People lie about growing out curly hair. They tell you it is a journey. They post time-lapse videos where their hair magically transitions from a cute pixie to a glorious mane without ever looking weird. That is nonsense.
The reality is that growing curls is a physics problem. And if you treat your shoulder-length hair the same way you treated your bob, you are going to end up with a flat scalp, wide ends, and a lot of frustration.
The Reality of Curl Shrinkage and Growth Rates
Let’s look at the numbers. Straight hair grows about half an inch a month, and you see that half-inch immediately. Curly hair grows at the same rate, but because of the spiral structure, you might only see 20 percent of that length visually. The tighter the curl, the bigger the lie.
I once measured a client’s hair when wet. It was down to her bra strap. Dry? barely touching her collarbone. That is nearly 50 percent shrinkage.
When you are growing out your hair, this shrinkage works against you in a new way. As the hair gets longer, it gets heavier. But because curls clump together, that weight does not pull the curl straight immediately. Instead, it stretches the roots flat while the ends stay bushy. This creates the dreaded triangle shape.
Most people panic here. They buy twelve different bottles of hair growth products hoping that if the hair just grows faster, it will weigh itself down evenly.
It won’t.
Supplements and oils are fine for scalp health, but they do not teach your hair how to lay correctly. You cannot pill-pop your way out of bad physics. You have to style your way out of it.
Using Structure to Fight Gravity and Boost Volume
Here is the thing nobody tells you. The “awkward phase” is not about length. It is about the ratio of volume to weight.
When your hair is short, the curls can support themselves. They spring up. When it gets long, gravity takes over the roots.
To fix this, you need structure. You cannot just wash, rake in some leave-in conditioner, and pray. You need a product that creates a cast. A cast is that crunchy shell that forms while the hair dries. People hate the crunch, but the crunch is the scaffolding. It holds the curl in the right shape while gravity tries to pull it apart.
This is where I usually grab something like a muk curl amplifier. I like it because it is aggressive. It doesn’t just suggest that the curl stays put; it forces it to. You need a product that defines the curl pattern from the root, not just the ends. If you only apply product to the bottom half of your hair because you are afraid of “greasy roots,” you are guaranteeing a flat top.
Upside Down Styling Techniques for Root Lift
Stop styling your hair standing upright.
If you apply your stylers while looking in the mirror, you are smoothing the hair down against your scalp. You are helping gravity flatten you out.
Flip your head over. Completely upside down. Apply your gel or cream in the shower while the water is still soaking the hair. Scrunch it upwards toward the ceiling. You want the roots to dry standing up, away from the scalp.
I tried doing a side-by-side test on myself last year. Left side styled upright, right side styled upside down. The left side looked like I had been wearing a hat for three days. The right side actually had volume at the root.
It looks ridiculous while you are doing it. You will get water in your nose. Do it anyway.
Why Diffusing Beats Air Drying for Definition
If you are air-drying your growing curls, you are sabotaging yourself.
Water is heavy. If you let your hair sit wet for four hours, that water weight is dragging your roots down the entire time. By the time it dries, the damage is done. Your volume is gone.
You need to get the water out fast to lock in the shape. Use a diffuser.
But do not just blast it. Hover the dryer around your roots first. Dry the scalp before you dry the ends. If the roots are dry, the rest of the hair will follow.
And please, stop touching it while it dries. Every time you touch wet frizz, you create more frizz. Put the dryer down, wait until it is 100 percent dry, and then scrunch out the crunch.
Why Layers Are Critical for Growing Out Curls
You might be skipping haircuts because you want length. This is a mistake.
Remember the mushroom shape? That happens because the hair is all one length. To get growing curls to look good, you need layers. Layers remove weight from the outside, allowing the curls underneath to spring up.
It sounds counterintuitive to cut hair when you want it to grow, but removing weight makes the hair look longer because the curls sit better. I have seen cuts where taking an inch off the weight line made the hair look two inches longer because the curls weren’t being dragged outward horizontally.
Managing Expectations for Your Curly Hair Journey
Growing out curls is annoying. There will be days where you look at your reflection and want to shave it all off.
Don’t.
Stop looking for miracle cures in the vitamin aisle. Hair growth products won’t change your curl pattern. Focus on the mechanics. Use a strong hold product like muk curl amplifier to fight the flop. Dry your roots first. Get layers.
And if all else fails, buy a really nice hat. You’re going to need it at least once a month.
