Hair follicles in curly hair have a flatter shape, whereas straight hair follicles are round. When major hormonal changes happen, that previously sleeping gene is activated, which can cause your hair follicles to go from round to flat. Thus, a head full of waves or curls that you weren't expecting.
Hair changing from straight to curly often indicates a hormonal shift within the body. Factors like menopause, pregnancy, puberty, and even taking birth control, can have a drastic, switching effect on your hair's texture. Hormonal changes alter how your genes are expressed, so changes here can make a big difference.
As we grow older, our hormones often fluctuate, and our hair type can as well. You might have spent the first 20 years of your life with thick, curly hair that is now growing in thin and straight, or vice versa.
Your hair may become curly with age if you inherited both straight and curly hair genes from your parents. Some of these genes can be inactive at birth but then become turned on by hormones, aging, or other factors including medication, nutrition, stress, illness, or pollution.
Hormonal changes like pregnancy, puberty or menopause can cause your curl pattern to change drastically. The shape of your hair follicles defines your curl pattern and texture, so when your body goes through a major hormonal overhaul, it can also change the shape of your follicles, thus changing your curl pattern.
The primary reasons why your hair won't stay straight after you straighten it are (1) your flat iron wasn't hot enough, (2) you overloaded your hair with product, (3) you need a trim, and (4) your hair wasn't dry.
Hormonal changes that occur around puberty and pregnancy can affect the function of genes. This can cause the curly hair gene of someone with wavy hair to become more active. This can change their hair from wavy to curly. Representative Image of straight hair.
Fluctuating Estrogen Levels Can Bring About Changes in Your Curly Texture. Estrogen levels often fall for curl changes as estrogen is key for maintaining those helical hair follicles. During menopause, plummeting estrogen is linked to the onset of mixed curl patterns and gradual straightening of previously curly hair.
While hair tends to change slowly throughout adulthood, you may notice more rapid hair texture changes starting to occur since childhood, partly from changes in your scalp and the oils your skin secretes. Environmental factors, such as exposure to smog, hot weather, and air pollution, can also cause changes.
Since hair changes often happen gradually, it's possible you may wake up one morning and think - where did these sexy curls come from? So to put it simply, the answer is - yes. Your newfound luscious curls are likely a result of hormonal changes, and they may be here to stay.
Another possible cause for curling of the hair is hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a medical condition that can lead to dry, thinning and coarse hair due to a hormonal disbalance [11]. Hair follicles are direct targets of thyroid hormones.
“As estrogen drops in perimenopause, a lot of women see their hair start to transform,” Sally says. “Maybe they notice it's thinning out, or it's drier than usual. I've had friends who have gone from straight hair to curly hair.” Hair loss and hair thinning are two of the most common changes.
Associated with femininity and beauty, curly hair is highly attractive to many men. Men are drawn to the soft, natural look of curly hair and how it frames a woman's face. Curly hair can also be seen as a sign of youth, which is a factor that many men find attractive.
Hormones are the main culprit responsible for such drastic hair texture changes. During puberty, menopause and pregnancy, many people will find their will go from straight to curly or vice versa over a period of months.
Curly hair caused by selenium deficiency in an adult woman.
If you have straight hair, your hair may become slightly curlier as you age. This is because the shape of hair follicles changes over time.
How the hair grows out of the follicle influences the distribution of its proteins. So a straight follicle produces straight hair and a curved follicle produces curly hair. The less evenly distributed the squiggly proteins are, the curlier the hair.
Human hair comes with all sorts of colors, textures and shapes. Notably, African hair is more coiled and dry; Asian hair is straighter and thicker; and Caucasian hair is somewhere in between with around 45% having straight hair, 40% having wavy hair, and 15% having curly hair.
Hormonal changes that occur around puberty and pregnancy can affect the function of genes. This can cause the curly hair gene of someone with wavy hair to become more active. This can change their hair from wavy to curly.
Mechanical Hair Damage
Mechanical damage is caused by friction to the hair, which can come in many forms. Harsh brushing, using heat tools too much, excessive blow-drying or styling in salons. This type of mechanical damage will be visible on the cuticle - you'll notice dry, dull strands, a texture change and breakage.