Proper Care for 3B Curly Hair: A Guide

Fun, flirtatious, beautiful, sensual, and voluminous – this is what entirely sums up everything about the 3B curly hair. 3B curls are more plain and simple as compared to the wavy 3A curls and coily 3C curls. Moreover, they can be easily styled in several ways to enhance your personality to the next level of awesomeness.

The 3B curly hair looks lovely, but when it comes to their care, it can be a little tricky. It can be challenging if you don’t follow the right method, spoiling the overall look and quality. Are you also going through the same struggle?

If you have 3B curly hair and are looking for the right and effective ways to care about it, we are here with a detailed and helpful guide.

Make your 3B curly hair look flawless by following the right way to keep it amazing.

What is 3B Curly Hair?

The 3B curly hair is best known to have clearly defined and springy spirals. The 3B curls are neither too tight nor loose, but they fall somewhere in between having the maximum definition. The beautiful ringlets and spirals of the 3B curly hair are slightly dense, voluminous, and prone to frizz.

The 3B curls are big and bouncy, which need proper care and maintenance. It might be challenging to give the 3B curls the right care, but fortunately, it is not impossible. The caring routine for the 3B curly hair requires proper hydration, using high-quality hair accessories and products, appropriate styling, etc.

How to Identify 3B Curly Hair?

If you are still confused if you have 3B curly hair, you can easily identify them just by looking and understanding your hair characteristics. The simplest way to identify 3B curls is to wash your hair and then leave it dry naturally.

After washing your hair and letting it dry completely, look for the following characteristics to be sure of having 3B curly hair.

Medium to tight spiral curls
Clearly defined ringlets
Curl density between 3A and 3B type
Thin and thick strands
Frizzy and coarse texture
A little dryness

The 3B curly hair can be rightly defined as the perfect combination of 3A and 3C hair types. The main difference between 3A and 3B hair is that the 3B curly hair is tighter, bouncy, and voluminous. However, 3B curly hair demands more attention as they are prone to damage, frizz, and breakage.

As the curls are tighter, they tend to dry more frequently, with substantial shrinkage after drying.

The Main Challenges of the 3B Curly Hair

No matter how amazing the 3B curly hair may appear, they are prone to damage. As the 3B curls are in between the 3A and 3C curls, they face unique challenges that need utmost care and attention. Before digging into the detailed care routine for 3B curls, let us have a look at some of the major and common challenges experienced.

1. Lack of Hydration

One of the major challenges for curly hair is less hydration. Naturally, curly hair tends to be a little less hydrated than the straight, wavy, and other hair types. As the natural oils are restricted to pass down through the strands, the curly hair appears less hydrated.

The bouncy and voluminous spirals in the 3B curls further make it difficult for the natural oils to reach the strand ends. As a result, the thirsty curly strands are often more prone to damage, breakage, and hair fall.

2. Frizz

The next common problem with the 3B curly hair is frizz, which generally happens from a lack of moisture. The 3B curls can break significantly with dehydration and damage, looking for the desired amount of moisture.

Fortunately, it needs proper care and maintenance to eliminate frizz from your 3B curly hair. However, you should be extra attentive towards what your hair needs to look flawless and amazing.

3. Coarseness

Last but not least, the hair fibers for the 3B curls are coarse, which is genetically natural. Moreover, as the 3B curls are tight, it adds to the coarse texture. Additionally, the dryness, dehydration, and frizz make the curls look more coarse, enhancing the challenge of styling and managing them.

When not taken care of properly, you may need professional help and assistance to keep your 3B curls manageable and awesome.

Some General Maintenance Tips for 3B Curly Hair

Before getting into the detailed care routine for the 3B curly hair, let us take a look at some of the general yet helpful hair care tips. These tips contribute to improving your hair texture to flaunt your gorgeous, bouncy, and attractive curls.

These are the general hair care tips for 3B curls.

Understand Your Hair Type and Texture: Talking about the first things first, nothing is more important than understanding your hair type and texture. This is basically the first thing you need to start with the care routine of your hair. It is almost impossible to get those amazing curls if you aren’t aware of your hair type. This also helps to understand how your hair will respond to the different hair care products.
Use Deep Conditioning: The next thing to include in the hair care routine is deep conditioning. Use a suitable conditioner every time you wash your hair. You can also rely on a deep conditioning method or leave-in conditioner occasionally for additional benefits. This not only works on the damage but also nourishes your hair to the deepest core for improving the overall quality.
Be Patient: While you plan to care about your 3B curly hair, be patient and gentle. Always remember, nothing happens overnight, and thus, you need your consistent and continuous efforts. Avoid applying excessive pressure on your curls and roots while combing or styling your hair. Also, be very gentle while handling wet curls, as they are the most sensitive.
Use Good Quality Products: Invest only in good quality recommended hair care products. Include natural oils, butter, moisturizer, etc. in your hair care routine to give the best nourishment to the scalp and hair. You can consult a hair expert to find the most suitable and trusted products for use.
Avoid Heating Tools and Sun Exposure: No matter how tempting it may be, avoid using heated styling tools on your hair. Additionally, be attentive to avoid direct sun exposure on the roots and scalp as it can make them drier and dehydrated. Always make sure to use heat protectants while using the styling tools or when going out in the sun. If you already have damaged or dehydrated curly hair, limit sun exposure as much as possible. Wear hats, scarves, or cotton clothes to cover your head to avoid sun damage when going out.
Be Selective With Hair Accessories: Last but not least, be selective with your hair accessories. Remember, not everything that looks good is equally healthy for your hair and scalp. Thus, you should be very selective in choosing the right accessories and hair products that ensure the best benefits. You can use satin or silk pillow covers and scarves to cover your scalp, especially when sleeping. This will be extremely helpful to avoid any tangles, frizz, friction, breakage, or hair fall leading to extreme damage.

These general tips for caring about your 3B curly hair prove extremely beneficial when done frequently and correctly. These tips may not result in permanent solutions to your hair problems but will certainly improve your hair texture, quality, and strength. Now, let us explore the detailed routine to give the best care and nourishment to your 3B curly hair. Excited???

Detailed Hair Care for 3B Curly Hair

The 3B curly hair needs extra care to maintain its texture and quality. As this hair type is naturally drier, frizzy, and coarse, you need to be more attentive towards maintaining a detailed care routine. The 3B curls can retain their shape, but adding recommended hair care procedures can make a lot more difference.

These are the following steps to include in your detailed hair care routine for 3B curls:

1. Moisturize Before Washing

Because of their natural dry texture, the 3B curls need extra moisturization even before washing them. The moisturization is important to protect the curls from excessive drying and dehydration. Therefore, before washing your curls, apply a good-quality conditioner or nourishing essential oil.

Let the oil or conditioner sit for a good 30-35 minutes before washing your curls normally. Also, make sure to avoid using harsh shampoo or other hair products to maintain the smooth texture of your curls after washing.

2. Plan Your Hair Washing Schedule

Unlike straight or wavy hair, you need to plan the hair wash schedule for your 3B curly hair. It is best recommended to wash your hair just once or twice a week. Frequent washing can remove the natural oils from the scalp, leaving it drier and dehydrated. It is also suggested to use a gentle shampoo, especially for curly hair to not just clean the hair but also to retain the required moisture.

3. Deep Conditioning

Never overlook the power of deep conditioning for your 3B curls. Conditioning the curls is of utmost importance after every wash to keep them flawless and attractive. Ensure to deep condition your curls once a week to provide extra moisturization. You can also use hair masks or natural hair treatments for a healthy scalp and bouncy 3B curls without any hassles.

4. Squishing Your Curls

This may sound very simple and childish, but it ensures an amazing end result. After washing and conditioning your curls, ensure to flip them upside down and squish them with handfuls of water. This proves extremely beneficial to clearly define your curls along with maintaining enough moisturization on the scalp and hair roots.

After squishing your curls, ensure to let them dry naturally for the best results. Avoid using any unwanted heated styling tool that may cause damage affecting the hair quality and texture.

5. Avoid Brushing Aggressively

Let us get this straight: curly hair is extra delicate and sensitive; thus, you should avoid brushing or combing them aggressively. Be very gentle and protective when dealing with curly hair to detangle them in the finest way possible. You can even use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to detangle them properly or to condition them without any hassles.

6. Rely on Loc Methods

Nothing is better to style the 3B curly hair than the LOC method. The method is reliable not just to style your hair but to retain the desired moisturization. Wet your curls and smoothen them using a nourishing essential oil for sealing the cuticles. This will also benefit by strengthening the hair roots to prevent any unwanted damage or breakage.

You can also use leave-on moisturizing hair masks or hair creams to moisturize your hair. This will help fight dehydration and make your 3B curls smooth, shiny, and hydrated.

7. Avoid Heavy Products

When styling or moisturizing your 3B curls, avoid using any heavy products. Try and stick to the basic lightweight and good-quality hair products to lock in the desired nourishment for the scalp and hair. Using heavy hair products on the curls will eventually take away the natural oils from the scalp, making the hair drier and frizzy.

8. Style Them Properly

Lastly, be really attentive to styling your 3B curly hair properly. Styling your curls in protective hairstyles can reduce the risks of damage, frizz, breakage, humidity, etc. Moreover, it also helps in retaining and maintaining hair quality for the maximum time possible.

You can try buns, two-strand twists, finger coils, goddess braids, box braids, etc., with your 3B curly hair by handling them gently without any excessive pressure.