Curly hair has been surrounded by myths and misinformation for decades — much of it passed down through well-meaning family members and beauty industry marketing that was never designed with curly hair in mind. As a curly hair specialist, Danielle at Hair Love Artistry in Buderim hears these myths regularly. Here are the most common ones, debunked.
Myth 1: You Have to Brush Curly Hair to Keep It Healthy
Fact: Brushing dry curly hair is one of the worst things you can do to it. It breaks up curl clumps, causes massive frizz, and creates mechanical damage and breakage. Curly hair should only be detangled when wet and coated in conditioner, using fingers or a wide-tooth comb. Brushing dry curls is not maintenance — it is damage.
Myth 2: Curly Hair Does Not Need to Be Cut Often
Fact: Curly hair benefits from regular trims just like any other hair type. Split ends on curly hair travel up the shaft and cause breakage, disrupting the curl clump and causing frizz. A trim every 3–4 months keeps curls healthy and shapely. Regular trims do not prevent growth — untrimmed split ends cause more length loss through breakage than trims do.
Myth 3: Curly Hair is Always Dry — You Just Have to Live With It
Fact: Curly hair is naturally prone to dryness because of its curl structure, but it does not have to be chronically dry. The right products, routine, and porosity-appropriate care can transform dry, frizzy curls into soft, hydrated, defined ones. Dryness is usually a product or routine issue — not an inevitability.
Myth 4: Gel Makes Curly Hair Crunchy and Hard
Fact: Gel creates a temporary cast while drying that, yes, feels crunchy — but scrunching the cast out once hair is fully dry leaves soft, defined, frizz-free curls. The crunch is a feature, not a flaw. It means the gel is working. Many people are simply not scrunching it out. Modern CG-approved gels leave no residue or stiffness once properly scrunched out.
Myth 5: Curly Hair Cannot Be Coloured Without Being Destroyed
Fact: Curly hair can absolutely be coloured — including bleached and highlighted. The key is using gentler, lower-developer formulations (like organic, ammonia-free colour), bond protection during the service, and a strong post-colour moisture routine. Many of our most beautiful client results combine colour and curl specialist work.
Myth 6: You Need Expensive Products for Good Curls
Fact: Expensive products do not guarantee good results, and budget-friendly options can work beautifully. What matters is that your products are free from sulphates and silicones and are appropriate for your specific porosity and curl type. A cheap gel that suits your porosity will outperform an expensive cream that does not.
Myth 7: Straight Hair is Easier — Curly Hair is a Problem to Be Managed
Fact: Curly hair is not a problem. It is a texture that, like any other, thrives with the right care and knowledge. Most of the “difficulty” of curly hair comes from being taught to treat it like straight hair — with brushes, heat, and the wrong products. Once you understand your curl type, porosity, and the right approach, curly hair becomes one of the most low-maintenance and effortlessly beautiful textures there is.
Get the Right Information from a Curly Hair Specialist
The best way to cut through the myths is a specialist consultation. At Hair Love Artistry in Buderim, Danielle gives every client evidence-based, personalised advice about their specific hair. Shop 4, 5-9 Lakeshore Ave, Buderim. Book here.
