Curly hair is steadily growing in popularity, with more and more people embracing their natural hair texture or using heat or chemicals to get curls. Still, some people express apprehension due to the thought that curly hair may not be attractive as compared to straight hair or wavy hair.
If you’re wondering whether curly hair is attractive, you’re exactly where you need to be. In this article, we’ll examine just that. Let’s get right into it!
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Beauty Is Subjective
We’d like to start by asserting the fact that beauty is subjective. So, one person may think that curly hair is attractive while another person feels the exact opposite. Whether you naturally have straight, curly, or wavy hair, it’s essential to keep this in mind as you read on.
Is Curly Hair Attractive?
Yes, curly hair is attractive. In fact, more people prefer curly hair to straight hair. Though beauty is seen differently by everyone, one thing is for sure; curly hair is getting a lot of love lately.
In fact, in a survey conducted by StyleCaster, a surprising 58% of guys thought curly hair was sexier than other hair textures. Participants were shown celebrities with straight hair and curly hair (the same star in both pictures).
They then chose the image they thought was sexiest, and the majority of them chose the celebrity-wearing curls. This is not the only instance where curls won out. Several studies have demonstrated that curls are seen as attractive.
In a survey by L’Oreal Paris, more than half of women use curling irons to style their hair. Many other studies have proven that curly-haired folks are seen as more attractive than those who wear their hair in different styles.
Other Things That Point to Curls Being Attractive
Aside from studies that prove curly hair is preferred by both men and women, other phenomena also prove curly hair is attractive. Let’s explore this a bit further below.
The popularity of curly perms. A curly perm is a chemical hair treatment that permanently reshapes hair into a curly state. This chemical process is usually used by people born with naturally straight or wavy hair who want curls.
For a while, hair treatments like these weren’t mainstream. But with the revival of 90s style in recent years, stylists and everyday people are seeing more and more people rock big, voluminous curls.
Runways. Many look to the runways to see which hair and fashion styles are “in.” Top brands have recognized the appeal of curls and have begun to style their models with big voluminous curls. This is an overt sign that curls are considered attractive.
Social media. As of late, a TikTok challenge emerged that focused on unlocking your curl pattern. The people behind this challenge were women who always straightened their hair and wanted to maximize their curls’ definition. Video after video showed excited girls and women using curl-friendly products to bring out their curls – it’s a joy to see.
Everyday life. If you look around at people when you’re out on a stroll, you’ll notice that many of them are wearing their hair in curls. It’s a clear sign that curls are loved.
4C Curls Don’t Get as Much Love as They Deserve
As you may have gleaned by this point, curly hair is definitely attractive – to some. But even among those who think curly hair is beautiful, many don’t like all curl types equally.
If you have naturally kinky or coily hair, you know the stigma around type 4 hair, specifically type 4C (and the 4D hair type). This hair type is difficult to detangle, is prone to breakage, and may be tough to style.
Its afro texture is not as mainstream as looser curl textures like the ringlets and curls that make up type 2 and 3 hair.
Of course, many love the character and ethnic beauty of type 4 hair – us included – but we’d be remiss if we didn’t assert the fact that some don’t recognize it as beautiful.
This disdain for the kinkiest of textures stems partially from European ideals that still affect society today. It could also be the fact that newly-natural women are still learning how to care for their ultra-kinky 4C hair.
They don’t yet have the knowledge to properly cultivate their curls and make them look their best. The truth is that damaged, undernourished hair never looks good.
Well-maintained Curls Are Most Attractive
Attractiveness seems skewed toward looser curls – tighter curls don’t get as much love via the media. But regardless of your specific curl pattern, the way to maximize their attractiveness is to care for them as best as you can.
Moisturized, healthy, luscious curls are gorgeous, no matter how tight or loose they are. Here are some ways that you can bring out the beauty of your natural curls:
Keep your curls moisturized. Whether you’ve got loose type 2 curls or tighter type 4 curls, you need to take the proper steps to keep them moisturized.
For looser curls, all it takes is regular conditioning sessions, deep conditioning sessions every 2 weeks to a month, and a topical hair moisturizer as needed.
A more intense moisturizing routine may be necessary for very tight curls since these curls are more prone to dryness. You’ll need weekly deep conditioning sessions, the occasional hot oil treatment, a heavy-duty moisturizer, and a few spritzes of a leave-in conditioner daily.
Trim as needed. Your curls don’t need to have blunt ends, but there’s no question that healthy ends do a lot of your mane’s silhouette.
Depending on your hairstyling routine and general hair health, you may need a trim every 8 to 12 weeks. Once you notice split ends or increased detangling difficulty, it’s time for a trim.
Minimize hair abuse. Heat styling, chemical processing, and rough handling are the most common drivers of hair damage. So, minimize them as much as you can.
Always use a heat protectant before heat styling, avoid dramatic hair color transformations (especially at home), and use a wide-toothed comb and detangling cream or spray when detangling and styling.
Avoid certain ingredients. Some hair products are loaded with ingredients that damage curls either immediately or in the long run. Here are some of the ingredients most curly girls will want to avoid most or all of the time:
Sulfates – Sulfates are often used in shampoos as a cleansing agent. Unfortunately, they clean too well and leave curls parched. So, we recommend using cleansers that use sulfate alternatives – they’ll say “sulfate-free” somewhere on the packaging.
Certain alcohols – Some alcohols are beneficial to the hair, like fatty alcohols (cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol). But alcohols like isopropyl and ethyl alcohol will dry your hair out in a hurry. Avoid these whenever possible.
Silicones – Some are water-soluble, including lauryl methicone copolyol and dimethicone copolyol. Others, like dimethicone, amodimethicone, and cyclomethicone, are not water-soluble. The insoluble silicones tend to build up and cause many other issues because they’re difficult to wash out.
- When a Guy Compliments Your Hair What Does It Mean?
- What Does It Mean When a Woman Changes Her Hair?
- Does Hairstyle Affect Attractiveness?
- Why Do Women Have Long Hair?
To sum things up, curly-haired people are more attractive to the majority of people, though some may not find them to be that way. But, regardless of how others feel about curls, know that every head of curls has its own unique appeal.
So, if you want to wear your hair in curls, do so with confidence. As long as your curls are healthy and styled in a way that suits your face, you’ll look great!
We hope that this article has offered you valuable insight and encourages you to rock your curls proudly, whether they’re natural or not!
Kenneth Byrd holds a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. With over 15 years of experience, Kenneth has been dedicated to hair care since 2008, when he co-founded Curl Centric® and Natural Hair Box alongside his wife. As a team, they promote healthy hair care practices through their comprehensive platform, Curl Centric. Curl Centric is a website operated by a husband and wife team that encourages healthy hair care. At Curl Centric, we aim to help our readers take control of their hair care journey and make good decisions about products, hairstyles, and maintenance techniques. We also have strict editorial integrity; here’s an explanation of our editorial guidelines and how we make money.