How to Get Your Wash and Go Curls to Hang

By Cassidy of Natural Selection

CASS!  HOW DO I GET MY CURLS TO HANG!?”

Because natural hair has a tendency to grow up and out rather than down, this is a question I get pretty often. But today is your lucky day because I have an answer!  There is just one simple step that will help you get hang.  Check it out:

Here’s a picture of me without the Hang Technique:

Annnnd a picture of me with the Hang Technique:

In both of these photos, my hair is equal amounts wet with a very similar cream-gel styling product, but as you can see my curls hang more when I use the technique.

There are three magic ingredients for this Hang Recipe.  Here’s the rundown:

How to Get Hang

Ingredients

• A decent amount of length:  You need a few inches of hair that can’t hang.  Yea, it’s cute and all, but your TWA can’t defy gravity.
• Your shower: And you need to be in it with clean hair and conditioner still in dem curls.
• Styling product: Your favorite one!  Whether it’s a cream or a gel, pick your fave and get it in the shower WITH you.
• 
  

Instructions

• Cleanse your hair as usual
• Apply conditioner
• If you are leaving your conditioner in (to use under a gel for example), proceed to step 4. If you are using a rinse out conditioner, pay extra attention here: when you’re rinsing tip your head forward to under the shower.  People often will have their backs to the shower and tilt their head backwards to rinse, but by tipping your head forward you’re rinsing the direction you want your hair to hang.  Here, allow me to illustrate.

Rinse your hair like this!

NOT like this

• Apply your styling product to soaking wet hair.  No plopping here!  And use A LOT.  More than you think you need.
• Turn towards the shower and let the water run through your hair.  Just a bit!  Not enough to rinse the product out, but think of the water as more of a product application tool, allowing it to set your curls and elongate your strands.
• Now shake the crap outta your hair and VOILA!  HANG!

The next step might take a bit of practice.  Sometimes I also cup my hands and fill them with water to scrunch water into my curls, either way the key is to use water to your advantage.

Good luck and lemme know how this works for you! Shout out to Dickey of HairRules for introducing me to this technique. It has become my go-to and Lola loves it!

If you’ve got other tips to get hang, leave ‘em in the comments!