Napturality: Five Chic Hairstyles for Naturally Curly Hair

Naturally curly hair can be a hassle sometimes. Whether you have waves or a full-blown afro, sometimes you just want to get your hair out of the way while keeping it looking chic. Here are some ideas for hairstyles that are easy to achieve and will look great on anyone!

Frenchbraid Updo:

This hairstyle is reminiscent of a girl from the French countryside. It's simple yet beautiful. However, it will take some practice to get it perfect. It's very easy if you have a friend do it for you, but if you're doing it yourself, practice makes perfect. The basic idea is that you're going to frenchbraid all of the hair on your head into an updo that partially resembles a crown. If you have wavy hair, you can do this while your hair is wet or dry. If you have African American hair, it's easiest to do this while the hair is wet. I'll write the instructions for African American hair, but it's easy for anyone else to adapt it to their hair texture.

So you'll want to begin by washing your hair. Comb it while it has conditioner with it, so you won't have to deal with tangles. It's very important that your hair is tangle free. Once your hair is clean, you'll want to apply some kind of butter or oil (shea butter and coconut oil is what I use). Now it's time to begin. You can choose to leave a few tendrils down, which you can then pin back up if you don't want them. Don't choose too many curls to leave down and make sure they frame the face- maybe one in front of your ear on one side, one falling to the side on the other. So now, you'll want to use a wide toothed comb to create the path you want to braid in. Think about how cornrows are achieved but this is going to be one large frenchbraid. So I make a side part then use enough hair so the braid is thick without being ridiculous.

You then start frenchbraiding. Go from your side part and move in the opposite direction (for example: if your part is over your left eye, braid towards the right). Go across the front of your head, moving along the outside, past your ears, and to the nape of your neck. From here, you can either go straight up in a zigzag pattern or continue around the nape toward the other ear then close to where you started. When you can't go any further change direction and continue braiding in whatever pattern you choose. Continue until you run out of hair to braid then use a bobby pin to hide the end and secure it. You can leave this hairstyle in for a couple of days and allow it to become a messy updo. You can also decide whether you want to loosely frenchbraid or keep the braids thick and tight.

Fishtail braid with twisted crown

This hairstyle is much simpler and is suited for someone with long, curly hair. Again, you'll want to begin with wet hair, but this time you're doing it to keep the length of your hair. You're going to begin with a side part then twist all of the crown hair towards your ear on either side. You'll want to begin your fishtail on the side opposite your part. So if your part is over your left eye, twist the hair to the right of it towards the right ear and twist the hair to the left of the part towards the left ear then down around the nape of the neck. Use bobby pins and a hair tie to secure the hair and prepare for fishtail braiding. From here, you're just going to fishtail braid the hair so it falls over your right shoulder. And you're done!

Whole head twist updo

With this hairstyle, you're going to want to twist the hair like in the previous hairstyle, but when you meet both sides at the nape of the neck, twist them under and secure with bobby pins, so all of your hair is in a twisted updo. This hairstyle works best with shorter hair than the previous.

Turban

If you're tired of dealing with your hair and want a chic alternative to the hassle of braiding, try a turban! You can find fabric in whatever color needed to match your outfit and it will instantly make you look exotic and couture. There are simple tutorials on youtube so how you how.

Scarf Side-Bun

This is another hairstyle intended for individuals who don't feel like fussing with their hair on a particular day. Place the scarf over your forehead then wrap it around your head and over your hair. You can leave a few tendrils out, so you still have some hair showing. Bring the fabric, with your hair under it, to a side pony. Secure it with a hair tie, then twist it into a bun and secure it with a second hair tie.