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How Do I Choose the Best Hair Spray for Curly Hair?

T. Webster
T. Webster

Finding the best hair spray for curly hair depends a lot on your hair texture and how you style it. Ideally, a hair spray for curly hair will have enough hold to set your hairstyle without drying it out or weighing it down. Hair spray ingredients and price also may be important considerations.

Some hair sprays are formulated specifically for curly hairstyles and are clearly labeled as being intended for use on curly hair. This is because they have ingredients that encourage your hair to curl while adding definition and bounce. One characteristic of curly hair is that it tends to be frizzy, but some hair spray for curly hair is specially formulated to lock in moisture and keep frizzing to a minimum. On the downside, some hair-smoothing ingredients can weigh down hair or make it feel greasy. Silicone, for example, can cause build-up that over time tends to make curly hair look flat.

Woman with curly hair.
Woman with curly hair.

Curly hair that is fine in texture has a tendency to look flat. If your hair is curly and fine, you may want to go easy on the hair spray and other styling products to avoid weighing it down. In addition to flattening fine hair, using too much hair spray can make it look and feel stiff or crunchy.

Hair sprays formulated for extreme hold can be tricky to use on curly hairstyles. Extreme-hold hair sprays contain ingredients that lock a hairstyle into place. The strong holding ability of these hair sprays can lend a sticky or crunchy feel to curly hair. If you must use an extreme-hold hair spray for curly hair, you may want to use it sparingly.

Hair spray.
Hair spray.

Many hair sprays also have a high alcohol content. Alcohol is drying to the hair and might be a concern if your curly hair is already very dry. If this is a concern, a non-aerosol hair spray with no alcohol could be a better choice of hair spray. A non-aerosol hair spray for curly hair will be more concentrated than an aerosol product, making it a good choice for hair that is thicker and needs greater definition. A non-aerosol hair spray also can be applied to the roots to give life to the crown of curly hair.

A woman with curly hair.
A woman with curly hair.

Your hair style also influences which product will be best for you. For example, if you want to make your curly hair straighter, then you may want to use a hair spray designed for smoothing out the hair. Depending on the thickness and tightness of your curls, other products also might be required to achieve this look.

Finally, price is another important consideration for a lot of people. You can find lower-priced hair spray for curly hair in discount stores or you can splurge by shopping at high-end hair salons. As with any beauty product, you might have to test several brands before finding the one that works best for you.

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    • Woman with curly hair.
      Woman with curly hair.
    • Hair spray.
      By: Alexandr Makarov
      Hair spray.
    • A woman with curly hair.
      By: studiovespa
      A woman with curly hair.
    • Hair spray for curly hair can be purchased at a hair salon.
      By: gemenacom
      Hair spray for curly hair can be purchased at a hair salon.