Curly hair in the Middle East can be dreamy when the conditions are right. In the height of summer, 45 degree plus heat with 90% humidity, your curls barely stand a chance without expert tips and guidance.

In high humidity, your curls can go from sleek to frizz puff in a matter of minutes of stepping outdoors. Why?

In climates like  Dubai and the wider Middle East , where humidity is experienced almost daily on the peak of summer in Dubai, the cuticle swells in under 8 seconds.. well not literally, but it certainly feels that way.

If you’ve ever felt like I spent an hour on my curly hair wash day routine and my curls were so defined, but the moment I stepped out, my curls fell flat. You’re not imagining it! Extreme heat and humidity are conditions that pose a serious challenge for curls in the Middle East. You’ll be glad to know - it’s not your curls, it’s your products and technique that needs re thinking.

Humidity & Curls: The Science Behind It All

Curls naturally crave hydration and moisture - it’s their lifeline. What water is to the human body is what hydration and moisture is to curls - they need it, they drink it and thrive off it.

However, in extremely hot and humid climates like the Middle East specifically UAE, Saudi, Kuwait and Doha, the air becomes saturated with a higher degree of moisture vapour which can be disruptive for curly hair textures.

Whilst curly hair thrives on moisture, too much of it causes the hair cuticle to swell leading to frizz, too little of it leads to dry, brittle and more prone to heat damage.

It’s not enough to have moisturised curls, it’s about mastering balance - achieved through the right product pairing and layering technique suited to your curl density and porosity.

Managing Porosity in the Gulf: Why Low and High Porosity Curls Respond So Differently to Humidity

Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to firstly absorb and secondly retain moisture. This is not specific to a curl type but refers more to your hair’s cuticle structure. How the cuticle is positioned determines how moisture passes in and out the hair shaft.

Low Porosity and High Humidity: Why Water Sits on the surface and then suffocates

Low porosity curls have a compact, tightly closed cuticles which lie flat on along the hair shaft, making this hair type more resistant to moisture absorption. This curl type tends to repel water and moisture, it’s common to still see water beads on the surface of hair shaft after several minutes post application.

At first glance this may seem like a good thing in hot and humid environments, as the hair cuticle is less likely to swell as such its ability to draw in moisture from the air is limited.

Unfortunately, there is another side, when moisture and product cannot penetrate, they build up on the surface instead leading to moisture overload i.e an imbalance . This can leave curls feeling frizzy, coated and heavy.

High Porosity and High Humidity: Why It Feels Perfectly Moisturised, Until it’s Not

High porosity curls have a raised cuticle allow hydration and moisture to absorb fairly rapidly, whilst that’s great, a raised cuticle also means moisture evaporates just as fast. Here’s why sealing the hair cuticle is crucial for moisture retention.

Let’s add another factor into the mix, extreme humidity means extra moisture that high porosity curls naturally want to drink up, this causes the hair cuticle to swell and contract over and over again, to keep up with what appears to be a non-stop supply of moisture. This repeated expansion of the hair shaft is what is known as hygral fatigue, we explore this in detail in our post titled Wet Curls & Damage - Understanding the Do's and Don'ts

Another way to think of this, imagine having 20kg on each shoulder for hours on end.

It’s not the first lift that wears you down, it’s the constant repetition that weakens the body structure, causing fragility and vulnerability to creep in.

Layering with Intentionality: How to Build Humidity-Proof, Frizz-Free Curls

It’s important to note that humidity isn’t the enemy in your summer curl routine.

The real secret to lasting curl definition? How you layer.

As mentioned earlier in the post, it is possible to build a curl routine that leaves you with frizz free curls post day 2 and 3 in the peak of Dubai heat but there are some key considerations for effective layering.

The same way you wouldn’t step into the desert sun without sunscreen, you shouldn’t allow your curls out in the thick of summer without the right armour. At Emerson, we often say: Curl care should be likened to skin care – intentional, layered and personalised.

Building a summer proof curl routine starts with your base – a thorough hair and scalp cleanse and rich conditioning treatments to prime and prep your strands. From here, every layer matters from your leave in or primer right to your final hold product.

Remember layering isn’t a one size fits all approach. Your hair porosity should guide your approach to your summer curl routine.

For high porosity curls, we’ve highlighted that moisture escapes at every turn due to a raised cuticle. It’s essential to use the right conditioning treatment to repair the gaps in the hair shaft and seal the hair cuticle flat. This will aid moisture retention and avoid your curls pulling it in from the air. Learn more about how conditioning benefits curly hair health here. 

Secondly, priming the hair to further smoothen the hair cuticle before going in with your hero curl definer and then layering with a high performance to lock in moisture, set definition and protect against hygral fatigue.

For low porosity curls which have a water repelling nature, less is more when it comes to the concentration of your styling products. A cuticle smoothing detangler that light hydrates, loosens any knots and tangles whilst keeping flyaways at bay is essential.

A leave in conditioner in mist form is a fantastic second layer in your styling routine, the micro droplets absorb more easily into resistance cuticles and activate your curls ready for styling.

Now to styling, use lightweight stylers to define your curls and defend against humidity, reach for stylers formulated with film forming agents that create a protective humidity shield without the build-up. Your 4^th layer similar to high porosity curls, make use of a final hold product that sets your shape, giving you longer lasting definition that doesn’t fade by Day 2 or 3.

Introducing the Summer Curl Edit: Dew and Quench for Middle East Heat

The right summer curl ritual doesn’t just hydrate. It should protect, shape and seal your curls against frizz, dryness and hygral fatigue with each step. This is why we created the Summer Curl Edit – two expertly curated routines built for this climate. One for low porosity curls – Dew and one for high porosity – Quench each with four humidity resistance products perfectly layered for a curl thriving summer.

Ready to take the guesswork out of your summer curl routine?

Be the first to explore the Emerson Summer Curl Edit

Shop the Edit. Limited Edition. Only 120 boxes.