If you’re a newcomer to the world of curly hair methods or find yourself puzzled by the jargon, don’t worry – the Curly Cuts team has your back!

We’ve compiled a straightforward list of common curly hair terms and their simplified meanings to clarify things.

Here’s a list of common curly hair terms and what they mean.

Cleansing Curly Hair

No-poo: A gentle, non-foaming cleanser.
Low-poo: A mild shampoo with less harsh cleansing ingredients.
Co-wash: Washing with a cleansing conditioner.
Deep treatment: A highly moisturising treatment.
Squish to condish (S2C): Conditioning technique: using water and hands to squish in conditioner.
Bowl method: Similar to S2C but done with a bowl.

Curly Hair Styling

Roping: Applying products in sections, circling both hands as if pulling a rope.
Slip: Well-hydrated hair that feels like wet seaweed.
Finger combing: Gently detangling with fingers.
Raking: Using fingers in a “raking motion” to disperse products.
Scrunching: Using the hands to scrunch after evenly distributing the product.
Prayer hands: Applying styling products by pressing palms on small hair sections.
Wet Brush: A brush to disperse products on wet curly hair for even application.
Denman Brush: A brush used similarly to a Wet Brush.
Finger curling: Twirling individual curls.
Cocktailing: Using multiple styling products.
Cast: Occurs when curly hair becomes crunchy due to styling products.
Scrunch out the crunch: Once dry, loosening up the cast with a gentle scrunch using your hands.

Plopping: Use a cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel to position hair at the top for initial drying without twisting or pulling.
Micro-plopping: Use a cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel to gently squeeze excess moisture from the hair before drying.
Wet-plopping: using a shower cap to hold hair on top of the head once all styling products are applied.
Diffusing: Using a diffuser attachment on a hairdryer to dry hair.
Hover diffusing: Keep the diffuser close to the hair to dry without cupping.
Cupping: Placing small sections of hair in the diffuser and holding it close to the head.
Air-drying: Allowing hair to dry naturally.
Root clipping: Using metal clips or mini claw clips to create root lift and prevent flat hair on top.

Pineappling: Loosely tie hair at the top front with a scrunchie for nighttime hair protection.
Buffs: Cotton tubes for nighttime hair protection.
Bonnets/caps: Silk/satin protection for hair at night.
Refresh: Styling hair in the days after washing can involve various methods to refresh your look.
Wet refresh: Reactivating styling products with water.
Dry refresh: Adding more product to dry hair.