I always thought my hair was an unmanageable frizz ball that required a straightener to be taken to it every night, but about four years ago I decided to ditch heat tools and embrace my wavy hair.

As a teen, my styling method for curly hair involved a leave-in conditioner (raked through with my fingers) and a mousse, if I felt like it. Those were the days of frizzy, dry curls and waves — until ...