Curly hair in Chicago is a different animal than curly hair almost anywhere else. You’ve got brutal winter dryness from November through March, then the humidity hits in June and suddenly your hair has its own agenda. Our curly hair specialist Marissa White works with textured hair every day at Reverie, and this is what she wants every curly-haired Chicagoan to know.
The biggest mistake we see
Treating curly hair like straight hair. Washing it daily. Brushing it dry. Using products designed for textures that have nothing in common with yours. Curly hair is structurally drier than straight hair — the coiled shape prevents your scalp’s natural oils from traveling down the shaft the way they do on straight strands. Everything about your routine should account for that.
If your current routine involves a shampoo-every-day, towel-dry, brush-it-out approach, your curls are fighting you because you’re fighting them first.
How to actually wash curly hair
Two to three times a week, max. Some curl types do better with once a week and a co-wash in between. When you do shampoo, use a sulfate-free formula — sulfates strip the natural oils that curly hair desperately needs. Davines LOVE Curl line is what we reach for most at Reverie. Gentle enough for frequent use, effective enough to actually clean.
Conditioner is where you spend the real time. Apply it generously from mid-shaft to ends, detangle with a wide-tooth comb or your fingers while the conditioner is in, and let it sit for at least 3–5 minutes. This is not a rinse-and-go step. This is where your curls get what they need.
Styling: less is more (with the right products)
The product graveyard under most curly-haired people’s bathroom sinks tells a story. You’ve tried everything. Most of it didn’t work. Here’s what Marissa actually recommends:
A leave-in conditioner on soaking wet hair. Then a curl cream or gel, depending on your curl type and how much hold you want. Scrunch upward, don’t rake downward. Let it air dry or diffuse on low heat with a diffuser attachment — high heat on a regular nozzle is how you get frizz.
That’s it. Three products, applied to wet hair, left alone to dry. The urge to touch your curls while they dry is strong. Resist it. Every time you touch them, you break the curl clump and create frizz.
Chicago’s seasonal challenges
Summer humidity. Your curls will expand. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — some people love the extra volume. If you don’t, look for anti-humidity products with flaxseed or castor oil. A gel with strong hold will also help your defined curls survive a July afternoon on the lakefront.
Winter dryness. This is the harder season. Central heating pulls moisture from your hair constantly. Deep condition more often — once a week minimum. Switch to a richer leave-in. Consider a hot oil treatment every couple weeks. And get a silk or satin pillowcase if you don’t have one already. Cotton pillowcases create friction that roughens the cuticle and sucks out moisture overnight.
The in-between months. March and October are actually when Chicago curls look their best. Moderate humidity, moderate temperature. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Why your haircut matters more than anything
You can have the perfect routine, the perfect products, and still hate your curls if the cut is wrong. At Reverie, we cut curly hair dry. That’s non-negotiable. Cutting curls wet is guesswork — you can’t see how the shrinkage will fall, where the weight needs to come out, or how the layers will frame your face until the hair is in its natural state.
A good curly cut works with your pattern, not against it. It should require minimal styling effort and look intentional whether your curls are fully defined or second-day stretched. If your current cut only looks good with 45 minutes of work, the cut is the problem.
Coloring curly hair
Curly hair can absolutely be colored. But the approach needs to be different. Lightener is more damaging on curly textures because the hair is already more porous and fragile. We go slower, use lower volumes, and always incorporate K18 treatments to maintain structural integrity.
Balayage works beautifully on curls because the freehand technique follows the natural curl pattern. It catches light the same way the sun would. Foil highlights can work too, but the placement has to account for how the curls will spring up when dry — another reason wet cuts and wet highlighting on curly hair often miss the mark.
Book a curly hair consultation
If you’ve never had a stylist who actually understands your curls, you owe it to yourself to try. Book with Marissa at Reverie in River North. She’ll assess your curl pattern, talk through your routine, and build a plan that works for your specific texture and your life in this city.
