There’s always that one curl. The one right beside your face that looked beautiful yesterday and has somehow spent the night becoming a completely different shape.
Meanwhile, the rest of your hair looks perfectly fine.
Second-day curls can be unpredictable, but there’s no reason to start from scratch every morning. A little water, perhaps some leave-in conditioner, and a few minutes spent fixing the unruly bits can make yesterday’s hairstyle worth wearing again.
The trick is knowing when to leave well enough alone.
1. Take a good look before touching anything
First, figure out what’s actually wrong. Maybe the crown has gone flat, or a few curls near your temples have turned fuzzy. Sometimes it’s only the ends that need attention.
Not every curl requires rescuing.
In fact, refreshing your entire head when three pieces are misbehaving is a good way to turn a five-minute job into something considerably more involved.
And if your hair already feels sticky or coated, think twice before adding more product.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing curly hair according to its needs rather than automatically shampooing every day. Too much washing can encourage dryness and frizz, although a scalp that feels oily or has significant buildup may need an actual wash.
2. Bring out the spray bottle
Plain water is surprisingly useful here. Give the troublesome sections a light mist, then wait a moment.
Yesterday’s styling product may soften enough to help the curls find their shape again. Schwarzkopf’s curl-refresh guide suggests spraying from roughly 12 inches away. That gives you a fine mist instead of one thoroughly drenched patch.
Loose waves may need barely any water. Springier curls can take a little more, while tight coils are often easier to work on in small sections. There’s no need to soak everything unless you’re planning to spend half the morning waiting for it to dry.
3. The product situation: less is usually plenty
That expensive curl cream you used yesterday is probably still in there somewhere.
Before reaching for another handful, see what the water has accomplished.
Ouidad’s second-day curl advice suggests that fine curls may need nothing more than water and a little reshaping. Too much additional product can leave them looking limp. Thicker curls that feel dry might appreciate some leave-in conditioner or lightweight styling cream. Start small, concentrating on the sections that need it.
The AAD also recommends applying leave-in conditioner where the hair needs moisture rather than coating the scalp.
Nobody needs a fresh layer of gel sitting on top of three older ones.
4. Give the strays some individual attention
Now comes the satisfying part.
For loose waves, cup the ends in your hands and scrunch upward. If you’ve got spirals that have gone a little wonky, wrap a damp section around your finger and gently release it. Tighter coils may respond better to finger-coiling or a small two-strand twist.
Work with the curl pattern you’ve got rather than trying to force every piece into the same shape.
And once you’ve fixed a section, stop fussing with it. Constantly separating and rearranging damp curls can undo the definition you’ve just brought back.
5. Let everything settle, then think about tonight
Air-drying is lovely if you have the time. Otherwise, a diffuser on low heat can help. Resist touching the curls until they’re dry, even if a few look slightly stiff at first.
If your styler has left a firm cast, gently scrunch it once everything is completely dry.
As for tomorrow morning, a little preparation tonight may save you some trouble.
A loose pineapple ponytail, satin bonnet, or silk pillowcase can help keep curls from being flattened overnight. Long coils may be more comfortable in loose twists or braids. The AAD recommends loose overnight styles to help preserve curls and reduce friction.
And should one curl still refuse to cooperate in the morning? A hair clip is a perfectly respectable solution.