Where are these curls coming from?

[pocomom]

Over the last 2 years my dd's (10) hair has gone from dead straight to completely curly.
I've never seen someone past the toddler years to have such a dramatic change. Have you?
What do you use product wise on curly hair to help tame it. I finally learned she shouldn't brush it dry anymore

 

[ronandannette]

Has she grown her hair longer than it's always been, by any chance? We kept our DS's hair really short when he was little; in jr. high he decided he wanted it long. I was shocked at how curly it was when it got beyond and inch or two long - we had no idea! He flat-ironed it all through high-school while it was about chin-length.

 

[Poohforyou]

Actually my hair did the same thing. I had toddler curls but it was pretty straight after that until puberty. After that it got very curly. I wear short but it's all spiral curls.

I use Jane Carter's curl defining cream. I put it on damp and let it air dry and just finger comb. Don't use a towel to dry it. Try a t-shirt instead. It makes a big difference.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Over the last 2 years my dd 10 hair has gone from dead straight to completely curly.
I've never seen someone past the toddler years to have such a dramatic change. Have you?
What do you use product wise on curly hair to help tame it. I finally learned she shouldn't brush it dry anymore

I'll just say - hormones can affect hair texture. I've always had curly hair, until I got pregnant with my first child, then it was only slightly wavy, until the third kid. Now I'm back to curly hair.

Yes, don't brush curly hair, it just splits the ends, and makes it look bushy. Mostly, I have use big, round curlers to make my hair be straighter. Or, if I opt for curly, just use a wide tooth comb and then leave it alone until it's dry.

I've never really found anything that didn't require a lot of time, and effort, to relax the curls. I just have to learn to live with what I've got. Yeah, it's a hard lesson, as I really prefer long hair, but, sadly, I can't do that.

 

[cruisingtwins]

Yep puberty. It happened to me. Look into no-poo It was a game changer for me.

 

[aprilchem]

My hair went from straight to curly after I had my 3rd child. I think it's fairly common for hormones to change hair like that.

 

[indimom]

I also think puberty and hormones. My hair has always been curly... except when I was pregnant with my first, then it was nearly bone straight for the entire pregnancy, returned to curly at some point after.

 

[Squirlz]

I use Bouncy Creme and Bouncy Spray. Recommended by my Wife's stylist.

 

[BadPinkTink]

my hair is curly too, when I was a toddler people used to call me Shirley Temple When I was about 7 I grew my hair to waist length and have had it about the same length ever since. Its a pain when its growing but having a good bit of length in it drags out the curls and makes it more manageable.

I dont use a hair dryer, I have always just let it air dry. After washing I finger through mousse and then air dry. Every morning I finger comb through using a mister or at the sink wetting my hands. I just use a brush for styling ie when putting my hair into a pony tail or other style. I use hairspray to control the stray fuzzy bits.

 

[Neesy228]

My DS's hair did the exact same thing. His hair was pencil straight until around 13 yrs old. Then he let it grow longer and it started to curl. Now, even though he's cut it short again, he's got a mop of curls. Looks so much like my DH! Because he's a guy and low fuss, he just uses a little mousse in his hair while it's wet and lets it be. It keeps the curls from getting frizzy and defines his curls a little more. He never blow dries or brushes.

 

[MomofKatie]

DD had curls until she cut her hair really short at age 3 1/2. It grew back almost completely straight and stayed that way until she was almost 7, when she grew out her bangs and got it cut short. Within a month or so, it was wavy, and got curlier each month. By the time she was 9, it was corkscrew curls halfway down her back. It stayed very curly until about a year or so ago- it seems to be going back to very wavy, but not curly curls.

I had always heard hair texture could change completely every few years, but until DD, never really experienced it. Mine certainly has never really changed much- always been straight. It was very fine when I was a kid, but got thicker as a teen and young woman. It is thinning a tiny bit now that I'm middle aged, but is still straight.

 

[katie01]

I agree that hair texture can change with hormones. My hair was stick straight as a child when straight hair wasn't in, but after I had kids it became wavy, of course right at the time straight hair became popular!

My MIL said SIL had thin, fine, flyaway hair until she was about twelve, then it became thick with beautiful curls

 

[Skippy918]

DD had curls until she cut her hair really short at age 3 1/2. It grew back almost completely straight and stayed that way until she was almost 7, when she grew out her bangs and got it cut short. Within a month or so, it was wavy, and got curlier each month. By the time she was 9, it was corkscrew curls halfway down her back. It stayed very curly until about a year or so ago- it seems to be going back to very wavy, but not curly curls.

I had always heard hair texture could change completely every few years, but until DD, never really experienced it. Mine certainly has never really changed much- always been straight. It was very fine when I was a kid, but got thicker as a teen and young woman. It is thinning a tiny bit now that I'm middle aged, but is still straight.

My dd too! When she was 2-3 years old her hair was super curly corkscrew curls and now she's almost 5 and it's wavy. I was hoping the warm, humid weather would bring the curls back, but that hasn't happened. Her hair is much thicker than when she was younger, plus it's cut to all one length. Would layering bring back the curls?

 

[jahber]

It's crazy, but I had straight, reddish hair until my first child, when it turned brown. Then after my second child it became curly. It was so strange to have curly hair! It was then curly for 7 years until I had my third child. I was so used to curly hair, I had to get used to straight hair again. I just had #4, but it doesn't look like anything' changing this time. But we'll see! Hormones!

 

[VandVsmama]

Don't brush/comb it when it's dry. Use a wide toothed comb and comb it when it's wet. To control the frizzies, use some sort of anti-frizz gel. Towel dry the hair a bit before you comb it. Comb it, then put in the anti-frizz gel, and you're pretty much done. It takes me <5 min to do my hair. I never blow dry it anymore.

 

[chattadisser]

I had stick straight hair until puberty too. Since then it's curl city! A lot of people don't believe me but I definitely think hormones are to blame. As far as how to "tame" them, you can't change them so it's best to embrace them. No brushing dry, use a diffuser if you can when drying and use product to keep the fritz at bay. You'll have to try a few products till you find one that she likes and agrees with her curl.

 

[pocomom]

Yikes, didn't really think about hormones but I guess we are starting to get to that time...

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Yup, same for me - hormones, I think.

Mostly straight hair all my life (with a VERY slight wave, but not the good kind) until after I had DS10 when I was 30, then every year since it has gotten wavier and wavier. I will be 40 next month, and if I let it airdry, especially in the humid summer months, it will spiral curl if I twist sections of it when it is wet. But of course I have this section of super-straight hair right in front on the right side that will not curl whatsoever, so if I want to wear it wavy/curly, I have to pin that part back. Most of time, though, I just straighten it with a flat iron and call it a day.

So weird. I NEVER would have been described as having curly hair growing up.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Some medications can also do it. Although if your daughter was on one of those, you would have probably heard about it as a side effect.

I now have wavy/curly hair and I have never had it before.

 

[bjscheel]

My DDs always had curls but as their hair grew longer as children it got straighter and then yes the curls got way more pronounced in the tween years...and I started frequenting the CurlTalk forums on naturallycurly.com. One change we made then was switching to sulfate-free shampoos, but they haven't necessarily stayed on them as they are tempted away by other scents. I do think the sulfate free is best though. They scrunch dry with a tea towel (or a t-shirt) instead of scrubbing it all around with a bath towel. Comb through when wet with a wide tooth comb. They normally don't comb through any other time than right after a wash. If we do need to detangle when dry, we use some conditioner in a spray bottle of water and shake it up, spray generously and comb through. DD17 doesn't like to use any product, except maybe working in some regular conditioner as a leave-in, but DD14 loves Curl Keeper, and Garnier spray gel.

DD17 flips her hair above her head when sleeping so she's not laying on most of it and it is basically ready to go in the morning. Others do a "pineapple" which is a high ponytail in a scrunchie on top of your head for the night to keep you from laying on it.

Hope she likes it curly, DD17 has always loved hers but DD14 has had times where she strongly disliked it. She's good with it now. It's getting longer and with the product she can get it to be calm on top and ringlets on the bottom.