Why Your Curls Fall Flat

Flat curls are the opposite complaint to frizz, and they are often caused by trying too hard to prevent it. Hair that has been conditioned, creamed and oiled into smoothness has also been weighed down. The curl is still there. It is carrying more than it can lift.

Here are the five most likely reasons, with a way to recognize each.

1. Your products are too heavy

How to tell: your hair feels soft, perhaps slightly greasy, and the curl pattern is looser than it is when freshly washed with nothing in it.

Butters, oils and thick creams are made for dense, coarse hair. On fine or wavy hair they coat the strand and pull the pattern straight. This is the most common cause of flat waves.

The fix: swap cream for foam. Use a light leave-in or none at all, and style with mousse.

2. Buildup

How to tell: products that used to work have stopped working, and your hair feels coated or waxy even when clean.

Layers of old product accumulate, particularly if you use gentle shampoos or co-wash. The weight builds gradually, so the change is easy to miss.

The fix: one wash with a clarifying shampoo. If your curls spring back afterward, you have your answer. More in Product Buildup: Signs and Fixes.

3. Too much moisture, not enough protein

How to tell: hair feels very soft, almost mushy when wet, and stretches a long way without springing back.

Curls need structure as well as softness. A routine of rich conditioners and frequent deep treatments, with no protein at all, can leave hair too flexible to hold a shape.

The fix: a protein treatment, then alternate. The signs and the remedies are covered in Protein and Moisture.

A curl that will not hold its shape is usually asking for less, not more.

4. Your hair dried hanging straight

How to tell: the ends curl nicely and the top few inches are flat.

Wet hair is heavy. If it air dries hanging down, the weight of the water stretches the root area straight before it sets.

The fix: dry the roots lifted.

• Plop for fifteen minutes after styling.
• Diffuse with your head tipped forward or to the side.
• Place small clips at the roots along your part while your hair dries, lifting them away from the scalp.
• Work a little foam into the roots before drying.

5. Length and shape

How to tell: your curls were springier when your hair was shorter, and the flatness is worst at the crown.

Hair is heavy, and a long, one-length cut puts all of that weight on the roots. Curly hair cut in a blunt line also tends to form a triangle: flat on top, wide at the bottom.

The fix: layers. A stylist who cuts curly hair regularly can remove weight where it is pulling the pattern out. This is the one cause on the list that no product will solve.

Two less obvious causes

Conditioner at the roots. Conditioner belongs from the ears down. Applied to the scalp, it flattens the root area for days.

Hard water. Mineral deposits make hair stiff, dull and heavy. If your curls behave better when you travel, your water may be the problem.

A quick way to diagnose

Do one reset wash: clarify, use a light conditioner on the lengths only, then style with mousse and nothing else, and diffuse with your head tipped over. If your curls come back, the cause was weight or buildup, and you can add products back one at a time until you find the one responsible. If they are still limp, look at protein and at your haircut.