JiveDash

First, know your hair type

The best hair gel for your curly hair is going to depend on what type of hair you have and the hairstyle you’re working with, so you'll wanna figure out your hair type for this. It’s not an exact science, but gels made for protective styles, wash and gos, and twist/braid-outs are usually high in moisture and soft or medium in hold, making them excellent choices for drier, type 4 hair.

On the other hand, gels made for waves and curls (think type 2c-3c hair) are usually super-high in hold and lower in moisture, giving curls a stiffer, stronger, more defined look. No, that is not a bad thing, despite the middle-school imagery flashing through your head—that crunchy noodle look is what you want. It's actually called a “gel cast,” and it’s the magic behind traditional curly hair gels (more on this below).

Give the formula two weeks

If you try one of these gels and immediately hate your hair the next day, it may be more on user error—ahem, you <3—than on the actual product itself, especially if you're working with finer or looser curl types (think: 2b waves to 3b curls), which can easily be weighed down. Which means before you decide you hate the gel, give it 2-3 full weeks of experimenting before making a yay or nay decision.

Here's how: Try the gel on sopping-wet hair and on damp hair. Try it before combing and after combing. Try it on its own, and on top of a curl cream (for drier hair types) or mousse (for finer hair types). If your hair feels too heavy or product-y when it dries, try using less gel. If your hair feels basically the same, try using way, way more gel. Sry, bb, but some trial and error is what curly requires.

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