May 29, 2022

How to Improve Curl Retention & Restore Bouncy Curls

Are your curls not springing up like they used to? Perhaps you are looking to restore your natural curl pattern and recover from damage. Today I’m sharing some of the common causes of limp curls and how to improve their bounce.

What is Curl Retention?

Curl retention refers to how well the curls bounce back up when you stretch them down.

What is Curl Memory?

Curl memory refers to how likely the curl pattern will return to its natural shape each time you wash or get your hair wet.

Important Considerations

You cannot create a curl pattern that doesn’t exist naturally from your genetics. Curl pattern or “tightness” is determined by the literal shape of our hair follicle in the scalp. You can, however, enhance your natural curls.

Length also plays a big factor because longer hair has more “room” to spiral than short hair. It’s normal for some people’s curl pattern to not start until further down the strand.

Your hair’s natural texture & porosity can affect curl retention. Coarse hair may have more curl retention because it’s not as easily weighed down as fine hair. Low to medium porosity hair will have more curl retention because it holds onto moisture and is not damaged.

Although these natural factors are often things we can’t “help” there are some techniques that can help encourage your curls to bounce up to their natural potential.

Causes of Poor Curl Retention & Memory

Buildup

Buildup on the hair from product or hard water mineral deposits can accumulate and weigh down the hair. Use a chelating shampoo such as the Malibu C pH 9 Shampoo which removes hard water buildup and product buildup. Another option to remove product buildup for regular clarifying is the Twist Hit Reset Clarifying Shampoo. This cannot remove hard water deposits but is a great option to use ona regular basis for regular product buildup.

Damage

Damaged hair has a compromised cuticle layer and broken bonds that help hold the curl structure. If you have damage, the only way to totally restore your natural curl pattern is to grow it out and get trims to gradually remove the damage. Haircuts make the biggest difference when it comes to bouncing the curls back up right away.

Use bond repair treatments like Olaplex No. 3 or Curlsmith Bond Curl to repair broken disulfide bonds. Olaplex repairs disulfide bonds damaged by chemicals like bleach and color. Curlsmith Bond Curl targets 3 types of broken bonds:

Disulfide Bonds: damaged from chemicals
Salt Bonds: damaged from sudden pH change
Hydrogen Bonds: damaged from water or heat. Temporarily broken/reset when hair gets wet. Hygral fatigue can occur when hydrogen bonds become damaged from constant swelling or washing too frequently.

Curl training can be done to create curl memory over time. Apply your choice of bonding treatment or deep conditioner, comb through, then section your hair. Create small twists, twirling the hair in the natural direction of your curl pattern. Be sure to pick up sections that naturally group together and form the same curl pattern.

Let it sit for 10-30 minutes before unwinding all the twists. If you’re using a bonding treatment, follow up with shampoo and a protein-free deep conditioner. If you’re using a deep conditioner, simply rinse your hair thoroughly after unwinding the twists.

Protein & Moisture Imbalance

Excessive protein or moisture will cause hair to lose its bounce. Hair is made up of keratin, a natural protein. However, adding too much protein via your products can cause your hair to become brittle, stiff, and weighed down making it appear more limp.

Moisture is also essential, especially for curly hair that naturally becomes dehydrated easily. Hair that is lacking moisture can fall flat and limp by day two. However, too much moisture in your routine from heavy styling products and too much water can cause hair to become weighed down.

Clarifying fixes both protein and moisture overload. If you have protein overload, deep condition after clarifying using a protein-free deep conditioner to restore moisture. Watch this video to see a routine that fixes protein overload.

For moisture overload, you can use a regular lightweight conditioner after clarifying and follow with styling products that contain a bit of protein.

Heavy products

Products that contain heavy ingredients such as oils and butters create too much weight, especially for fine hair, causing it to appear more elongated. Gravity will also pull the hair down naturally, so styling with lightweight products will help allow curl shrinkage. Use water-based leave-ins and creams instead of thick butter creams.

Look for words such as:

Curl defining
Curl activator
Curl enhancer
Clump

Ingredients that aid in curl retention:

Protein
Keratin
Amino acids
Silk – improves elasticity
Starch
Rice extract

For this routine, I used the AG Recoil cream that has Magnesium sulfate, which helps shrink the bonds in the hair. I followed with the OUIDAD Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Stronger Hold Gel which contains proteins and curl enhancing ingredients. The strong hold will also hold the curls’ shape. I prefer to apply my styling products to damp hair because too much water can weigh down your hair.

Lack of Hold

Not using gels that create a “cast” on the hair can cause the curls to fall limp by the end of the day or the next day. The gel cast will help curls retain their shape and last longer. Look for gels that contain film-forming ingredients.

Film-forming & fixative ingredients:

Polyquaternium “polyquats”
Copolymer
PVP
Flaxseed
Aloe

High humidity in the air will also reset your hair’s hydrogen bonds, causing the curls to fall limp and become frizzy. Look for polyquats or silicones in your products to block moisture. Using a hairspray at the end of your routine can also help shield your hair from humidity. I recommend the Bounce Curl Alcohol-Free Hair Spray, but be mindful that a little goes a long way!

Not Styling to Encourage Curl Formation

Any “downward” motions with styling will just elongate the hair. Avoid brushing the hair downward and only raking products downwards. After raking products in, use your hands or a brush to lift the hair up away from the scalp, right at the root.

Use a brush to style AFTER applying gel to create more defined ringlets that hold. Brushes with dense bristles create tension like a ribbon to shape ringlets. Separate ringlets with a comb or your fingers so the clumps aren’t too large and heavy. Brush curls are more likely to hold up in humidity because the curls have shape.

Scrunch after styling to encourage curls to bounce up. You can also scrunch with a T-shirt or hair towel for extra shrinkage and to absorb excess water that can weigh down the hair and cause hair to take forever to dry.

Gravity from Air Drying

The position our hair is in as it’s drying is crucial because it’ll stay that way. Diffusing “plops” the curls as they dry and encourage shrinkage. Aso, the low heat helps to “set” the curls in place. Cold air is unable to reshape the curls.

While air drying, gravity can elongate the hair. Air drying for long periods of time can also cause damage over time to the hair’s “cell membrane complex,” the glue that holds the inner fibers and bonds together.

Learn more about damage from air drying, and air drying vs. diffusing here.

Embrace your natural curls

Hopefully these tips will help you enhance your natural curl pattern. Remember, we cannot alter our natural curl pattern, we can only help restore it to its full potential. As you recover from damage and take care of your curls, your curl retention will improve over time. You must be consistent in your regime and have patience.