Four Reasons Curls Don't Hold

Getting curls to last a long time can be a challenge, especially among those with finer softer hair.  Andrew Carruthers, Director of Education for Sam Villa, shares the top 4 reasons curls fail and offers solutions for making them last all day long.

“If you set yourself up for success, you can have lovely curls with great hold, it all comes down to product, the blow dry, hair texture and the cooling process,” says Carruthers.

4 Reasons Curls Don’t Hold:

1) Product is a must. 
Curl resistant hair (fine and soft) does not respond well to products with oil and silicone, it needs volumizing and thickening products with a dryer lighter touch. Try drying hair until it’s barely damp and then apply a massive amount of a strong hold texturizing product (he uses Redken guts 10) so hair is soaked, and then finish drying.  This creates a great foundation for curl. Before curling hair with an iron, stay away from waxes, oils and silicones. Instead use a product specifically designed for heat styling (he uses Redken iron shape 11)  to provide thermal protection and hold, without being heavy or weighing hair down.

2) The blow dry is a key factor. 
Use a strong blowdryer (he uses Sam Villa Artist Series Professional Blow Dryer) for maximum control.  For added tension and stretch for a very polished finish, use a polishing paddle brush (Carruthers uses a Sam Villa Artist Series Polishing Paddle Brush.)  Don’t over work the hair - if it’s stretched too much the curls will not be full or have bounce.  For a very organic curl, rough dry hair without any brush.

3) Add Texture. 
Really healthy soft hair does not hold curl well because the cuticle is closed so tightly it’s hard to reform into another pattern. Use a texturizing iron (Carruthers uses The Sam Villa Signature Series Textur Professional Texturizing Iron) that has plates with ridges, so when hair is compressed, it expands the cuticle creating an optimal foundation for larger curls that last longer.

4) Cool. 
After curling the hair with an iron, hold the curls in hands and let cool before letting them fall. This locks in the curl pattern so it doesn’t fall or stretch out. It actually takes 30 minutes of cooling for bonds to completely reform, so for marathon curls, after curling with wand, roll the section, clip and cool for 30 minutes.

​This article first appeared on Modern Salon