Why Is My Naturally Curly Hair Not Curly Anymore?- 9 Reasons Why & How To Fix It

why is my naturally curly hair not curly anymore - my naturally curly hair won't curl - how do i get back my natural curls

“My hair is naturally curly but won’t curly anymore! How do I get back my natural curls” – most curly girls at some point in their life.

If you’ve landed on this post, your once curly hair has lost its curl and you want to know how to get naturally curly hair back.

The good news is that I’ve been there and have successfully brought back my curls naturally and I’m here to share my experience so that you can get back your curly hair.

how to get back natural curls - 10 ways to reset your curly hair - how to fix hair that won't curl - how to retrain curly hair - curlybunmom.com

Table Of Contents

My Hair Is Naturally Curly But Won't Curl Anymore
9 reasons to answer – "Why Has My Hair Lost Its Curl?"
Why Is My Hair Less Curly When Long
Why Has My Hair Suddenly Stopping Curling
How To Fix Curly Hair That Won’t Curl
Wrapping Up

My Hair Is Naturally Curly But Won’t Curl Anymore

There are a few reasons why your hair has lost its curl and it’s very important to pinpoint the reason(s) your hair won’t curl anymore so that you can take the right steps to fix your hair that won’t curl anymore.

There are a few possible reasons why your curly hair isn’t as curly as it used to be.

9 reasons to answer – “Why Has My Hair Lost Its Curl?”

Chemical Damage

One common reason for loss of curl is damage to the hair shaft.

This can be caused by over-processing with heat or chemicals, or simply by wear and tear from daily styling.

When the hair shaft is damaged, it loses its ability to hold a curl.

If this is the case, you may need to give your hair a break from heat and chemicals and allow it time to recover.

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Chemical Damage

Heat Damage

When you use heat to style your hair, your hair cuticles are exposed to heat damage.

Heat styling using flat irons and blowdryers on high heat seem to be the main culprits for most curly girls with heat damaged hair.

Your over processed, heat damaged hair will become drier, frizzer, brittle and less manageable over time.

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Heat Damage

Product Buildup

Product builder can easily be the reason that your curly hair won’t curl anymore.

Styling your hair with too many products and not cleansing often will cause product buildup.

Styling with heavier products like thick curl creams, butter or gel could also cause buildup more quickly than products with lightweight ingredients.

The good news is that product build up is an easy fix and you may even get back your curls after just one cleanse with a clarifying shampoo!

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Product Buildup

Skipping Deep Conditioning Every Week

Another popular reason that your curly hair has lost its curl could be due to lack of deep conditioning every week.

As you may already know, curly hair is proned to being dryer than other hair types.

Deep conditioning is the best way to give your curls the intense moisture and hydration that it needs.

Using the right deep conditioner for your hair’s current state is critically important though, which brings me to the next reason that you may have lost your curls.

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Lack Of Deep Conditioning

Protein Moisture Balance Is Off In Your Curly Hair

If your curly hair is not curling anymore the protein moisture balance may be off in your curly hair.

Balancing protein and moisture in your curly hair is important for it to be healthy and well defined.

Too much protein can cause your hair to be frizzy and brittle and too much moisture in your hair can cause your curls to lose its definition.

So, depending on the state of your hair, your hair may need a protein treatment or deep moisture treatment when you’re deep conditioning.

Here are two great articles to help you assess the state of your hair so that you can determine what your hair needs.

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Protein Moisture Being Off Balance

Poor Curly Hair Care habits

If you’re not sure why your hair has lost its curl, start by taking a look at your curly girl routine.

Have you recently started using new hair products? switched to a new shampoo or conditioner? If so, that could be the culprit.

Other considerations for your curly hair care routine:

styling hair too tight and pulling your curls too much for high buns etc

try the curly girl method

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling

Using Incorrect Products For Your Curly Hair Type

Using products that are too heavy or too light for your hair type can cause a loss of curl definition.

It’s critical to understand what your hair needs and style accordingly, every time. Before you style, it’s especially important to assess your hair porosity.

Your hair needs can also change depending on the season and weather, so take the time to note which products work well at those times.

You can also try a new product and note how it reacts and responds to your hair.

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling From Using Incorrect Products

Need A Curly Haircut

If you have not trimmed your curls in a long time, it may be the cause of your hair not looking as curly as it used to for 2 possible reasons:

The weight of your hair will naturally pull down on your curls, making your once tight curls looser
The length of your hair is more damaged than you noticed

Chances are you may just need to trim split ends or layer your hair for your natural curls to shine again!

Here’s How To Fix Your Hair Not Curling When You Need A Cut

Hormonal Changes

Another reason for loss of curl could be due to changes in hormone levels.

It’s also possible that your hair has simply changed with age. As we get older, our hormones change and that can affect the health and appearance of our hair.

If you’ve ever noticed your hair getting straighter as you age, you’re not alone.

Many women find that their hair changes texture and loses its curl as they get older.

While there are a number of reasons why this may happen, the most likely cause is a change in the levels of hormones in your body.

It could be due to changes in your diet or lifestyle, or it could be a sign of aging.

Why Is My Hair Less Curly When Long

When you have curly hair, you may notice that it doesn’t seem to curl as much when it’s longer.

There are a few reasons why this may be the case.

First, the weight of your hair can pull down on the curls and make them less bouncy.

Second, longer hair tends to be drier than shorter hair, which can also lead to less defined curls.

Finally, if you style your hair with heat or chemicals often, this can also cause your curls to loosen over time.

If you want to keep your curly hair looking its best, try using some of these tips:

-Get regular trims to avoid split ends and keep your hair healthy overall.

-Deep condition your hair regularly to help keep it hydrated.

Why Has My Hair Suddenly Stopping Curling

You wake up with a head full of beautiful curls, only to find that by the end of the day they’re droopy and flat. What gives? Why has your hair lost its curl?

If you have curly hair, and it has only just stopped curling it’s time to assess your curls and examine your routine.

Most likely you will realise that it’s due to one of the reasons mentioned above.

Most often your hair suddenly stops curling because of:

product build up and your hair needs a reset with a clarifying shampoo
you need to deep condition every week
your curls’ protein moisture balance is off

How To Fix Curly Hair That Won’t Curl

So, now that you’ve assessed your hair’s needs and know what your curls need. Let’s look at how to get naturally curly hair back.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Maintaing a healthy lifestyle will ensure that your body and hair gets the nutrients they need to be at their best.

Always remember to drink the required amount of water for your body.

Trim hair as often as needed

Trimming your curls when you notice split ends will help to retain length and your natural curl pattern.

If you’re unsure of how to tell if you have split ends, speak with a curly hairdresser who can assess and best advise you.

Get A Curly Hair Cut

To get your hair curly hair back, try getting a professional hair cut suited to your hair texture and shape of your face.

If you’re brave and adventurous, you can try a DIY unicorn or wolf cut by following one of the many videos online.

I tried it the triple unicorn cut and I absolutely love the results. The layers made my curls look so healthy and voluminous.

Here’s the video I used to layer my curls with the triple unicorn hair cut:

Cut off chemical damaged or heat damaged curly hair

If your hair is badly damaged, you may opt to get a professional’s assessment and opinion and cut off the damage.

This is ideal as you get to start off with healthy new growth that you can take care of using curly girl habits and techniques.

Use curly girl methods to Train Curls

Curly girl styling techniques can help to retrain your curls over time.

These have helped me gain more curl defintion from time to time:

finger coiling
scrunching
plopping
root clipping
scrunching

Experiement with styling using these techniques while your hair is soaking wet or damp but never style your curls dry.

Many curly girls have been able to bring their curls back to live and maintain curl defintion by following the curly girl method and using curly girl method approved products.

The curly girl method is not for everyone as some (like me) find it’s a bit too restrictive but the basic rules are great to know and use as a guide on your hair care journey.

Maintain protein Moisture balance

As mentioned, maintaining the protein moisture balance is essential in curly hair care.

Before washing your hair, assess your curls to determine if they need more moisture or more protein.

These guides will help you with protein moisture balance:

Clarify hair To Reset Curls

If you have prodcut buildup or you have hard water, clarify your hair to remove all buildup on your hair.

You will be pleasantly surprised to see the drastic improvement in your curls after one or two wash days with a clarifying shampoo.

If you tend to use heavier curly girl products or lots of gels, try to clarify at least once a month.

Try these clarifying shampoos for curly girls.

Deep condition Curly Hair every week

When I committed to deep conditioning every week, my curls were transformed!

My hair now looks healthier, more defined and sooo much easier to manage and style. A bonus is also that I need less products when styling.

Before you choose your deep conditioner, remember to asses your hair to determine if you need a deep hydrating conditioner or a deep protein treatment.

Try these deep conditioners for curly hair

Choose Styling Products For Your Curly Hair Type

Choose curly girl products to ensure that you’re using products for your hair type.

For instance, low porosity curly hair prefers light weight products so that the curls aren’t weighed down.

Also, all curly girls should aim to use only as much product as their curls need.

Be careful not to use too much of any product and don’t layer too many products as your curls will be weighed down and appear to have lost it’s curl pattern.

You will love these popular product recommendation posts:

Diffuse instead of air drying

I know this sounds crazy if you’re accustomed to air drying like I was, but diffusing changed my wash day results dramatically. When you diffuse the right way, you get gorgeous, voluminious defined curls without heat damage – it’s a win win!

Wrapping Up

If you have curly hair that just won’t curl, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem.

By understanding why your hair won’t curl anymore and following the tips in this post, you can revive your curly hair so that you can have healthy, defined, voluminous curls.