How to Style African-American Hair

Try a leave-in conditioner and a strong-hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Rake the product cocktail through damp hair with a wide-tooth comb. Scrunch hair to add volume.

Once hair has air-dried, use a serum to touch up any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like Sexy Hair Concepts Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel, $12.49.

Use a small curling iron (holding it parallel to your head) and wrap small sections (about an inch) around the barrel for a glam, '40s look.

Do your entire head, curling all the way up on one side of the part. Vary how much curl you get on the other side so you leave a bit of super-smooth roots on one side.

Spray your whole head with a setting spray and a bit of shine spray when you're done.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Sunsilk ThermaShine Detangling Shine Spray, $4.49.

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Salon Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

Deep condition hair three times a week with a super rich conditioner to flight frizz and breakage.

Try a leave in conditioner and a strong hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Let hair air dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like Ouidad Climate Control Gel, $22

SHINE SERUM like Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like Joico KPax Conditioner, $16,

To get perfect, tight curls sans frizz, you need a cut that supports your curl pattern. Make sure to tell your stylist that you wear your hair naturally so she can give you the cut you need.

Make sure to deep-condition overnight so you get that extra dose of moisture coarse curls need.

Run a thick leave-in conditioner and serum through your hair.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt's Bees Hair Repair, $7.99.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Jonathan Product Conditioning Leave-In Gloss, $22.

SERUM like John Frieda Frizz Ease Hair Serum, Thermal Protection Formula, $9.

Run a shine spray through dry hair.

Use large rollers on the very ends of your hair and let them sit for five to ten minutes.

Work a silicone-based serum through the ends to pull the curls out, leaving the softest hint of a wave.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SHINE GLAZE like Frédéric Fekkai Salon Glaze, $28.

ROLLERS like BaByliss Ceramic 20 Roller Hair Setter, $39.95.

SHINE SPRAY like Alterna Spray Shine, $18.60.

Deep condition hair three times a week with a super rich conditioner to flight frizz and breakage.

Try a leave in conditioner and a strong hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Let hair air dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like, Sexy Hair Concepts Volumizing Gel, $12.49

SHINE SERUM like, Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like, L'Occitane Shea Butter Conditioner, $17

Work a texture cream through the ends of your hair. Take a flat iron and use a little heat at the roots so everything is straight and shiny.

Use a small curling iron on the ends to make them flip up a bit so you get a different sort of texture.

Run a shine serum through your hair for a more polished look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

TEXTURE CREAM like Sexy Hair Concepts Short Sexy Hair Slept-In Texture Cream, $15.99.

CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SERUM like Citré Shine Shine Miracle Anti-Frizz Serum, $7.99.

Try a leave-in conditioner and a strong-hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Rake the product cocktail through damp hair with a wide tooth comb. Scrunch hair to add volume.

Let hair air-dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like Sexy Hair Concepts Volumizing Gel, $12.49

SHINE SERUM like Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alterna Leave In Conditioner, $20

For a modern-looking bob, keep hair well-moisturized and massage your scalp gently even when you don't wash your hair.

Place small sections of hair into large rollers and sit under a drying hood.

When your hair is nearly dry, remove the rollers and blow-dry on a very low heat.

Flat iron your bangs for the finishing touch.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

CONDITIONER like Carol's Daughter Leave-In Conditioner, $11.50.

MOISTURIZING SHAMPOO like Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural Shampoo, $4.99.

DEEP CONDITIONER like Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Intense Hydrating Conditioner, $5.99.

Spritz a thermal protective spray through dry hair to prevent damage and breakage.

Use a large curling iron and wrap 1-2 inch pieces around the barrel, holding the iron parallel to your head. Start wrapping from just above the middle of each section so your roots lie flat.

Run a tiny but of shine serum through your hair to separate curls so they look softer.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

THERMAL PROTECTIVE SPRAY like TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray, $4.79.

LARGE CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Salon Care Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

Add bounce to a relaxed style by spritzing ends with a conditioning mist.

Put a few ceramic hot rollers in for three minutes, tops. Relaxed hair is delicate and you don't want to cause breakage with heat styling.

Shake hair out and spray lightly with a setting mist.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

CURLERS like BaByliss Ceramic 20 Roller Hair Setter, $39.95.

CONDITIONING MIST like DevaCurl Mist-er Right, $17.95.

SETTING SPRAY like Matrix Biolage Thermal Active Setting Spray, $15.50.

Apply a hair mask in the shower for a strong dose of hydration. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb in the shower. Rinse almost all of it out — however, a little residual moisture is a good thing.

Work a mixture of shine glaze and leave in conditioner through wet hair and let it air dry.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

HAIR MASK like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment, $3.93.

SHINE GLAZE like Ouidad Shine Glaze, $17.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Bumble & Bumble Leave-In Conditioner, $22.99.

Naturally curly hair sucks up moisture so stick with a great, emollient leave-in conditioner on soaking wet hair.

When you get out of the shower, towel-dry lightly. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle hair working from the ends up to the roots.

Use a diffuser on a low heat to dry hair partially, letting it air-dry the rest of the way for best results.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Modern Organic Products Leave-In Conditioner, $10.99.

WIDE-TOOTH COMB like Vidal Sassoon Wide-Tooth Comb, $1.29.

DEEP CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask, $6.99.

A close crop requires heavy-duty hydration to look chic. Always use a moisture-rich conditioner.

Wet hair with a setting lotion and sit under a drying hood on low heat to bring out hair's natural texture.

Work a little leave-in condition through a few pieces in front.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Charles Worthington London Results Leave-In Conditioner, $5.99.

HAIR MASK like Pantene Pro-V Strengthening Mask, $3.99.

GEL like Soft Sheen Carson Protein Styling Gel, $4.29.

Start with your bangs and spray them down with a little water mixed with leave-in conditioner.

Dry them using a small round brush so you get a little oomph right at the ends. Spritz with shine spray.

Dry the rest of your hair without using too much product. You want the rest of your hair to look a little more matte than your bangs.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL ROUND BRUSH like Goody Tufted Round Brush, $3.99.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alberto VO5 Detangle & Shine Restoring Daily Leave-in Conditioner, $3.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Matrix Color Smart Reflective Shine Spray, $14.99.

Spritz a thermal protective spray through dry hair to prevent damage.

Use medium-sized hot rollers and roll two-inch sections all the way up. Let rollers sit until they're nearly cool (about 10 minutes).

Mist with a hairspray and unroll hair for voluminous curls that stick around.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

ROLLERS like BaByliss Ceramic 20 Roller Hair Setter, $39.95.

HAIRSPRAY like Got2B 2 Sexy Voluptuous Volume Hairspray, $5.99.

THERMAL PROTECTIVE SPRAY like TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray, $4.

Refresh your straight style by taking a shine serum and running it through your hair.

Use a flat iron on pieces in the front, pulling each section down and toward your chin to create a face-framing shape. Keep the heat setting at a medium level so you don't cause damage.

Spritz with a setting mist to fight flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Salon Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

FLAT IRON like BaByliss Ionic Flat Iron, $85.

SETTING SPRAY like Matrix Biolage Thermal-Active Setting Spray, $15.49.

Spritz a leave-in conditioning mist through dry hair to prevent damage and breakage.

Wrap two-inch sections halfway up with hot rollers, rolling them back away from the face to create volume. Mist with a setting spray. After five minutes, undo rollers.

Run a tiny but of shine serum through your hair to work curls into softer looking waves.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Motions At-Home Nourish Leave-In Conditioner, $3.79.

HOT ROLLERS like Vidal Sassoon 60 Second Fast Heat-Up 20-Roller Hairsetter, $35.00.

Spritz a thermal protective spray through dry hair to prevent damage and breakage.

Use a large curling iron and wrap two-inch pieces around the barrel, holding the iron parallel to your head.

Run a tiny but of shine serum through your hair to separate curls so they look softer.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

THERMAL PROTECTIVE SPRAY like TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray, $4.

CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

Always deep-condition after you wash your hair. Choose a product that's full of replenishing oils.

Blow-dry hair in small sections keeping the dryer on low heat and angled down from the root, says Pantene stylist Tippi Shorter.

Use a flat iron sparingly to get a bone-straight finish.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt's Bees Hair Repair, $7.99.

FLAT IRON like Hot Tools Ceramic Flat Iron, $59.99.

HAIR MOISTURIZER like Infusium 23 Leave In Conditioner, $6.99.

Shampooo with a sulfate-free formula once a week — it won't strip natural oils from your hair, which keep curls under control.

Half a dropper of organic hair oil on very damp hair keeps ringlets looking healthy especially during dry weather.

Layer a cocktail of leave-in conditioner and gel over and let hair air-dry.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

HAIR OIL like Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair Oil, $29.95.

SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO like Back To Basics Color Protect Shampoo, $11.99.

CURL GEL like Ouidad Climate Control Gel, $24.20.