Hair Care Guides

You want fuller curls without extra tangles.
Keep the curl definition you enjoy.

Defined curls can sit closer together than you want, while repeated picking can leave the lengths tangled. Start with fully dry hair, soften any unwanted gel stiffness, then add lift where you want a fuller shape.

Your personal hair-care planProduct choices, routines and answers shaped around your hair.$49one-timeStart my consultation

Keep the curl definition you enjoy.

What is going on

A woman lightly pats the outline of her coily style after putting down the pick.

Choose where you want more fullness

For a wider shape beside your face, lift the roots at the sides. For more height, work at the crown. Start with one area, put the pick down and look from the front and side before deciding where to lift next.

A woman rests her fingertips near the roots while the curl groups along her lengths hang together.

Leave the curl groups you like together

Root lift can add fullness while the lengths stay in defined groups. Leave the curls around your face alone if you like their shape. You do not need to comb through the ends or pull every curl apart to create volume.

What helps, day to day

A woman lightly touches the outside of her hanging curls with relaxed fingertips to check for dampness.

Soften unwanted gel stiffness after drying

A gel cast is the firm coating left as gel dries. Check the roots, inner layers and ends before softening it. Let any damp areas finish drying.
With clean, dry hands, cup a small group of curls from underneath. Lift gently toward your head, press lightly, then open your hands and lower them.
Feel that section after releasing it. Stop when it feels soft enough, then move to another stiff section. The linked gel-cast method shows each action.

A woman checks the smooth prongs of a hair pick before shaping her dry coils.

Stop a pick that catches

Use a clean pick with smooth, undamaged prongs. On dry, detangled hair, insert it just near the roots, keeping the tips off your scalp.
Lift a short distance away from your head, then withdraw the pick before reaching the ends. If it catches, ease it back out without pulling harder.
Leave tangled lengths for a separate wet, conditioned detangle with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb. Dry picking is for root lift.

Woman pauses with both empty hands lowered away from her dry curls while she checks the released section.

Pause before adding more lift

Let the lifted hair settle and check the whole shape from the front and both sides.
If one area still looks flat, make another small lift there. Leave the areas you already like alone.
Stop when the shape looks right to you. If another pass catches or pulls, stop working that area rather than repeating the stroke.

Products, by the job they do

A woman compares a conditioner tube and hair mask jar beside a leave-in bottle.

Keep conditioner in your wash routine

Condition the lengths that need help sliding apart during detangling. Spread rinse-out conditioner through those areas, using the amount on the bottle, and rinse after its stated time. Keep your usual conditioner if it leaves your hair manageable.

Browse rinse-out conditioners. The consultation uses your hair details and treatment history to compare conditioner options.

Woman with wet wavy-curly hair spreads a small amount of clear gel between both palms before touching her hair.

Change hold if the finish still feels wrong

If your usual gel still feels too stiff after you soften the cast, try a softer-hold styler next wash day. Check whether it goes on damp or wet hair and how much to use, then judge the finish once it dries.

Browse styling products. For styling recommendations, share the finish you want, how you dry your hair and your budget.

Choose the method you need

Woman cups fully dry curl groups in both open, empty hands and gently lifts them toward her jaw.

Soften a stiff gel cast

Follow the photos to check your hair is dry, cup one group of curls, then gently press and release it. Feel that section before moving on. If you also want root lift, soften the cast first.

Guide: Soften a dry gel cast

A woman lifts the roots of her dry coily hair with a short stroke of a hair pick.

Lift selected roots with a pick

Choose this when your dry, detangled curls or coils need more lift at the sides or crown. Work close to the roots in short lifts, withdrawing the pick before the ends. Stop if it catches or pulls.

Guide: Lift curls and coils with a hair pick

Illustrated care examples: before & after

Two panels show the same coily hairstyle with a lower, narrower outline, then fuller sides and a higher crown. — Lift near the roots where you want more fullness. Withdraw the pick before the ends, then pause to check the shape.

Two panels show defined curls sitting close together, then a fuller outline with more space between the curl groups. — Once gel-styled hair is fully dry, gently cup, press and release stiff sections. Leave curl groups together when you like their shape.

A woman with curls reviewing her wash-day notes beside hair-care bottles.

Help with your hair-care routine

Bring your hair-care questions to the consultation. You can also read choosing a curl routine.

How can I get wider sides without a taller crown?
Can I add volume and keep the curls around my face defined?
Should I change my gel if my hair still feels stiff?

Tell us where you want more fullness, which curl groups you want to keep and how your current styler feels after drying. The consultation can help you choose products and styling methods for that finish.

The Hair Care Consultation gives you a personal plan with product recommendations, routines and guidance on your hair-care questions.

Start my consultation

$49 with 60 days of follow-ups, or $99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.