. The research by Bellissima has found that only 13% admit to having never used a tool or had a treatment to lessen their curls. But all this heat can cause damage, so much so that 41% of women who finally embraced their curls said that they realised the damage they were doing to their hair by constantly straightening it or using heat to style it.

Callum Townsend, Salon Owner and Curl & Colour Expert and Educator says: “If someone came to me to try and chemically treat their hair to be straight, the first thing we are doing is sitting and working on breaking that stigma around why their natural hair is 'bad'. Natural is beautiful and it's about time we all realised that!”

According to the research by Bellissima, 51% of curly haired women don’t or are not aware of hair salons who have hairdressers qualified in cutting or styling curly hair in their area.

But Jacqui says that curly hair needs a little more TLC. Jacqui explains: “Curl care should be customised to suit your unique texture. Using products that don’t work for your curl type can actually cause issues leading to a damaged curl pattern, breakage, frizz and loss of curl due to chemical damage.”

As for how to save time on caring for your curls, Callum says: “Strip it back to basics, focus on simple high-quality shampoo, conditioner and a styler to make your curls pop."

"It's all about technique, not how many products and times you throw your head forward to make the best curls.”

Style Your Hair, The Right Way:

Type 2: Wavy Hair

Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle hair when it’s wet and avoid frizz. To avoid weighing your hair down, use lightweight gels or mousses to define the waves. Apply products on damp hair and scrunch upwards. Air-dry or use the Bellissima Diffon Ceramic diffuser for gentle drying.

Type 3: Curly Hair

Moisture is key here for frizz-free, defined curls. Use curl creams or gels on wet hair and apply in sections to enhance and hold the curl pattern without adding too much weight. Try a microfiber towel or T-shirt to scrunch dry and avoid frizz caused by towels.

Type 1: Straight Hair

Straight hair tends to get oily quickly, lacks volume, and may need extra texture to hold styles. Try lightweight products like volumising sprays or mousses to avoid weighing down the hair and use texturising sprays or salt sprays to add some body and grit for better hold when styling. A round brush is great for blow drying, adding volume, or creating loose waves.