Is that your curly hair going straight at the ends while the roots are still curly? Don’t panic as you can fix pin-straight hair ends and get back the curls.
Straightened ends are a major concern as they impact the overall health and look of a perfect curly pattern.
The straight ends are the oldest parts of your hair and may have been with you for several months or years, depending on the length of your hair.
Your hair ends can’t last forever as they experience wear and tear every day. The wearing down of the hair cuticle exposes the inner cortex, resulting in straight hair.
The point here is that, unless you trim your hair often, you will experience less curvy ends time after time as they are a part of the normal hair life cycle.
Why Are My Roots Curly But Straight At The Ends?
Although straight hair usually develop slowly as a result of the normal wear and tear of the hair cuticle, they can appear rapidly due to the following common processes:
- Heat. Using heat tools in extreme temperature settings is one of the fastest ways of losing curls. Excessive heat usage on hair accelerates the rate at which straightened hair ends appear.
- Chemicals. The use of hair colors, straighteners, and perming gels also contribute to the breakdown of the cuticle little by little. Also, strong shampooing is another cause of straight hair.
- Styling, detangling, and brushing hair vigorously when it’s dry also accelerates the formation of straightened ends.
- Friction. Some fabrics cause more friction with your hair than others. These include sweaters, hats, and scarves, as well as cotton towels and pillowcases.
Other factors that accelerate the formation of straightened hair ends include weather (unavoidable) and your diet.
How to Prevent the Formation of Straight Hair
Putting a stop to the excessive formation of straight hairs may require a drastic change in your hair care routine. Here are several styling shifts and hair care tips to follow to get those curly ends back:
Use a Gentle Cleanser
Using strong cleansers can cause the straightening of hair ends. Harsh shampoos wear down your hair cuticle and strip moisture, thereby accelerating the rate at which these ends form.
Therefore, use low-pH cleansers with moisture-boosting ingredients to keep your curls healthy and perfect. Also, steer clear of hair cleansers with sulfate as an ingredient, which is unhealthy for your hair.
Additionally, if your hair feels overly dry, maybe due to excessive sun exposure, cut back on your shampoo usage. Instead, opt for a conditioner.
Lock-In Moisture
We’ve touched on the use of conditioner in place of shampoo. If you want to keep your hair curly from the roots to the ends, you need to add conditioner to your curly hair care routine.
Use conditioners made with essential hair oils that seal much-needed nutrients and moisture into your curly textures. Deep conditioning at least once a week will ensure your hair retains moisture, and this will ultimately prevent hair breakage and having straight ends.
After some time, you should start to notice your hair feeling softer and more hydrated.
Limit Heat Styling
Direct heat appliances such as blow-dryers and flat irons are enemies of natural hair, especially curly hair. Therefore, you need to limit their usage to only special occasions.
Constant use of heat appliances on your hair accelerates the rate at which hair cuticles wear out, thereby making your ends even worse. Opt for heat-free hair straightening and drying techniques.
Get Trims After Some Time
Not many people like to trim their hair, but trimming when necessary helps combat daily wear and tear on the hair cuticles.
If you notice small knots starting to creep up, know it’s time for a trim. As we mentioned earlier, hair, no matter how well it is taken care of, will have weak ends and straight ends at some point. That’s why you should never put off trims.
Bonus Tips
- Sleep with silk or satin bonnet and pillowcases to cut back on friction and loss of hair’s natural oils.
- Practice protective styling, whereby your hair is tucked away from your clothes.
- Don’t wet your hair often.
- Stay away from accessories that have metal connectors.
By following the above hair routine, you will avoid pin-straight hair ends on your curls.
Next time your friend asks you, “Why is my curly hair going straight at the ends?” you will know what to say. Follow the above tips, and you will say goodbye to straight ends and hello to perfectly curled hair.
Remember that the only way to fix curly hair with pin-straight ends is to entirely remove the ends and use healthy hair practices to prevent their frequent occurrence. That means visiting your stylist and having the straight ends snipped.