This Curly Hair Routine Has Changed My Life

If you’re noticing that your once bouncy curls are now falling into looser waves or even straight sections, you’re not alone. It’s puzzling, especially when you’ve committed to embracing your natural texture. So, why are your curls loosening or your hair straightening out even when it’s healthy? Let’s unpack this together.

A Little Background on My Hair

I’ve been on quite the hair journey. As a kid, my hair was manageably wavy, but as puberty hit, it exploded into a mass of curls that I just didn’t know how to handle. For about five years during my teens, I took to straightening it daily. It wasn’t until later that I began to appreciate and learn how to care for my curls properly.

Despite my hair being healthier than ever, I noticed it transitioning from what used to be a 2C-3A curl pattern to a mix of 2A-2B waves, with some strands looking almost entirely straight. This left me wondering if I was missing something in my care routine or if this was a normal evolution.

My Current Hair Care Routine

I’ll be the first to admit that my routine isn’t the strictest. I don’t follow the Curly Girl Method closely. I’m quite flexible with my products, often using sulfates for a thorough cleanse and sometimes silicones when I feel like my hair could use that extra slip. I don’t co-wash; instead, I wash my hair about twice a week, sometimes stretching it to once if my hair isn’t too unruly.

Here’s a brief rundown of my routine:

1. Oil Treatment: I start with a scalp massage using castor oil and apply grapeseed oil along the length of my hair. I then sit under a heat cap for about 20-30 minutes.
2. Washing: I use a sulfate shampoo for a good lather and cleanse, shampooing just once from roots to tips. I leave a bit of the oil in my hair because it helps keep my hair from drying out too much.
3. Conditioning: I use Tresemme Botanicals with coconut milk and aloe vera, squishing the conditioner into my hair and rinsing about 60% of it out.
4. Styling: My styling product application varies. Lately, I’ve been using Kinky Curly Leave-In Conditioner followed by a custard, both applied to soaking wet hair. I adjust with more water as needed to help my hair clump better.
5. Drying: Occasionally, I’ll use a shirt to scrunch out excess moisture.

Pinpointing the Issue

Given my routine and the changes in my hair texture, a few things stand out as possible reasons for my hair’s behavior:

1. Product Buildup and Choice: Even though I use sulfates that should, in theory, remove silicone buildup, it’s possible that not all silicones are being washed out completely. This buildup could be weighing my hair down, leading to looser patterns.
2. Heavy Products: The products I use, particularly the oils and the leave-in conditioner, might be too heavy for my hair type. While they’re great for moisture, they might be reducing my hair’s natural volume and bounce, encouraging a flatter appearance.
3. Change in Hair Porosity: My hair’s porosity could have changed over time, which isn’t uncommon. Hair that has lower porosity tends to sit differently and might not hold curls as well as it used to.

Adjusting Your Routine

If you’re experiencing something similar, consider playing around with your routine. You might want to try lighter oils (or using them less frequently), switching to a lighter conditioner, or adjusting how much product you leave in your hair. Also, experiment with different styling products to see if something lighter gives your curls more bounce.

Embracing Change

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our hair changes due to factors beyond our immediate control, like hormonal changes, environmental factors, or even stress. It’s frustrating, but part of embracing natural hair is sometimes accepting its unpredictability.

While it’s great to have a go-to routine, being open to tweaking it or trying new products can sometimes make a world of difference. Remember, what worked for your hair one year might not be the best as time goes on, and that’s perfectly okay.