UNSOLVED SCIENCE
Even though it’s been determined for years that curly hair is a dominant gene, scientists admit that there is still no way to predict, the size, tightness, or overall behaviour of someone’s curls. Curly hair is just THAT unique.
Why Did My Curl Type Change?
Have you ever woken up one day and looked in the mirror and realized that your hair is just...different? It’s hard to pinpoint when and where the change happened but you know you can’t be imagining it! Somehow your curls are looser, or maybe they're tighter? There may even be waves or curls where there’s never been before! 😱 Whether you are loving the change or you’re looking to get back what you had, we thought we'd delve into the mystery of why our hair textures change in the first place.
What Makes Curly Hair Curly?
To understand what could cause someone’s hair to change it's best to first know what gives curls their unique shape and texture!
BORN THIS WAY
This one is a no-brainer; genetics play a huge role in all of our physical attributes, and our hair is no exception. Whether you have a head full of luscious waves or lots of bouncy ringlets, you have genes to thank for that. So if your mom, dad, or grandparent has curly hair too, chances are they passed those genes on to you! Thanks, Ma!
BENT OUT OF SHAPE
Since genes alone can't fully explain the variations between different curl types, hair texture comes down to way more than just simple genetics.
The truth is that the shape of your hair follicles are the biggest factor in determining your hair texture. Your hair follicles are the part of your scalp that guide and grow hair fibres, so it makes sense that they could shape the way your strands look. Hair follicles that are circular and symmetrical produce straight hair, while oval shaped follicles produce hair that curls.
BUILDING BONDS
But wait there's more! 😅 Curly hair also has a unique composition. Unlike straight hair, curly hair strands have an uneven distribution of keratin protein. These proteins form bonds throughout the hair shaft that contribute to the shape, size and tightness of each curl. When curly hair is chemically relaxed, these bonds are broken apart, and as a result, straightens the curl.
Why The Change?
THE ROOT CAUSE
Now that we know what a big role our follicles play in shaping our curls, it is likely that major changes in textures start at the root of your hair. That being said, it is possible for the shape of your follicles to change. Bodily changes like age, health, hormones, stress and diet are all factors that can impact the landscape of your hair.
HORMONAL HAIR
Believe it or not, major hormonal changes (like the kind you experience during pregnancy, puberty or even menopause) can actually affect and CHANGE the shape of your hair follicle as well as the size and thickness of your hair strands. So all the stories you've heard of hair changing (for better or worse) during pregnancy actually have some truth to them!
THE 'D' WORD
The dreaded 'D' word: damage. Damage doesn't come by flat ironing and straightening alone; there are many other factors that could cause damage to your hair, such as dryness. Your curls are the bounciest and healthiest when your hair AND scalp are moisturized. When they are dry, your curls can become rough, brittle and more susceptible to damage.
Another sneaky culprit can be over-manipulation. Detangling, pulling and brushing your hair back into buns, ponytails, and styles meant to stretch the hair can also affect your texture over time so be mindful of this if you're trying to bring some life back into your curls!
A LONG STORY
Long hair means more hair, and more hair means more weight. As your hair grows longer the weight starts to pull from the bottom up to your roots, resulting in your curl pattern being stretched and elongated. Sometimes a new hair cut can bring a little bounce back into your hair by using scissors to create varying layers and textures in your hair. Consulting with a curly hair specialist is the best way to figure out what kind of cut works best with your curl texture.
CURLY COME-UP
Maybe your hair type hasn't changed (or at least not drastically), maybe you've just figured things out. A lot of us curly girls have spent a good portion of our lives not actually embracing our curls and perhaps you've finally figured out what works for you. We can't tell you how many times we've heard feedback from customers who are shocked at how a product can really transform your curl pattern.
Have you ever noticed a change in your curl pattern? Maybe you had an unexpected pattern spring up after pregnancy? Or maybe your kinks and coils are looser than they used to be after rocking a straightened look? Comment below and let us know!
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38 comments
As a child, I had loose curls. As I neared puberty, my hair turned into the tightest, most beautiful perfect spirals. After my first child, my curls relaxed to almost straight. I was devastated. Time passed and my curls came back some. Now, age 42, my hair will dry to pretty curls but not nearly like they used to be.I have to use gel and a diffuser to get the curls. And by day 2, it’s just wavy at best. I would give my right arm to have my beautiful curls come back.
I’ve always had curly hair. I laughed when I read your descriptions b/c I have all those types of curly hair on my head lol – frizzy, wavy, curly q underneath and at my front temple. I’m turning 50 this year so I’m starting to lose my hair and it’s getting more frizzy. I’m hoping this product will help me get more curl or at least allow me have less frizz.
I was born with straight hair with cowlicks. I always could curl my hair with a curling iron and it would stay until the next day. After my 1st pregnancy, my hair had a 4" wave down the back only…what??? 6 years later after my 2nd pregnancy, my hair became curly all over, but the sides are looser. I’ve tried everything to make my hair appear more even curled all over, but I had given up. I’ve been using your products for 2 months now & I’m loving it!!! I’m no longer trying to straight style it, so less heat = less damage & less frizz. I try to wear my hair down on most days, except during exercise, too help keep the curls fresh. Thank you for your products.
Tight, almost pincurl type curls at birth and babyhood, very thick. Later, during early teens, I tried to straighten with large rollers. Then, went back to short. My wave pattern is EXACTLY like my father’s was! Now, at this point (70), after about 10 years of longer, blown dried hair that actually would “mushroom” in moisture, in my very late 50’s, and after moving to the perennially humid (humid hot or humid cold, but always HUMID), I cut it short again. It again took on the old wave pattern. As it has begun greying as a mixed brown/grey all over with temple areas more grey than Brown, it is much curler than in years and is very easy to manage with a good cut. It still has a “mind of its own,” and the back is straighter on the left than the deeply waved right, but I have embraced my curls now since 2008!
my hair was always straight until i was about 12 i begged my family to let me get a perm… turns out i had “natural body wave” lol yeah gotta love the 80’s
so turns out i have natural spiral waves or curls .. jut needed to know how to work them. little mouse or gel and scrunch. that was when i was 12 now at 40 it’s curlier than ever and well that is due to amazing moisturizing products and curl activators
i have very long, thin hair but lots of it lol love my curls and i have never ever straightened it..