2) Pineapple your hair

When your hair reaches near shoulder length, it’s very easy to ‘pineapple’. You can do it during the day while you’re at home, and it’s the last thing you do at night before your head touches the pillow. It protects your curly style. Although the underneath of your hair may get flattened, the top remains untouched.  When you get up in the morning and shower, keep the pineapple in until you get out (you can also wear a shower cap on top of it too).  Then, just spritz the underneath and wherever may need some TLC, then scrunch n’ go using a curl refresher spray or adding a little bit more watered down styling product.

Just take a gentle one-knotted elastic or a silk or satin scrunchie and bend over forward so all your hair is hanging upside-down.  Then gather it all at the front of your hairline (as if you were making a unicorn horn) and gently put the elastic around and let your ends hang out free.  Make the elastic just tight enough to keep the ponytail in, as you don’t want to crush your curls. It’s completely fine if some of your hair at the back falls out.  If your hair is shorter, you can place an elastic at the hairline AND in your crown area. Here is a DIY link to how you can make your own! It’s so easy and inexpensive.   

3) Get yourself a spray/spritz bottle and make your own curl refresher.

If you want to try using a curl refresher product, just know that they don't always work well on all hair types.  Some are sticky and might need to be watered down for best results.

Here are my recommendations for each hair type if you'd like to try one.

Fine s’wavy, wavy hair: DevaCurl Mister Right, Curl Keeper Slip or Refresh, Jessicurl Awe Inspiring Spray, or homemade beach spray to refresh.

For medium density, botticelli curls: Mix into a bottle...1-2 tbsps of conditioner, Optional 1 tbsp of curl boosting product (like DevaCurl B’Leave-in, or even a little bit of DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel) and then fill the rest up with distilled water.

For coarse texture, heavy density, low porosity hair and tightly coiled curls: 1/4 bottle filled with conditioner and fill the rest up with water

*Remember these are just suggestions and you need to find the right amount of conditioner and or curl booster added, for the best results for your own hair.  

You have to shake it up before you use it each time and using distilled water is best.   A great pre made curl refresher  is DevaCurl Mist-er Right and another is called Jessicurl Awe Inspiring Spray. These sprays are also handy to carry around in a travel size in your purse, so you don’t have to use bathroom tap water to refresh your curls during the day.

Another option for refreshing is using a Q-Redew handheld hair steamer. The steam refreshes and reactivates the product that is already in your hair.  The Q-Redew is a great way to reshape, boost volume and rejuvenate second day hair without rewetting the hair. It can be used with or without product. Experiment a bit to find what works for your routine.  It is also an excellent tool to deep condition your curls; the steam from this wonderful tool opens up your cuticle and lets in moisture (from water) and the ingredients in the deep treatment can penetrate deep into the core of your hair shaft.  The result is softer, more hydrated curls. The Q-Redew seems to work best on curly and coily hair types, and wavies who love volume and don't mind some functional frizz.

4) Don’t be shy using product on your initial wash & set day.

The biggest tip to achieving multiple day hair is ensuring you have used enough product on your initial wash day.  Using a little more than usual that day gives you something to work with on your refresh days.  What we are doing is reactivating the product each day when we spritz.  It may feel a little firmer on the first day than you normally like, BUT it will allow you to have multiple days worth of great looking hair.  I personally go 5-7 days just using this method of spritzing and diffusing; and I do use A LOT of product.  I do NOT get it wet in the shower during that multiple day period.  I have wavy/botticelli curls, or a combo of 2C and 3A curls; whichever curl identifier system you use.

If you find that your curls aren't salvageable, then you will want to do a full refresh.  Check that out my blog article called, "How to Refresh Wavy and Curly Hair"

Best of luck to you with your multiple day hair adventure.  It’s all about experimenting to find what works for you, but these tips are tried and true and when used in combination; can make your mornings even easier!

KL