The more I work with curly hair, the more I realize that curls go through different phases depending on what we’re going through. Just like our body changes based on how we treat it, so does our hair. One day your curls are bouncing around and living their best curl life, and then all of a sudden, they start losing their body and bounce.
So why do curls suddenly take a different direction? Did they give up on us or did we give up on them? Let’s discuss a few reasons why your curls or your clients’ curls are changing.
CHECK YOUR SCALP
The scalp determines the condition of the rest of the hair. Our scalp naturally saturates the hair, creating moisture that’s intended to hydrate. In order to help our scalp with that hydration, we must hydrate our bodies by drinking plenty of water. If we don’t drink enough water, the scalp will be prone to dryness and cause the curls to become dry looking and limp, ultimately altering its elasticity.
HORMONES OUT OF CONTROL
Hormonal shifts in your body may also lead to texture change. When we go through hormonal changes, it often causes the hair follicles shape to change. Curly hair tends to have a slight curve at the growth of the follicle, and when it stops curving the hair starts to grow in straight. It may also change the diameter of the hair strand, causing the texture to change becoming coarser or finer.
A HOT MESS
Are you overusing and abusing heat levels? Curly hair is considered to be a strong, yet delicate fabric. It can become dry and break if heat is being abused. Stop cinching your hair!
STRETCHING IS NO GOOD
Stretching is great for your body but don’t try it with your strands. Protective styles can often overwork the curls’ ability to stretch. Hair needs the freedom to bounce back, but when it does not have the space to do so it will lose that ability all together. This may even happen when you slick down your hair and tighten it back in a ponytail or bun on a regular basis— especially when using gels that contain zero type of moisture in it.
WHEN BLONDES STOP HAVING FUN
Over-processing the hair with color or lightener will stress curls out. It will break the bonds that hold the inner structure of the hair strand together and create beautiful curl pattern. When curls are over-processed, they not only lose their ability to bend, but they also become dry and brittle and reject all types of conditioning treatments.