Why is Your Curly Hair Going Straight? Find Out the Possible Reasons!

A 25-year-old female miss Olivia with naturally curly hair experienced a complete change in hair texture over five months, with her hair turning entirely straight from the ends to the roots. She has no history of dyeing, straightening, or blow-drying her hair. At the age of 3, she had thin, straight hair that fell out and grew back curly. Despite a deva cut, which is designed for curly hair, her curls only lasted a few hours and were much looser than her natural curls. 

So what do you understand with the above case history?

Why is My Curly Hair going Straight? THE ANSWER

  If your curly hair is transitioning to straight, several factors could be at play. Hormonal changes, stress, and nutritional shifts can impact the proteins in hair follicles, altering curl patterns. Environmental elements like humidity and shifts in hair care routines, including changes in shampoo or water quality, also contribute. Additionally, aging or chemical treatments may permanently affect your hair’s texture. Understanding these influences is key to managing and potentially reversing this change in your curls. 

Hair follicle: Major Cultivation Site for Hair Growth

When discussing why twisty hair might go straight, it’s crucial to understand the role of hair follicles. Hair follicles are structures within your skin that grow your hair. You’re born with millions of follicles on your body, and over one million are on your head. Each follicle is a tube-like pore that surrounds the root and strand of a hair. Over time, these follicles can become damaged, leading to loss or reduced growth of hair.

Interestingly, hair follicles can degenerate and regenerate. This unique process means they can stop functioning and then begin functioning again, which is essential for hair growth.

Follicles holding your terminal hair—the hair that grows on your scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows—extend into the first, second, and sometimes even the third layers of skin (known as the subcutaneous tissue). As you age, the hair that grows out of these follicles can change in texture and shape, which might explain why your curly hair has become straight.

Shape of Follicle Determines the Texture of Hair Strand

Your hair texture, whether curly or straight, largely depends on the shape of your hair follicle. Imagine your follicle as a long tube with a rounded bottom embedded in your skin. The top of this cylinder is an open hole where your hair grows out, much like a foot slipping into a sock.

Scientists believe that differences in cell behavior during hair fiber production are key to determining hair shape. For straight hair, the cells in the follicle act in a coordinated fashion, producing hairs that are round and leading to even growth.

In contrast, curly hair results from cells that divide and produce certain proteins asymmetrically, creating an elliptical hair fiber. This asymmetry correlates with the bends in the curved follicle, allowing the hair to curl.

These insights into how your hair grows from its follicle and the cellular differences involved explain why changes in your hair texture can occur. If your once curly hair is becoming straight, it could be due to changes in how these cells are behaving and producing hair fibers. 

Why is My Curly Hair going Straight?

If your curly hair is starting to straighten out, it could be due to a variety of factors influencing the structure and behavior of your hair follicles. Changes in hormonal levels, nutritional deficiencies, or stress can alter how the follicle cells divide and produce proteins, which are critical in maintaining curls.

Additionally, environmental factors such as humidity, or changes in hair care practices, such as using different shampoos or conditioners, might also play a role. Hair texture can also change with age, as the follicles may naturally produce different types of hair as you get older.

Understanding these factors can help in managing and potentially reversing the straightening of your curls.

Change in Shampoo

If you’ve recently switched your shampoo, consider its pH level. Shampoos with a high pH can disrupt the hair’s natural acidity, leading to flatter curls and altered texture. This imbalance can strip away essential oils and flatten the natural bounce of your curls, making them appear straighter.

Water Quality

If you’ve moved recently, changes in water quality could be affecting your hair. The water might be too hard or soft, or the pH could be significantly different from what you’re used to. You can find this information by searching for your city’s water quality report or checking with local home brewers. For example, if your local water has a pH of 9.5, it’s much higher than hair’s natural pH of 4-4.5, potentially impacting your hair’s texture and health.

Hormonal Changes

if experienced any significant hormonal fluctuation recently, such as starting, stopping, or switching birth control contraceptives or suffering from PCOs? Hormonal fluctuations can profoundly affect your hair’s texture and health.

Other major health changes can also influence your hair, but hormonal shifts tend to have the most noticeable impact. If you’ve undergone any such changes, this might explain the transformation in your hair’s structure from curly to straight.

Hormonal changes can cause your hair to change. During pregnancy, puberty, or menopause, your curl pattern can change drastically. The shape of your hair follicles defines your curl texture, so when your body goes through a major hormonal overhaul, it can also change the shape of your follicles, thus changing your curl pattern.

Product Buildup

Sometimes, the journey from curly to straight hair might not just be about genetics or environment—it could also be tied to the products you use. If you find your hair weighing down or losing its natural curls, consider whether buildup could be the culprit.

In the CGM (Curly Girl) method, there’s a lot of talk about silicone build up, but it’s not just silicones you need to watch out for. Oils, protein, and shea butter can also accumulate, especially if your hair is sensitive to these ingredients.

If you’re using products that are too heavy for your hair type, or if you’re use clarifing shampoo adequately to remove this buildup, your hair might respond by dropping its curls. 

Humidity Levels

When the air is dry, curly hair can lose its moisture and natural definition, often resulting in straighter strands. Similarly, straight hair may become even sleeker and flatter without the presence of humidity. This change occurs because the lack of moisture in the air reduces hair’s natural ability to hold its shape and texture. To maintain your desired hairstyle, it’s crucial to adjust your hair care routine based on the humidity levels.

Genetics

Genetics play a significant role in determining hair texture and curl pattern. You might have inherited different curl patterns from various sides of your family, leading to an uneven distribution of curls or sometime sudden conversion of curly hair into straight one. This can result in some parts of your hair being curlier than others. 

Heat Damage

Excessive use of heat styling, like flat irons or blow dryers on high heat settings, can cause significant damage to your hair cuticles. Over time, this damage can alter the natural curl pattern, eventually leading to straighter hair. This is something I’ve experienced myself, and it’s important to minimize heat exposure to maintain your curls.

Chemical Treatment

Chemical treatments such as relaxers or keratin treatments can also affect your curl pattern. These treatments are specifically designed to straighten hair, which can result in alternation in curl patterns.

Hair Damage

Curly hair is delicate and can become dry, brittle, and ultimately less curly with thermal styling. Over-manipulating or wearing tight protective styles can also cause your curl pattern to change. Even your go-to ponytail might be stretching your hair and affecting your curl pattern and texture. Make sure you’re keeping curls moisturized with good products for curly hair.

Hair Grows Longer

When your hair grows longer, it changes your curl pattern. The deal is that as your hair grows, there is more weight on your roots. The longer your hair grows, the heavier it becomes. This weight pulls your curls and elongates them, which can change the texture of your curls. Sometimes a good haircut can help alleviate the weight and help curls bounce back.

How to Tackle the Situation?

• Prevent overwashing, and avoid washing your hair too frequently as it can strip natural oils and moisture from your curls. Instead, use a gentle cleanser designed for curly hair and follow a suitable washing routine.
• Don’t skip moisturization; curly hair tends to be drier due to its structure. It’s crucial to keep it moisturized with a hydrating conditioner like Controlled Chaos to nourish your curls and lock in moisture. Apply it generously from root to tip.
• Avoid harsh ingredients in your hair products. Sulfates and parabens can strip natural oils, leading to dryness and frizz. So it is nessesary to maintain a proper hair oiling routine as well as use products that are free from harmful chemicals to maintain healthy, consistent curls.
• Overuse of heat styling can damage curls, causing frizz and loss of definition. Minimize the use of heat tools and opt for heat-free styling methods like air-drying or using diffusers. If you use heat, always apply a heat protectant and use low to medium heat settings.
• Avoid rough towel drying, which can cause frizz and disrupt the curl pattern. Instead, gently squeeze excess moisture with an old t-shirt or a microfiber towel to retain the natural shape of your curls and reduce frizz.
• Don’t neglect regular trim. Split ends and damaged hair can prevent your curls from looking their best. Schedule trims to remove damaged ends and maintain healthy hair length, promoting better curl definition and overall hair health.
• Incorporate protective styling to protect your curls from friction and environmental damage. Use hairstyles that reduce manipulation, and products like curl creme to define and hold your curls in place.
• Try to figure out the disorder from which the body suffers and thus minimize its indirect impact on hair texture. 

Try to correct the root cause disorder to remove the actual culprit of the issue

Conclusion

The change from curly hair to straight can be attributed to several factors like genetics, hair damage, styling techniques, and product usage. Finding the right approach and using the appropriate hair products can help address this issue. With the proper care, you can achieve a more uniform curl pattern.

FAQs

How can I make my curly hair curly again?

Consider co-washing to get rid of build-up and cut out the damage by trimming your ends. Break up with your heat stylers and focus on adding moisture, moisture, moisture to your hair. Experiment with your styling and make masks a focus to revive and nourish your curls.

Why is my naturally curly hair going straight?

Hormonal changes like pregnancy, puberty, or menopause can cause your curl pattern to change drastically. The shape of your hair follicles defines your curl texture, so when your body goes through a major hormonal overhaul, it can also change the shape of your follicles, thus changing your curl pattern.