Why does my hair curl at the ends? If you have noticed that the ends of your hair curl up even when your hair is straight, then you might be wondering why this is happening.
Sometimes, those of us with that problem might think that straightening our hair will help, but if you find that even after straightening it that the ends are still curled, then you might be wondering how you can fix this problem and what exactly causes it in the first place.
Luckily, we’re going to get to the bottom of this. Let’s dive into this article that is all about why your hair curls at the ends and how you can prevent it from happening.
Why Is My Hair Curling At The Ends?
There are many different reasons why your hair might be curling at the ends. The reason can be anything from genetics to pregnancy, to damaged hair. Also, sometimes this is just caused by the way your hair is and just how your hair naturally curls.
The main reason that your hair might curl, bend, or flip at the ends is that they are damaged. Typically, the ends of our hair are the most damaged because it is the oldest part of our hair and it has withstood many different elements that cause breakage.
Your hair can have dry and damaged split ends, which will definitely curl up and flip. Continue reading below as we take a look into some of the things that might cause your hair to curl, bend, or flip at the ends.
Weight/Length
The weight and length of your hair actually make a big difference in how the hair lays and how the ends of your hair “act.” First, the weight of your hair can affect the way the ends of your hair lay.
This is because the ends of your hair are actually a bit lighter than your roots, which means that they are more susceptible to curling, bending, and flipping upwards.
The above is especially true if you already have curly or wavy hair since your ends will tend to be the most curled and waved even after you decide to straighten your hair.
Genetics
A huge part of the way our hair acts at any given time is genetics. We get a lot of our physical features from our parents and this isn’t any different from the way our hair is.
For instance, genetics can play a huge role in the keratin structure of your hair, which can in turn affect the ends of your hair and the final shape and texture of the strands.
Stress
As we all know, stress plays a huge role in a lot of different aspects of our lives, including the way our hair grows and how healthy it is. If we are under a lot of stress then we can usually see this reflected in our hair health as well.
Since your ends are the oldest and driest part of your hair, they are more likely to curl up when your hair isn’t doing so great. When we are stressed, our bodies secrete the hormone cortisol, which has been known to impede hair growth and make it more difficult for the hair that we do have to stay healthy.
Hormonal Changes
Next, hormonal changes are not talked about as much when it comes to affecting the way that hair grows and how it lays, but they actually can have a significant effect on both of these things.
For example, some hormonal imbalances that can affect your hair include deficiencies in vitamin D, iron, and thyroid-related issues. Some hormonal changes can dry out your hair and make it much more brittle, in turn causing the ends to curl, flip, or bend.
Pregnancy
Somewhat related to the aforementioned hormonal changes, pregnancy causes a whole ton of different changes to women’s bodies. We can thank all of those extra hormones that we are producing.
Hair texture and growth can be affected by pregnancy hormones, which actually means that you could have an almost completely different “hair type” post-pregnancy. Examples of this include hair that is noticeably drier, longer, thicker, or curlier than before the pregnancy.
Diet
Unsurprisingly, our diet and the foods we eat heavily affect many different things in our bodies. If you are lacking certain key vitamins and minerals in your diet then your hair could reflect that.
Healthy foods, necessary vitamins, and adequate water can have a healthy effect on your hair. So, if you are not getting enough of these nutrients in your system every day then your hair can show some damage, such as gravity-defying split ends.
Weather
The weather is another element that actually has an enormous effect on our hair, skin, and other body parts. Most of us can feel the difference in our hair when it goes from winter to summer, so this can for sure have a huge effect on why your hair curls at the ends.
Going hand in hand with this is seasonal changes. Those who live in a climate that tends to change a lot can experience many more hair flips and curls than those who tend to live in a more steady climate. Specifically, if the air is dry then your hair will be dry as well.
Your hair will lack moisture and this can lead to split ends. Now, if the weather didn’t cause the split ends then it will definitely dry them out, and dry hair tends to curl up. In addition to dry air, humidity is another big factor that affects hair.
If you’ve ever walked outside on a rainy or humid day and your hair completely puffs up, then you know what we are talking about. Humidity can cause your hair to frizz and—unfortunately—the first place that this usually happens is the ends of our hair as they are much drier than the rest.
Hair Styling/Hair Care
Of course, this made it to the list because we all know that hair styling can cause a lot of damage to our hair if it’s done a lot or if it is done improperly. For example, heat styling on the regular can damage the hair, which can lead to breakage, split ends, and dryness.
Dry hair tends to curl up, bend, and break a lot more than moisturized hair. Bleaching or dyeing your hair can also be quite damaging as it can cause your hair to be frizzy, dry, and damaged. Similarly, your hair care routine can have a big impact on the health of your hair.
Using the wrong products or products that are super drying to your hair can actually seep the moisture out of your hair. Again, dry and damaged hair tends to curl up at the ends a lot more than healthy hair. Making sure that you are using products with clean and moisturizing ingredients can save you from damaged, curly ends.
How Do I Stop My Hair From Curling At The Ends?
Now that you’ve found out why your hair might be curling at the ends, let’s talk about how we can stop this from happening and how we can prevent it in the future. A lot of us might be desperate to find a fast solution, but it all starts with how we treat and take care of our hair.
Like we said above, the main reason that your hair might curl at the ends is that it is dry and damaged. This means that the biggest thing you can do to stop this from happening is to keep your hair healthy. Let’s explore some things that you can do to keep your hair from curling at the ends.
Haircut
Something you can do that will fix the problem immediately is getting a haircut. Now we know that this isn’t on everyone’s agenda, but it is something that will get those dry and damaged ends off and give your hair a bit of a refresh.
This will definitely keep your hair healthy. Once you get an initial cut, make sure to keep getting your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks so that your hair stays happy and healthy.
Hair Care
The way that we care for our hair has a huge impact on the health of our hair. Making sure to not use too much heat is step one. This means not straightening your hair every day and if you need to, definitely use a moisturizing heat protectant.
You may also use a cold air setting on your blow dryer to eliminate the heat that a blow dryer puts on your hair. In short, whenever you are heat styling, make sure to use moisturizing protective products. You want to protect your hair strands from getting into contact with direct heat.
Using moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask products made with clean ingredients can change the way your hair is as well. Also, a leave-in conditioner can give your hair that moisture boost it needs. No matter what products you use, always make sure to use ones that don’t strip the natural oils from your hair.
Silk Pillowcases/Wrap Your Hair
Silk pillows are something that is commonplace in the haircare and skincare world. A lot of people underestimate the importance of the quality of our bed sheets and pillowcases, but opting for a silk pillowcase can give your hair a break from the rough cotton pillowcase you normally would use.
Silk pillowcases put a lot less stress on your hair which can cause less damage in the end. Alternatively, another thing you can do is wrap your hair up or put it in some sort of protective style.
This does two things for the hair: it ensures that the hair is not going everywhere, rubbing on your pillowcase and causing breakage, as well as encouraging it to keep whatever hairstyle you put it in. This means that if you straightened it, then it should keep your ends straight as well.
Professional Help
If all else fails and you still have an issue with your hair curling up at the ends, you can visit a hair care professional. These professionals can take a look at your hair and give you advice that is unique to your particular hairstyle, color, and texture.
They can supply you with professional-grade products to ensure that you are using the best products on your hair to minimize damage. Moreover, they can give you advice on how often you should deep condition or trim your hair to ensure that you can maintain your hair health.
Final Thoughts: Why Does My Hair Curl At The Ends?
If your hair is curling up at the ends, then now you probably have an idea as to why. To wrap it all up, there actually could be more than one reason which means that some of your hair care techniques may need to be changed.
We recommend that if you can’t seem to get your hair under control, and you’re still having issues with your hair, then you might want to opt for a haircut. Getting a haircut can give your hair a new start and refresh it by putting moisture back into it.
Overall, the main reason that your hair might curl up at the ends is that it is damaged. Hair that is damaged tends to be lighter and more prone to being wavy, curly, or bent.
Ensuring that we are using a heat protectant, minimal heat styling, proper hair care products, and getting your regular hair trims will prevent you from having split ends and drier hair. Likewise, investing in high-quality products for your hair can also help to get your hair back to health.
Restoring the strands of your hair can make a huge difference in the way you can style it, how it looks, and how it feels. Hopefully, this article will help you find the mysterious reason behind your curled ends so that you can get to the bottom of it and get your nice, straight, healthy hair back.
