Kayla Young
Dreaming of restoring your naturally curly hair? Many of us have had that time in our life when we just wanted straight hair for years. But is it time to bring the curls back? How do you do it?!
You are not alone! There are many looking to restore the lost curls.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to get curly hair back after straightening it too much. If you are wondering how to get curls back after straightening, you have to be patient. It can take time.
Below is a detailed explanation of what is involved in getting your curly hair back.Â
Contents
Damaged, Straightened Hair
The main reason why naturally curly hair doesn’t return back to its natural curl pattern after too much straightening is that it has been damaged.
There are various ways to straighten hair, though they are primarily irons and chemicals.
Flat Irons
The first one is by using a hair iron, typically a titanium or ceramic flat iron. The BabyLiss Pro Flat Iron is a great example of one of these tools. We reviewed it here.
Flat irons are flexible hair tools that can be used to create curls or straighten hair using heat (especially common for those with ethnic hair types).
Using a flat iron often can cause heat damage to the hair. This is especially true if you don’t use heat protectant before using the hair flat iron . Heat Protectant sprays work well!
Argan oil and coconut oil work as well, if you prefer a more natural option, as long as you keep the heat on the lower end.
Chemical Straighteners
If you don’t use a flat iron, you can still have the hair straightened at the salon by using various chemicals. These will break the natural structure of the hair in order to make it straight.
Most of the chemical straightening procedures out there will weaken the hair and damage it if used often. That is why these procedures should only be done once in a while.
Weak, Sad, Straight Hair
No matter what hair straightening procedure you opt for, too much of it could damage the hair. When you take it too far, it won’t return to the natural curl pattern.
Additionally, hair straightening may not be the only procedure that could damage your hair. Some hair color procedures could also be harsh and could also damage your hair enough that the curl pattern is affected.
How To Get Curly Hair Back After Straightening It Too Much
Stopping the use of flat iron and chemical straighteners is critical to restoring your curls. Stopping is Step #0!
However, getting your curly hair back isn’t limited to that.
You still have to take some other steps to counteract the damage that your hair has received. Your hair may have product build-up that you should remove in order to bring out your natural curls.
But fear not: your best curls are yet to come. Here is how to revive curls after straightening.
1. Clean Up The Build-up
The first thing that you need to do is to clean-up any build-up on your hair. Cleansing dirt, oil and product build-up is the first stem. A clarifying shampoo can help you do this.
There are also other products that can strip hair of the build-up. Just take note that it can also strip moisture out of your hair.
2. Correct The Damage
The next thing you should focus on is correcting the damage. Multiple heat styling or chemical treatments can dry out your hair. Although you cannot correct it in just one treatment, make sure you give your hair regular treatments that repair it.
There are also hair repairing treatments that you can use at home to improve the condition of your damaged hair.
3. Stop Using Your Heat Stylers For Good
It may be difficult to break-up with your favorite hair iron for good. But you must do it to help get back your curls.
Heat damage will continue to wreak havoc on your curl pattern if you don’t stop. The only time you should be using heat stylers is when you diffuse your hair with a hairdryer like the Elchim Hair Dryer we reviewed here.
Additionally, you should try using a leave-in conditioner to nourish and moisturize your damaged hair.
4. Moisturize Some More
One of the best things you can do to bring back your curls is to moisturize your hair. Carefully choose the products you use, including shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners, andvtreatments. Make sure that they can moisturize your hair.
Those that contain shea butter are great for keeping your locks hydrated.
5. Use Curl-Friendly Stylers
Even if you are still waiting for your natural curls to show up, you should still select curl-friendly stylers to use on your hair. There are creams , No products found., and mousse to choose from.
Make sure that the products you use are suitable for curly hair. These will help restore it.
How Long Will It Take To Get Curly Hair Back?
We will be honest here, if you are really serious about getting your curly hair back, you need to be patient with it. It could take years of transitioning from damaged hair to healthy curly hair.
Although your damaged hair can look a bit curly, it may still not show the natural curl pattern. With care, though, it can come back. But it can take a while, potentially years.
It may sound like forever. But remember: hair usually grows only about ½ an inch in a month. It may even seem to take longer because the new curly hair growth shrinks and curls up more, compared to the damaged hair.Â
Final Thoughts
After years of straightening your hair either with heat styling or with chemical treatments, it could get damaged to the point where your natural curl pattern doesn’t show up anymore. If you really want those luscious curls back, you have to be committed to the process! Because it could take some time. We’re talking years, potentially.
Here is how to get your natural curls back after straightening:
- Clarify your hair to remove buildup
- Try to correct your damaged hair
- Stop straightening for good
- Moisturize your hair
- Use curl-friendly stylers.
With continued care for your hair, you’d eventually see your natural curl pattern again. Here’s to restored curls!
