How to Fix Uneven Curl Patterns & Common Causes

When I ask you all what you struggle with the most, the most common responses are always uneven curl patterns. Many of you struggle with looser curls underneath, or on top, compared to the rest of your hair. I’m going to be sharing some of the common causes of uneven curl types, and how to fix it. I include many ways to get tighter curls, encourage shrinkage, and prevent curls from getting weighed down.

Causes of Uneven Curl Patterns

• It’s completely natural to have multiple curl types
• Damage! Damaged hair can appear stringy and straight. If you’re transitioning back to your natural curl texture and you have heat damage, it’s common to have straighter pieces that are not yet recovered or grown out.
• Breakage can result in shorter curls at the nape of your neck. Shorter curls shrink up more and can appear tighter
• Uneven haircuts
• Buildup
• Products that are too heavy for your texture and density

How to Fix Uneven Curl Patterns

• Get a dry haircut so your stylist can see your curls in their natural, dry state. More on my haircut here.
• Cut off damaged ends
• Clarify to remove buidup
• Use curl training when deep conditioning
• Use Olaplex No. 3 to increase ringlets and repair damage
• Avoid heavy butters, oils, and creams if you have normal to low porosity hair and/or fine hair
• Opt for leave-in conditioners, lightweight creams, mousse, or gel
• Apply products to damp hair instead of soaking wet
• Use the Denman brush to create ringlets or finger coil
• Separate large curl clumps
• Use a HairRepear towel to absorb excess product and water
• Hover diffuse to set the cast, then place the diffuser at your ends and press up to encourage ringlets.

Products Used:

• Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner from Amazon or BounceCurl.com
• Bounce Curl Light Creme Hair Gel from Amazon or BounceCurl.com
• Bounce Curl Avocado & Rose Oil Clump and Define Cream from Amazon or BounceCurl.com
• Denman Classic Styling Brush 5 Row D14
• HairRepear The Ultimate Hair Towel
• Infiniti PRO by Conair 1875 Watt Texture Styling Hair Dryer
• Olaplex No. 3 <–20% off with code GENA, expires 9/30, valid in the US only