Three habits protect curly hair under a hijab. Never cover it wet. Swap cotton underscarves for satin. Keep buns loose. Most of the breakage, flaking and flattened curls that hijabis describe trace back to one of those three.
1. Let your hair dry before you cover it
Hair tied up damp under fabric stays damp for hours. A warm, damp scalp is where the yeast behind dandruff thrives, and it leaves a musty smell. Wash at night, or early enough to air-dry or diffuse fully. If you have to cover sooner, diffuse your roots dry first. Our guide to oily and dry dandruff explains the yeast link.
2. Swap cotton for satin under the scarf
Cotton underscarves absorb moisture from your hair and rub the cuticle all day. A satin or silk underscarf, or a satin-lined cap, cuts that friction. It’s the same reason curly hair is protected with a satin bonnet at night.
3. Keep buns low and loose
A tight high bun pulls on the same follicles every day. Over years, that tension can thin the hairline. Alternate between a low loose bun, a loose plait and a pineapple, and use a fabric scrunchie rather than a thin elastic. If your edges look thinner, read our guide to breakage and tension shedding before it gets worse.
The routine
- Wash and condition two or three times a week, detangling while the conditioner is in.
- Leave-in on wet hair: Cantu Grapeseed Leave-In.
- Light hold only: a curl cream rather than a hard gel, because a cast gets crushed under fabric anyway. See how to use curl cream.
- Dry fully, then loosely plait or twist the hair before covering. You get defined waves when you take it down.
- Clarify weekly. Covered scalps build up oil and product faster. See removing product build-up.
When you wear it out
If you’re used to brushing your hair out straight, that’s why curls look “messy” when you first leave them loose. Brushing dry curly hair breaks up the clumps into frizz. Style it wet with a leave-in, scrunch, and don’t touch it until it’s dry. Our curly hair shower routine walks through the steps. Expect two or three wash days before it looks like your curl pattern.
Refreshing between washes
Mist with water and a little leave-in, then scrunch. Cantu Comeback Curl works for a quick refresh before you go out uncovered.
