10 Reasons Your Curls Don’t Last + Longest-Lasting Routine

Do your curls look frizzy, limp, and undefined by the end of the day? This is one of the biggest complaints I hear from y’all and you’re not alone! Today I’m sharing 10 reasons why your curls don’t hold up and a step-by-step super long-lasting curly hair routine.

❌ Your curls don’t have enough hold
✅ Use strong hold products & techniques

Hold is frizz protection that lasts. When you don’t use products that add hold to your hair then your hair can become frizzy easily and won’t hold up in humidity. The amount of hold you get from styling products can vary from person to person, and styling techniques and product application make a huge difference.

❌ You used too much water when styling
✅ Apply products on damp hair and mist as you go

The more water in your hair when you apply your products, the less hold you may get because water dilutes your products. I prefer to start with towel-dried hair, then mist my hair with water until it’s evenly wet. I then apply a heat protectant and brush it through. There shouldn’t be frizzy patches starting to dry, but you also don’t want it to be dripping and soaking your shirt.

❌ You used too much cream or leave-in
✅ Skip creams, use one that is very light, or use less

In addition to using too much water, too much curl creams or leave-ins will also soften your gel cast and reduce hold. Anything that is on your hair underneath your gel has the potential to reduce hold, including heavy conditioners that you didn’t fully rinse out. If you’re struggling with a gel not giving you hold, use it by itself and see if that helps.

For this routine, I wanted to use a lightweight curl cream that also provides some hold. If your base product contains some holding ingredients like VP/VA Copolymer or PVP, then it may help add hold.

❌ Your gel does not provide long-lasting hold
✅ Use a gel that holds even after scrunching out the cast

So many gels don’t provide enough hold. Most of the time they claim to be strong hold and do give a cast, but as soon as you break it your hold disappears, and frizz forms. Look for gels that contain multiple “polyquaternium” ingredients. From my experience, this results in the most hold and humidity protection. Other ingredients that provide hold are VP/VA Copolymer and PVP. Reading the ingredients label is key, but you also need to test the gel to see since hold level can be subjective.

❌ You’re not using anti-humidity products
✅ Use a gel or mousse with multiple polyquaternium ingredients

If you live where it’s humid, having polyquats in your main styler and strong hold are a must. These ingredients create a barrier on the hair to moisturize it and prevent humidity from absorbing. Strong hold will also help your curls retain their shape.

I went with the Ouidad gel because it’s hold truly lasts even after you scrunch out the cast. Another good option is AG’s Liquid Effects if you want another good gel to pair with the AG cream. I just find the Ouidad to last a tad longer. I will list some gels below that have polyquats in them.

❌ You’re skipping styling techniques
✅ Enhance curls with brush styling, finger coiling, etc.

Every time I skip styling, my curls fall flat, stringy, and frizz. They also never hold up after wash day when I skip styling. Styling techniques can be anything from brush styling, to finger coiling, rake & shake, praying hands, etc. Just do something to enhance them so they last! This also helps keep frizz tucked into clumps.

I prefer brush styling because it’s quick and easy for me. I do the brush coiling technique around my face-framing pieces so they’re extra defined because those take the most abuse throughout the day. I also separate large curl clumps with my hands to I get more volume, and finger coil baby hairs into clumps.

After I brush styled, I spritzed a bit of the new Curlsmith Root Boosting Spray at my roots. It seems to really help amp up the volume since I don’t usually get a ton of volume when using this gel.

BONUS TIP: Scrunch with towel & apply another glaze of gel

After styling and before diffusing, scrunch with a hair towel to soak up excess water and improve shrinkage. Add another light glaze of gel on top to really amp up the hold level. Any time you add gel to hair that is drier, you’ll get more hold out of it. This extra layer makes a big difference for frizzy ends or root flyaways too.

❌ You’re air drying
✅ Diffuse to set the curls in place

While air drying may work for some, which is wonderful, it does not work for my hair type. Every time I air dry (as pictured above), I end up with stringy frizz, and day 2 doesn’t hold up. This is because diffusing uses gentle heat to set our curl shape into place. It also sets the gel cast right away, so the curls dry in that position. Essentially, you have more control over your results with diffusing.

After diffusing, I like to place root clips like the new Bounce Curl Volume Root Clips along my part while my hair cools. You can also use these while air drying for more root volume.

BONUS TIP: Leave the cast in if you’re going to bed, going out in humidity or wind, or about to travel.

The longer you leave it in, the better! I just let it gradually release throughout the day when I really want my hair to last longer, or I’ll scrunch it out once I’m at my destination.

❌ You’re using an oil to SOTC
✅ Skip oil, use nothing or a hairspray

While using oil to scrunch out the cast is a common last step for most, I find that it removes too much of the cast. If you have overly soft hair that falls easily, definitely skip the oil. I also find that it reduces my hold on day 2 and when I refresh because I’m then adding an gel on top of oil from the previous day.

Instead, just use your dry hands to scrunch out the cast. You can also add a hairspray for extra hold. I tested out the new one from Boucleme for this routine, but I’ll list others as well below for you.

❌ Protecting your curls overnight 
✅ Wear a bonnet that fits properly, scarf, etc.

You put in all that work on wash day, so don’t ruin it by sleeping on a regular cotton pillowcase! Curls are prone to frizz with any little bit of friction, which is why silk/satin everything is key.

I prefer a satin or silk pillowcase in addition to a bonnet for maximum protection. In the video, I share how to properly put on a bonnet because that is really key.

❌ Your hair is damaged or high porosity
✅ Improve hair’s health, use protein, sealing products

Having damaged hair is one of the biggest reasons curls don’t last. The more “open” the cuticle is, the quicker it dries out and the more it’s sensitive to the environment outside. Our hair is like a sponge. It will improve over time as it gets healthier. Get the damaged cut off, use bond-repairing products and proteins to repair your hair and prevent further damage.

Day 1 Compared

There’s a clear difference between the soft hold routine versus the strong hold routine on day 1. My hair is frizzier, more elongated, and less defined with the soft hold routine. If your hair is frizzy after it dries from your wash day, it’s only going to get frizzier throughout the week. With the strong hold routine the curls are super defined and more voluminous. The definition will soften through the week but at least we’re starting with max definition.

Day 2 & 3 Compared

Let’s take a look at my results from day 2 and day 3 between both routines. There’s a huge difference! When I don’t use a gel or any of the techniques explained here, my hair is limp, frizzy, and undefined after wash day. Also, note these photos are without refreshing. The goal is to get you to where you don’t have to refresh daily, especially not on day 2. Some touchups are one thing, but we want to avoid saturating our hair with water to refresh.

Which routine do you prefer? If you’re looking to improve your routine or if you’re struggling to pin point why you’re not getting longevity from your routine, I recommend tracking and analyzing your results using the Curly Hair Tracker & Planner.

Need help finding the right gel? Watch the video on Are You Using the Wrong Gel for more help.