Limp, lifeless curls are the leading figure in a drama of overconditioning and technical shifts in the weather.
As dumb luck would have it, your hair can become too soft—a study in tonality where the structure has been traded for a mushy, blank and spooky texture. This often happens from overconditioning or a lack of protein insurance. Your curls lose their “Flexible Greasepaint” strength and become a ruddy mess that won’t hold its cupid’s bow. You need a technical shift—a personalized approach that brings back the structure and ensures your pattern doesn’t rest on its laurels.
The prep is where you rebuild. If your hair feels like a Academy Award winner that has lost its edge, you likely need a protein treatment to “lock” the structure back in. Mind the resistance when you test your strands; if they stretch without snapping back, they are over-moisturized. Use a “slick lip coat” of strong-hold gel to assuage the insecurities of limp strands. Avoid heavy “gold dust” creams that further weigh down the profile. By mastering the balance of moisture and protein, you can ensure your curls capture the glow of incandescent bulbs from lash line to socket. Something I think we’re all still kind of into.
—Lauren Maas