CurlSTAR: Alycea Adams’ Long Natural Hair Routine, Low-Tension Twists and Length-Retention Tips
by Nikki Walton
Meet Alycea Adams, a trending natural hair creator, founder of HairMatch and author behind My Hair Is My Superpower. Her digital community of more than 1.3 million knows her for the kind of long, thick natural hair that inspires questions immediately, but Alycea’s routine is refreshingly grounded… simple: hydration, low tension, healthy breaks between protective styles and the patience to give wash day the time it needs. Slow down 🙂 Which is also a lesson for the life! She also is a fan of Cecred’s Moisture Sealing Lotion– my go to for twist-n-curls, now!
On her absolute favorite hair products right now…
My absolute favorite hair products right now are Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner and Cécred Moisture Sealing Lotion. I use both of these products for styling when I want to wear my curls out, as in a wash-and-go style.
On what has made the biggest difference in her length retention…
Reducing tension and implementing healthy rest cycles between protective styles have made the biggest difference in my length retention.
On what she does for her best curl definition…
For the best curl definition, I style my curls while my hair is completely wet, and I use my detangling brush. I follow up by finger-coiling sections of hair to get as much definition as possible.
On keeping her hair defined and frizz-resistant in humidity…
I use amika’s Frizz-Me-Not Hydrating Anti-Frizz Treatment to help fight frizz and prolong my curls’ definition.
On her typical wash day…
Wash day is a dedicated day of hair washing, detangling and styling. It typically lasts two to four hours, depending on the style I do. I treat it as a day of self-care because my hair is very long and thick, so I have to wash and condition it in sections.
On her go-to styles for protecting her hair and retaining length…
I only wear two-strand twists for my protective styles. I avoid any tension-ridden protective hairstyles to reduce unwarranted breakage.
On what she stopped doing that made a noticeable difference in the health of her hair…
I stopped overwearing protective hairstyles and started wearing and styling my curls out. Less manipulation helped the health of my hair tremendously.
On the advice she would give someone trying to grow and retain long, healthy natural hair…
Find a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, and pair that with a hydrating leave-in conditioner and an oil of your choice to create a hair regimen. Focus on hydrating with water and product. Hydrate regularly, four times a week to start, and measure how your hair is doing after several weeks.
On the popular natural-hair rule she doesn’t follow…
I do not follow the hair rule of getting your ends trimmed every three to six months. I usually get a good trim once a year when I get my curls straightened.
On her children’s book, HairMatch and what she is building next…
I recently published my children’s book, My Hair Is My Superpower, available on Amazon. This children’s book is a beautiful, affirming story to empower young Black girls to embrace their natural hair.
This book is an extension of the work of my AI-powered beauty-tech startup, HairMatch, and my achievements as a content creator. HairMatch was founded in 2024 with the mission to reduce the trial-and-error spending Black women experience in the search for hair-care products that work.
In 2025, HairMatch was recognized as a finalist in the 2025 Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition, earning $25,000 in funding from Microsoft. As a content creator, I have built a digital community of more than 1.3 million and was named Sephora Hair Creator of the Year as a creator in the 2025 Sephora Squad cohort!
Follow @AlyceaRae on Instagram and explore HairMatch. And grab her book to read with a little one, and gift for the upcoming holiday season!
I Love you!
nik
Read More
- CurlSTAR: How @Beautosal Grows and Retains Long 4C Natural Hair With Enrichure
- CurlSTAR: Stephanie’s 4C Hair Growth Secrets, Favorite Products and Length-Retention Routine
- CurlSTAR: How Naya Uses Blue Magic Grease, Braids and No Heat to Retain Her Natural Hair
- CurlSTAR: How BigHeadJustice Went From Ear-Length to Waist-Length Natural Hair
- How to Grow 4C Hair and Retain More Length
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