How to Style Curly Hair: Defining Curls Without Crunch

To style curly hair without crunch, apply product to soaking wet hair, not damp or dry hair, then leave it completely alone until it is dry. Use a leave-in or curl cream first for softness, and a light gel only if you need hold. The gel will dry into a slightly stiff “cast”. That is normal. Once the hair is fully dry, scrunch upwards with your hands to break the cast, and the curls will stay defined but soft. Most frizz and crunch comes from three things: product on the wrong hair, too much of it, and touching the hair while it dries.

Why curls need a different approach

Straight hair is styled by moving it into place. Curly hair is styled by letting it form its own shape and then holding that shape. Curls group into clumps as they dry. When the clumps stay together, you get definition. When they are separated, by a towel, a brush, fingers or a gust of wind, each hair goes its own way and you get frizz.

The styling process is about encouraging clumps to form and then protecting them. Every step below serves that purpose. It also explains why styling only works on a good cut. If the shape is wrong, product cannot fix it. Our post on haircuts for curly hair covers the cut itself, and our curly hair care guide covers washing and conditioning. This post starts once the hair is clean and conditioned.

Choosing products: what each one does

Product	What it does	Use it if
Leave-in conditioner	Softness and slip, reduces dryness	Your hair feels dry or rough, or is coarse
Curl cream	Soft definition, light hold, natural finish	You want curls to look natural rather than set
Gel or curl gel	Firm hold, definition that lasts all day	Curls drop or frizz by midday
Mousse	Volume with light hold	Fine or loose wavy curls that go flat
Matt clay or paste	Texture, separation	Generally avoid on wet curls; useful on short curls once dry

Most men need two products at most: a cream or leave-in for softness, and a gel or mousse for hold. Heavy oils and waxy products tend to weigh curls down and make them look greasy. If your water is hard, as it is across most of London, a cream with good slip makes a noticeable difference, because hard water can leave curls feeling rougher.

The method, step by step

1. Style in the shower or straight out of it. The hair should be dripping. This is the single most important step. Product on wet hair spreads evenly and helps clumps form. On towel-dried hair, the clumps have already been broken.
2. Apply leave-in or curl cream. A small amount, roughly a 10p coin for short hair, more for longer. Rub it between your palms and smooth it over the hair from roots to ends with flat hands, a technique often called “praying hands”.
3. Scrunch it in. Cup sections of hair in your palm and squeeze upwards towards the scalp. You should hear a slight squelch. That means the hair is wet enough.
4. Add gel if you use it. Same method: smooth over, then scrunch. Less than you think.
5. Remove excess water gently. Use a cotton T-shirt or microfibre towel and scrunch, never rub. A standard bath towel roughs up the surface of the hair.
6. Do not touch it while it dries. This is where most men go wrong. Every touch separates clumps. Air-dry, or use a diffuser on low heat and low speed, holding the hair up in the bowl of the diffuser rather than blowing at it.
7. Scrunch out the crunch. When the hair is completely dry, and not before, scrunch upwards with your hands to break the cast. A drop of oil or cream on your palms makes this smoother. The curls soften but stay together.

On short curly hair, the whole process takes about five minutes plus drying time. On longer hair, drying is the slow part, which is why some men style in the evening and refresh in the morning.

Why you get crunch, and why you get frizz

Crunch

• Too much gel.
• Scrunching out the cast before the hair is fully dry, which spreads the stiffness rather than breaking it.
• Gel on hair that was not wet enough, so it sits on the surface in clumps.

Frizz

• Towel-drying vigorously before applying product.
• Touching, running your hands through, or putting on a hat before the hair is dry.
• Brushing dry curls.
• Not enough moisture, particularly in winter with central heating and cold air outside.
• Damp weather. Our post on styles that survive a damp day deals with London drizzle specifically.

Day two and day three

Many men with curly hair do not wash it every day, because the natural oils help curls hold. To refresh second-day curls:

• Mist the hair with water from a spray bottle until it is damp, not soaked.
• Smooth over a small amount of cream or a diluted mix of cream and water.
• Scrunch, then leave to dry for ten minutes.
• For a single flat section, wet just that part and twist it around a finger.

Sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase, or loosely gathering longer curls on top of the head, reduces how much they are flattened overnight.

What your barber can do that product cannot

Styling relies on the cut. Curls that are too heavy at the sides go triangular, curls that are cut too short at the crown stick up, and curls cut wet with straight-hair technique can dry far shorter and less even than intended. At Highgate Cuts, every visit begins with an assessment where the barber looks at your hair dry, sees how the curls fall, and recommends what to do. It is also a good time to ask which products suit your curl type and how much to use. If you want to see what we do, the full service list is on our barber page, and you can always ask the Highgate Cuts team to show you the scrunch method at the end of your cut.

Questions we get asked

Should I use gel on curly hair?

If your curls lose definition during the day, yes. Modern curl gels are much softer than older styling gels once the cast is broken.

Why are my curls fine at home and frizzy by the time I get to work?

Usually because the hair was not fully dry when you left, or because a hat or hood disturbed it. Allow more drying time, or style the night before.

Can I use a normal hairdryer?

Without a diffuser, a dryer blows curls apart. If you have no diffuser, air-dry or use the lowest speed and point the airflow upwards at the roots.

Do I need different products for short curls?

Short curls often need less hold. A curl cream alone, or a small amount of matt paste on dry hair, is often enough.

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