7 Curly Hair Myths We're Officially Debunking (You're Welcome)

We've been doing curly hair in Denver since 2012. In that time, we've heard it all, the advice passed down from well-meaning mothers, the TikTok hacks that absolutely do not work, the things stylists at non-curl-specialist salons told clients that made us wince a little inside.

Curly hair has more myths attached to it than almost any other hair type, and a lot of them are doing real damage, literally. So we're setting the record straight. Here are seven of the most persistent curly hair myths we hear at The Station, and the actual truth behind each one.

Myth #1: You Should Brush Your Curls Every Day

The truth: Please, for the love of your curl pattern, put the brush down.

Brushing dry curly hair is one of the fastest ways to destroy your curl definition, create frizz, and end up with what we affectionately call "the triangle" — maximum volume at the bottom, flat at the top, and no curl pattern to speak of anywhere. Brushing breaks apart the curl clumps that give curls their shape, separates the bonds between strands, and roughens up the cuticle in a way that invites frizz in like a welcome mat.

If you need to detangle, do it on wet hair, saturated with conditioner, using a wide-tooth comb or your fingers — starting from the ends and working your way up. That's it. The brush is not your friend here.

Myth #2: Curly Hair Doesn't Need to Be Cut as Often

The truth: Curly hair actually needs regular trims just as much as straight hair, it's just that the type of cut matters more than the frequency.

Here's the thing: curls hide split ends and damage in a way that straight hair doesn't. You might not see the dryness and breakage at the ends until it's already traveled significantly up the shaft. By the time your curls look noticeably damaged, they've usually been struggling for a while.

We recommend a full curl session every 3–5 months for most clients, with minor alterations available in between for shape maintenance. The most important thing isn't whether your cut is done wet or dry, it's that your stylist specializes in curly hair and understands how your specific texture moves, coils, and behaves. At The Station, our curl specialists are trained in multiple cutting techniques and will use the right approach for your hair, not a one-size-fits-all method.

Myth #3: The More Product, The Better the Curl

The truth: More product does not equal more curl. It equals more buildup, more weight, and eventually, more sadness.

Over-applying product is one of the most common things we see, especially from clients who've been trying to "fix" their curls at home with increasingly heavy-handed product routines. The result is usually curls that look weighed down, feel crunchy or sticky, and lose their bounce and definition over time as product accumulates on the hair shaft.

The goal is to use the right products in the right amounts for your specific curl type and density, which is genuinely different for everyone. Fine curls need lightweight formulas and a light hand. Thick, coarse curls can handle more. Part of what we do at every curl appointment is talk through your product routine at home and help you figure out what's actually serving your curls and what isn't.

When in doubt: less is more. You can always add more product. You can't un-weigh-down your curls once they're soggy.

Myth #4: Curly Hair Is Too Damaged for Color

The truth: Curly hair and color can absolutely coexist beautifully, when it's done correctly and your hair's health is the priority.

Yes, curly hair tends to be more porous than straight hair, which means it absorbs and releases chemicals more quickly and can be more vulnerable to damage if the wrong approach is taken. But "more care required" is not the same as "impossible."

Balayage is actually one of the most curl-friendly color techniques out there because it's applied to the surface of the hair rather than the root, which minimizes scalp contact and lets the colorist control exactly how much product each section absorbs. Glosses and toners are even gentler. And bond-building treatments like Olaplex and K18 used alongside color services have genuinely changed what's possible for color on curly hair, they protect the hair's internal structure during the lightening process in a way that wasn't available even ten years ago.

The key is working with a colorist who understands curly hair texture specifically. Color placement on curls requires different thinking than color placement on straight hair, because curls move, coil, and catch light differently. At The Station, our colorists think about both, curl pattern and color, at the same time.

Myth #5: You Have to Use the CG Method or Your Curls Won't Work

The truth: The Curly Girl Method is a great starting framework for a lot of people, but it is not the only path to healthy, defined curls, and rigid adherence to it can sometimes make things worse.

For the uninitiated: the CG Method (popularized by Lorraine Massey's book Curly Girl) is a hair care approach that eliminates sulfates, silicones, and heat tools in favor of co-washing, curl creams, and diffusing. For many curlies it's been genuinely life-changing. For others, it causes buildup, limpness, or scalp issues because their specific hair type needs some of the things the method eliminates.

The truth is that curl care is deeply individual. Some curl types need a clarifying sulfate shampoo regularly to prevent buildup, especially in Denver, where hard water mineral deposits accumulate faster and the dry air means you're using more product to compensate. Some people's scalps need more frequent washing than the CG Method typically recommends. Some people's curl pattern actually responds better to certain silicones.

What we care about at The Station isn't whether you're doing the CG Method correctly. It's whether your curls are healthy, defined, and working for your life. We'll help you find what that looks like for you, and it might not look like anyone else's routine.

Myth #6: If Your Curls Are Frizzy, Your Hair Is Unhealthy

The truth: Frizz and hair health are related, but they're not the same thing. And a little frizz is completely normal, especially in a place like Denver.

Frizz happens when the hair cuticle is raised and individual strands absorb moisture unevenly, or in Denver's case, lose moisture unevenly to the dry air. Some degree of frizz is part of having curly hair, period. Even the most perfectly healthy, perfectly moisturized curls will have a little halo in low-humidity environments, and trying to eliminate every single frizz strand is a losing battle that usually involves so much product or heat that you create the actual damage you were trying to avoid.

What frizz can tell you is that your hair might need more moisture, that your products might not be sealing the cuticle effectively, or that your current routine isn't quite dialed in for Denver's climate. It's information, not a verdict. And it's something a good curl specialist can help you address systematically rather than just throwing more product at it and hoping for the best.

A little frizz is not failure. It's just hair being hair.

Myth #7: You Can't Get Perms If You Already Have Curly Hair

The truth: Perms aren't just for straight hair, and curly-haired clients are some of our most enthusiastic perm clients.

If your curls have loosened over time (which happens, especially with the drying effects of Denver's climate and altitude), a perm can restore and re-define your curl pattern. If your curls are inconsistent, tight in some areas, looser in others, a targeted perm can even out the texture. If your hair has been heat-damaged and lost its curl memory, a gentle perm can help bring it back.

We perform more perms than any other salon in Denver, and a meaningful portion of those are on clients who already have curly or wavy hair and want more. It's a consultation service, meaning we'll always look at your hair first and talk through what's realistic and what approach makes sense, but the blanket assumption that "you can't perm curly hair" is simply not true.

Curls are for everyone. Natural or not.

The Bottom Line

Your curls deserve real information and real expertise, not myths that have been passed around so long they started sounding like facts. If you've been managing your curls based on any of the above, please don't feel bad. Most of us learned curl care from people who didn't specialize in it either.

What we do know, after over a decade of curl-focused work in Denver, is that great curly hair comes from understanding your specific texture, your specific environment, and building a routine and a cut that's actually designed for you, not a generic template applied to everyone who walks in with a wave.

If you're ready to actually understand your curls, we'd love to help.

Book a Curl Session or Consultation at The Station Hair Studio in Denver →

https://booking.mangomint.com/thestationsalon?serviceId=135

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