Curls Not Curling? Tips to Revive Flat or Droopy Curls
- JJ - The Curl Store
- May 21
- 4 min read
7 Tips to Revive Flat or Droopy Curls After Wash Day
If you're noticing that your curls aren’t curling like they used to, you're not alone. This is one of the most asked questions in the curly world! Many with naturally curly hair find their curls falling flat, frizzing up, or simply losing their bounce after wash day. The good news? With a few tweaks to your routine and the right curly hair products, you can bring your curls back to life.
Lets deep dive into some common reasons your curls may not be curling—and what you can do to fix it.
1. You're Using the Wrong Products for Your Curl Type
Not all curly hair products are created equal. If your curls are limp or undefined, the products you're using may be too heavy (causing weigh down and build up) or too light (not offering enough hold or moisture). Choosing products made specifically for your curl pattern and porosity is key.
Try This: The key here is balance - you'll want the lightest weight product that will still provide what you need for YOUR hair type. This will be different for fine haired or low porosity folk (who might go for milks and thinner lotions) than for coarse haired or high porosity folk (who may find heavier creams or butters work better). A good-quality gel or mousse can also help hold your curls in place longer after wash day.
👉 Check out this blog post that gives recommendations of the best curly hair products in Australia, sorted by curl type to make it easier to find the best curly hair routine for you, whether you're fine or coarse, low or high porosity and everything in between.
2. Product Build-up is Weighing Your Curls Down
Over time, residue from styling products, silicones, and even hard water can coat your strands, making curls appear lifeless. If your curls are flat or greasy, you might need a clarifying treatment.
Try This: Use a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo or clarifying treatment to remove build-up without stripping your hair's natural oils.
Bonus Tip: if you frequently experience build-up, it may be that your cleansing routine is not quite cleansing enough. Try double cleansing (shampoo, rinse and then shampoo & rinse again before moving on to the next step). This can help ensure that all the products used on previous wash day/refresh days and any other pollution is being effectively removed and you're starting fresh each wash day.
3. You're Not Styling on Soaking Wet Hair
Styling your hair when it’s damp—not soaking—can lead to frizz and a loss of definition. For optimal curl formation, apply your curl products to soaking wet hair to lock in moisture and shape.
Top Tip: Use the “praying hands” method to smooth products through your curls, then scrunch upwards to encourage curl clumping. For every 'downwards movement' such as praying hands, do an equal 'upward movement' like scrunching.
4. Your Protein-Moisture levels are out of whack
Curly hair needs both moisture and protein to thrive. They aren't opposing ends of the same scale - different hair types just need different types and amounts of both. If your hair feels mushy, overly soft, or just doesn’t hold a curl anymore, it may be over-moisturised and/or it might be lacking protein.
Try This: Over moisturised hair can be fixed by dialing down your moisture levels - try a clarifying wash to pull back the moisture. Hair that's lacking protein, is easily resolved by a light protein treatment or adding a protein booster (such as Just Like Betty Protein) into your existing products.
5. You're Plopping Your Hold Away
'Plopping' with an old tshirt or microfibre towel is a very popular and widely spread technique. The idea behind it is to remove 'excess water' from the hair after styling. Unfortunately, you're likely also removing the last layer of product applied to your hair during styling, which for most of us is the 'hold product' like gel or foam. By removing this layer, we remove the hold from our routine and our curls will drop.
Try This: try plopping in between your cream/leave in/styling step and your gel/hold step. Or try adding some more 'hold' product after plopping. 'Micro plopping' (holding the towel in your open palms and lowering your hair into it and then scrunching up gently) - is another technique that will remove less, and in a more controlled manner.
You're Not Using a Diffuser (Or Air Drying Incorrectly)
Air drying can sometimes lead to flat roots and stretched-out curls. This is because the weight of the water in the hair will pull down, stretching and elongating your curls, especially in the root area. Diffusing helps set the curl pattern and adds volume, especially at the roots.
Try This: Use a diffuser on a low heat, low speed setting while gently cupping curls to enhance definition and volume. Even if you overall prefer to air dry, giving a quick diffuse to the root area and enough to see the cast start to form, can reduce that weigh down factor while you let the rest air dry. For those low on time, or who hate diffusing - the new Just Like Betty diffuser is a faster way to diffuse, and fits almost any hair dryer on the market.
7. You’re Touching Your Hair Too Much After Styling
Once you've styled your curls, resist the urge to keep touching them. Constantly manipulating your hair before it's 100% dry can break the cast, cause frizz, and reduce curl definition.
Let It Set: Allow your curls to fully dry before scrunching out the crunch (if using gel) for soft, bouncy results.
Final Thoughts
If your curls aren’t curling, don’t panic. With the right routine and high-quality curly hair products Australia loves, your curls can bounce back better than ever. It’s all about understanding what your hair needs—whether it's moisture, protein, or a little extra styling TLC.
💡 Need help building a curly hair routine? Check out our post on starting your curly hair journey, —designed to help Aussie curlies achieve their best hair days yet.
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