10 Common Hair Mistakes, According to a Curly Haired Celeb Stylist

"The most commonly made mistake I see with curly hair is brushing or detangling after the shower," says Alcorn. "This is the number one factor in curls becoming more unruly and hard to work with than they already are!"
As Alcorn explains, each and every curl has a specific curl pattern, and each person is unique. Therefore, when you comb or brush curly hair, you disrupt the curl pattern, splitting the curls apart and creating unnecessary chaos.
To avoid this, Alcorn recommends always combing and detangling your curls in the shower while you're conditioning your hair. "After the final rinse, never comb through again, even with your fingers," she warns. "Any 'curl touching' after the final rinse should be scrunching and squeezing."

That said, as you detangle and condition, you'll also want to pay attention and pay careful heed as to how you detangle—i.e., the direction you comb your curls in. According to Alcorn, the ideal way to detangle your strands for maximum volume and shape is to comb your hair in the direction you want it to dry in. 
"For me, that’s all forward toward my face since I have bangs and a shag. Then, rinse your head upside down! This is a game changer for curly clients," she tells us. "Most new curly clients come to me complaining their curls are flat on top and that's largely due to rinsing your hair how we’ve always been taught—head back, which flattens out the hair. So instead, invert!"

"Shut off the water—head still flipped—and reach for your a hair towel, twisting your hair up into a turban," says Alcorn. "This gives your hair maximum lift at the root since the hair never got a chance to lay flat—instead, you're lifting the root with the towel as you physically rise from conditioning with your head down."
Alcorn's one caveat? Don't leave your hair wrapped for too long, which can be easy to do if you begin on your makeup or start doing other things around the house. She recommends keeping hair wrapped for three minutes, maximum. 

"This one is huge, and it’s honestly really going to come down to lots of trial and error since our curls are all unique," explains Alcorn. "For my own curls, curl creams have never worked, but some of my curly-haired clients love them! You have to try gels, mousses and creams to see which type of formula your hair responds best to. My favourite is Oribe's curl line, especially the curl gloss since it's the perfect hybrid between a gel and a serum. It has a gel cast to keep curls under control while your strands dry, but with one final scrunch using your hands the crunch breaks up and goes away, leaving your curls super soft and defined." 
Alcorn tells us she also loves to use Olaplex as a multi-tasking styling and leave-in treatment once or twice per week. "It actually dries nicely in the hair and can be a secret conditioning treatment—no need for a slick wet bun all day—you can have your usual curly look and do a treatment at the same time!"

"One of the biggest myths in terms of caring for and styling curly hair is the idea that you need to add oils," says Alcorn. "Yes, curly hair needs moisture and hydration, but this should come from conditioners and creams. People try to use oils to calm or get rid of flyaways, but ultimately, the oils just weigh the hair down, which I’m not a fan of. I'm all about embracing your curls, and the bigger the better!"
"I only use oil-styling products like Oribe's Gold Lust Oil on curly hair when I'm blowing it out to be straight and smooth, but never when I'm keeping it curly," Alcorn explains. "Oil doesn’t have the proper hold and hydration that curly hair needs, which is why creams and gels are the better options."