Sometimes, your curls just won’t. Gradually you notice that your curls have lost their springiness, their shine, and their curly shape. Curl pattern loss can happen for a variety of reasons, and leave you wondering how to get your naturally curly hair back. Luckily there are steps you can take to get your curls back to their springy selves, but it does take a bit of time and patience. We’ve listed the common culprits in texture loss, and how to address each one.
Heat styling is the most common cause of curl pattern loss. Flat irons, blowouts, and curling irons all take their toll on your curls with each use, eventually resulting in heat damage and loss of curl texture. If you do choose to heat style, do so sparingly and apply a heat protectant before each heat styling session. But if you’ve gone too far with the heat styling, heat damaged hair is the most difficult starting point when trying to get your naturally curly hair back.
So how do you get your curls back when your hair has already been visibly damaged by heat styling? It is possible to mitigate some of the effects of heat damage, but severely heat damaged hair will not be able to completely bounce back to its natural state. If you find that your hair has been heat damaged but don’t see yourself parting ways with heat styling for good, at least consider taking a long break to allow new hair the opportunity to grow without damage. For your existing damaged hair, start with a protein treatment to rebuild the keratin that was lost as a result of intensive heat styling. Follow up with a deep conditioning treatment, and an oil to seal the moisture into your hair. Heat damaged hair has a permanently damaged cuticle and will not hold on to moisture as well as healthy hair, so expect to repeat this process more frequently than you would need to for curls that have not been heat damaged.
Loss of curl definition can happen if your hair is weighed down, thus stretching out your natural curls and disrupting their natural ability to curl. There are different things that can weigh your hair down, and getting your curls back depends on finding the root cause of what’s weighing your hair down.
One common cause of weighed down hair is product buildup. Even if you’re using exclusively CG-friendly silicone-free products, some heavier butters and similar products can be building up in your hair. If this is the case, you will notice the most significant loss of definition towards the roots, as well as an overall loss of volume in your hair. In this case, you will need to clarify your hair with a clarifying shampoo, and follow up with a hydrating treatment. A clarifying shampoo will clear any product buildup from your hair, and allow it to return to its natural curl pattern. Similarly, you can also experience buildup from hard water deposits. Your hair will show similar signs as with product buildup, and you will simply need to swap out the clarifying shampoo for a chelating shampoo to address the problem.
Another possibility is that your curls are just being stretched out by their own weight, and would benefit from a fresh cut. If all the other tips in this article have not proven to be helpful, you may be able to get your natural curls back with a trip to your stylist.
