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Does your hair lose precious inches when it goes from wet to dry? All people with curly, curly or frizzy hair have already made this observation: the hair goes up and seems shorter depending on the occasion. Unfortunately, to achieve the long hair you dream of, you have to arm yourself with a lot more patience than people with straight hair. But then, why does curly hair go up? And are there any tricks to avoid this phenomenon?

Why does curly hair go up?

While when wet, you have the long hair of your dreams, these quickly go up in smoke when your hair is dry. Indeed, they go up, and lose several centimeters. Unfortunately, whether you have wavy, curly or curly hair, they all meet the same fate: once dry, the hair looks shorter. Sometimes we even have the impression that they are visibly shrinking.

But then, why curly and frizzy hair goes up?

Curly, curly or even frizzy hair goes back simply because of its nature. In effect, there are different types of hair determined by the shape of the hair follicle :

• the hair follicles of straight hair are round. The hair will then grow straight.
• the hair follicles of curly and curly hair are oval. The hair grows curved and will then tend to curl up on itself.

The more the follicle is curved, the more the hair forms a spiral and becomes curly. As you will have understood, the more the hair has a spiral shape, the longer it will need to be to reach the same distance as a smooth hair.

Why does hair length shrink when dry? When the hair is wet, it is heavier and the hair fiber is then stretched and relaxed to the maximum. When they dry, the hair fiber becomes lighter and therefore returns to its natural shape. This phenomenon even has a term that defines it: shrinkage. It is therefore the shrinkage of the hair when it goes from wet to dry. This phenomenon is actually a sign that your hair is healthy. The more they go up, the more the hair fiber is plump, and the more it is in good condition.

What to do to prevent curly or frizzy hair from rising?

To prevent your curly or frizzy hair from rising, without smoothing them, and therefore preserving their nature and their health, it will be necessary relax curls. There are several tips for this:

Let your hair grow curly

The longer the hair, the heavier it will be and the more the curls will then tend to weigh down. This trick basically works on thick curly and frizzy hair. For fine curly and frizzy hair or frizzy hair, this trick tends not to give the desired result because the hair remains too light to have any effect on its natural shape.

Adopt the right hair products

The more curly hair lacks hydration, the more it tends to go up. So, to avoid this, it will be necessary relax and hydrate them with suitable hair products :

• Use leave-in conditioner, styling cream or hair milk. In addition to weighing down the hair fiber and therefore relaxing the curl, these types of products will maintain its hydration and therefore prevent frizz and swelling hair.
• Use “anti-shrinkage” products or “smoothing” styling products. Contrary to what one might think, its treatments do not really smooth the fiber. They just soften it. As a result, your curls will be less plump, and therefore, they will tend to go up less. For example, you can try the “phytodéfrisant” treatment. This product helps to slightly smooth the fiber. So you keep your curls, but while reducing the volume, frizz and the foamy effect that makes curly hair seem to be rising.
• Apply a few drops of vegetable oils or serum on the lengths after having washed them. Once again this will make your hair heavier, and therefore prevent your hair from rising. However, be careful if you tend to have hair that gets greasy quickly, it is better to avoid overloading your hair with styling products, especially when the products are greasy like vegetable oils. In this case, use leave-in treatments or styling creams instead.
• Once a week, do a vegetable oil bath 30 minutes before shampooing. Choose an oil from the following suitable for curly hair: coconut, castor, grapeseed, croccoli, piqui, sweet almond, argan, avocado, baobab and jojoba oil . Know that coconut oil is the oil that best penetrates the hair fiber. It also strengthens the hydrolipidic film and therefore prevents curly hair from becoming foamy and rising even more.
• Make a mild shampoo, then a conditioner or a moisturizing or nourishing mask depending on the needs of your curly hair.

Please note: the drier your curly or frizzy hair, the higher it rises. And among the most drying factors you will find the use of bad products. So, use genuinely gentle products and as natural as possible so that your curls are relaxed and your hair is in perfect health! Pay attention to the misleading names present on the packaging "soft products" which in fact contain irritating, allergenic and drying components. Avoid sulphates, silicones and in general products with petrochemical materials and synthetic components. To help you find your way around, we recommend the apps Yuka ou INCIBeauty who analyze the chemical composition of products.

Adopt a good hair routine

To prevent your curly hair from riding up, you would have understood it, you have to take care of it. Healthy, nourished and hydrated hair will be more malleable, supple and elastic than unhealthy dry hair. So, to preserve the health of your hair, your hair routine is essential. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Do not brush your hair when it is dry. This will break up the curls, split them up and make them look more voluminous and fluffy. Prefer brushing on wet hair or before washing.

• Finish your wash with a jet of cold water. In fact, hot water opens the scales, which then more easily capture humidity from the ambient air. As a result, the hair tends to swell and therefore shrink all the more!

• Don't wash your curly hair too often to prevent it from shrinking because hair products, even mild ones, end up drying out the hair. And as seen previously, once the hair fiber is damaged, your hair may become foamy and therefore go up even more. For the same reasons, also avoid heating products and prolonged exposure to the sun, chlorine and salt.

• Prefer natural colors rather than chemicals that penetrate the structure of the hair and damage it deeply.

Styling techniques to prevent your hair from riding up

If you want prevent your curly or frizzy hair from rising, styling techniques exist. Note, however, that all of these techniques will inevitably leave you with less bouncy and less defined curls.

Use the hair dryer

You can use a hair dryer set to medium or the lowest setting if you have fragile hair. Direct it from the top to the bottom of the tip of the hair to relax the root. With the effect of heat and breath, your curls will relax and you will gain a few precious centimeters.

Use hair rollers

Hair rollers, or curlers, stretch hair giving it shape without damaging it. They allow the hair to stay curly without shrinking. Of course, this technique takes time. But it's worth it if you don't want to damage your hair.

Achieve hairstyles against curly hair that shrinks

Several hairstyles can prevent your curly hair from shrinking : large flat braids, mats, blanding method, flat vanilla, yarn braids, twists of several wicks etc. Many methods exist. It's up to you to find the one that best suits your hair and the time you want to give it.

Read also: Curly hair that becomes smooth, what to do? 

Using hair rollers is one of the least damaging and best ways to stretch natural curly hair and prevent shrinkage. Mainly done on wet hair or damp hair, you can also use rollers on dry hair. This technique stretches curls with a very small amount of effort.