The beauty of motherhood can come with a price. Pregnancy will bring out beautiful hair, skin and nails but in an instant that can change. Shortly after the bundle of joy arrives, the skin may not glow, hair shedding occurs, and in some cases, the texture of hair can change. That has been my personal experience and when you throw in fine, low-density curls, it gives new meaning to flat curls. Luckily, with enough experimentation, I’ve figured out 4 ways to reactivate your stretched, postpartum curls.
Plopping
One way to ensure that your stretched, postpartum curls will remain tight is to consider plopping. To plop means to wrap your wet hair in a t-shirt or microfiber towel to absorb excess water and reduce frizz. In general, plopping happens after washing your hair and applying your styling products. Many plop for only 10-20 minutes and then air-dry or diffuse for the remainder of time. However, overnight plopping can really help create lift at the roots so that curls don’t look flat throughout the day.
Spray Gel
In some cases, textures may change and become looser postpartum. It’s especially noticeable when the texture is on the fine and low density side. My secret weapon is DevaCurl’s The Curl Maker Curl Boosting Spray Gel. Made with a lightweight formula of sunflower, lemongrass and wheat and soy proteins, it instantly reactivates the curl pattern and provides a strong hold. It’s perfect on 2nd day hair that is stretched at the root from an overnight pineapple.
To tighten the curl pattern, spray directly into dry roots, scrunch, and let the area air-dry. Gently shake out the roots with your fingers and enjoy defined curly roots with a touch of volume.
Q-Redew
The Q-Redew is a handheld vapor wand that produces warm steam to refresh, reshape, add volume, detangle, deep condition, and stretch curly hair. Similar to a humid climate, when used to refresh curls the steam creates curl shrinkage. It can be a very beneficial and quick solution to 2nd day hair that has stretched roots everywhere.
After filling the reservoir with distilled water and plugging in the device, work in small sections by placing the prongs near the scalp for a few seconds. The warm steam will cause the curls to tighten up and produce volume at the root.
Finger Coils
If certain strands are limp compared to others, using finger coils can train the curl to match the others. They can be done on the entire head or specific areas that are lacking spring. To create a finger coil, spritz the area with water then smooth a small amount of your favorite gel or styling cream to the area. Take the wet strand and twist it around your index finger in its natural direction. Then scrunch well and repeat on any other stretched curls. Let the curls air-dry or diffuse for faster results.
What are your favorite ways to reactivate your stretched curls? Share your favorite products, tools and methods with Naturally Curly in the comments?
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