Permeating Purpose: How to Care for Curly Hair #WearYourHairCurly

*This post was inspired by Garnier Fructis' #WearYourHairCurly campaign to support a girls' rock camp. Check out their Twitter for updates.

For the longest time, I despised my unruly, curly hair. I hated it because I couldn't control it so I would always put it in a ponytail. If it wasn't in a ponytail, it was managed (fried) by some styling tool (i.e. a curling iron or flat iron). My mom would always get so mad at me for straightening my hair. Other people would say how beautiful it was and I would just look at them like, you aren't the one who has to take care of it!

As I am getting older, I realize it is not about taming my crazy curls, it is about embracing them. My curls make me unique and are a part of who I am. After embracing this lustrous head of hair, I learned how to take care of it. Listed below are 8 ways I show my curls some love:

Do not wash it every day. Washing your hair every day can damage the natural oils that replenish your curls. The natural oils keep your curls full, shiny, and healthy. Over shampooing your hair can cause breakage and dryness. To take care of my curls, I shampoo my hair every other day.

Stop touching your hair. I know, I know, your curls are irresistible and you want to twirl your finger around them, but don't. For me, touching my hair causes it to become oily faster and causes it to frizz. Admire your hair with a camera or a mirror, not your fingers.

Do not brush it. Ok...well I do not brush my hair; I comb it. I use a wide-tooth comb right before I get in the shower. My hair becomes very frizzy when I brush it because the brush undoes all of my curls causing chaos. Also, do not brush your hair when it is wet because it causes breakage to your hair, leading to split ends.

Condition those bad boys. I love conditioner. It is my lifesaver. Conditioner helps to prevent breakage and repair damage like split ends and dryness. When I condition my hair, I make sure to only put it on my ends, avoiding my roots. It can make your roots oily.

Combat humidity with gel. Humidity is every curly-haired persons' nightmare. It makes it frizz, poof, and just plain go crazy. Add some gel to your hair to lock in your curls and keep humidity out.

Use a microfiber towel. It is soft and gentle on your hair, unlike regular towels. They are cheap and come as wraps. I bought mine at Forever 21 for $1.50!

Keep away heat. Heat from curling irons (yes, girls with curly hair use curling irons, too) or flat irons can cause a lot damage to hair. Make sure that if you are using a curling iron or flat iron to use heat protectant.

Get a trim. A trim is recommended for every 6-8 weeks. It cuts off the dead-ends and damage that has accumulated, giving your hair a fresh start.