How to Style Curls that Fall Flat, Don’t Last, or Are Overly Soft
If your curls fall limp, frizz, struggle to hold a curl, or feel too soft and flat, then you need a to make these teaks
Today, I’m styling my hair while answering your questions all about curl retention. I’m using all drugstore products and will be demonstrating tips to answer your questions. Topics include dealing with uneven curl patterns, improving curl retention, curl training, and how to achieve tighter curls at the root.
If you didn’t catch last week’s video, definitely check it out so you can learn all about How to Improve Curl Retention and the common causes of limp curls.
A: Most of the time, this is due to damage that needs to be cut off. Even if you don’t straighten your hair or use heat tools, you’d be surprised at the amount of damage that can occur just from everyday wear and tear such as detangling, brush styling, friction, the sun, and more. This is why I recommend regular trims to keep your curls bouncy.
If you know your ends are not damaged and you still have straighter ends, this could be your natural curl pattern. I recommend styling with a brush, scrunching, and diffusing to shrink the ends up. Diffusing is the best way to “set” your curls in that scrunched position.
A: See the previous question regarding ends that are falling limp. However, when it comes to ends not holding product, this is also usually due to damage (high-porosity hair) that loses moisture easily. Use a firm hold gel and avoid using too much water which can dilute the gel. Try sealing frizzy ends with a little gel after diffusing, or use oil to aid in moisture retention.
A: Although I have not been able to find concrete research regarding curl training, I have tested it side-by-side in this video and I could definitely tell a difference. It’s important to note that you cannot create a curl pattern that doesn’t exist naturally, and you can’t change the direction of your natural curls. Brush styling can help force the hair to curl in a more uniform shape.
A: It’s very common to have multiple curl patterns and various curl shapes. If you know you still have some damage, it’s likely that your curls will improve over time and may even become tighter. It took me 3-4 years to fully transition my curls from damage.
A: This is also very common, and usually just due to the natural variation in curl pattern from our genetics. Friction against your clothing is another common cause of curls that fall looser or tangle up by the neck. I have a video here all about How to Reduce Tangles.
A: I have a video all about How to Get Tighter Curls at the Root that covers loads of techniques for getting root definition. My biggest tip is to use a brush to create defined curls, but place it right at the root, turn it so the hair at the root wraps around the edge of the brush, and then glide it down. Precise styling around the top section can help.
Another one of my best tips for tighter root curls is to scrunch right at the root with a hair towel or your hands before you diffuse.
A: It’s very common for the face-framing pieces to be frizzier and lose shape easily. These curls are right by your face and receive more wear and tear. Perhaps you often tuck your hair behind your ear, stretching out your curls, or maybe you touch your hair often resulting in frizz. Precise brush styling in the front section will help.
A: Many of us have multiple curl patterns all over naturally. They often will change direction as well. If you’re using a brush to style or finger coiling, make sure you’re going in the correct direction as the natural curl pattern. My right side in the front curls towards my face, whereas my left side curls away from my face.
A: Do you touch your hair often on one side? I have a bad habit of this and it causes one side to frizz up more than the other. Also consider your day-to-day activities and the friction that could be happening on one side, which leads to frizz because friction will dissolve your gel cast. Maybe your purse strap on one side is rubbing, or your seatbelt. I recommend a strong hold gel to help the curls hold their shape longer, and reduce friction where possible.
I wanted to share my next-day hair results from using the drugstore products. Overall I had nice curl definition and it held up well in the heat and wind. Because I spent the day outside, I did get some frizz by day 2 and had to refresh.
By day 3 my hair was significantly more frizzy, and for some reason, even after refreshing it just frizzed up immediately. I think this was a combination of too much moisture on wash day, lack of protein, and the humidity. I used the Dove gel in the past and had great results, but last time I used a styling cream with protein underneath versus a protein-free leave-in conditioner. This is why trial and error is key!
If you have any additional questions regarding curl retention, leave them in the comments below!
Don’t forget to check out my last video if you haven’t already seen it, How to Improve Curl Retention.
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