Curly hair can feel as if it has a mind of its own. It’s quick to generalize curly hair and lump all types of curls into one category. However, all curly strands can look, feel, or act differently due to curl pattern, texture, density, or even porosity levels.
Curly hair can be challenging to care for at first because most people would treat curly hair like straight hair. However, curly and coily hair requires a different set of criteria and has opposing routines to other hair types.
A common issue amongst most curly hair types is shrinkage, or how it grows out from the roots. Curls and coils offer immediate volume and definition, but sometimes you’ll want to elongate them to switch up your hairstyles.
How can you make curly hair grow down instead of out? Thankfully, you can easily alter your curls to grow downwards and look elongated with heatless hairstyles or even with your blow dryer so you can still maintain your curl’s integrity.
It’s crucial to note that results can vary by your hair type. Someone with type 4B coily hair can still become elongated but look more defined than someone with type 3B hair. Regardless, it’s great to enjoy the process and handle curls with care.
What Causes Curls To Grow Out?
Before you attempt to solve your curly hair woes, you’ll need to get to the root of the problem. What causes your hair to grow out instead of down? Understanding your hair type is crucial because it defines your curl pattern.
Your curl pattern can determine the size and diameter of the curl and the shape of your follicle. These factors can explain why your hair grows out instead of down, along with shrinkage.
Curl Pattern
Your hair type defines your curl pattern. For example, curly and coily hair types are types 3 and 4. Within each hair type, three subcategories can describe your curl pattern.
The more oval or elongated your scalp follicles are, the more likely you are to have a tighter curl pattern that can potentially grow outwards.
Shrinkage
Another factor that can contribute to unique hair growth patterns is shrinkage. Shrinkage is a popular term used in the curly hair community and refers to the hair being shorter than it actually is.
For example, you can have tight coils like type 4B hair, which grows out, but if you stretch or elongate your curls, the strands will be longer and grow downwards.
How To Elongate Curls
Now that we’ve become acquainted with curl patterns, how can you create elongated curls? Elongated curls are a stretched-out version of your curls that hang down from the scalp rather than sticking out.
Thankfully, there are multiple ways you can achieve elongated curls or attempt to redirect your hair from growing outwards. Getting a proper haircut, using moisturizing products, and experimenting with varying hair styling techniques can get longer curls.
Get A High-Quality Cut
The secret to minimal styling is getting a high-quality cut. Haircuts are often underrated because they can help shape and direct the hair in the direction you want the strands to move. However, cutting curly or coily hair can pose a challenge.
A good tip is to visit a curl specialist for a high-quality cut. You may even benefit from a cut with movement and layers instead of having uniform strands that all stick out.
Use Moisturizing Products
Another way you can redirect the way your hair grows is by adding various moisturizing products to your regimen. Deep conditioning masks and leave-in treatments can penetrate the strands and allow them to hang downwards.
This can give the illusion that your hair grows downward while keeping your strands hydrated.
Invest In The Right Styling Tools
Next, you’ll want to invest in the right styling tools. You may need to revamp your hair arsenal, but the right products can completely transform your strands. This includes investing in diffusers, wraps, silk hair ties, and other curl-friendly products.
How To Elongate Curls With Heat
You can manipulate your hair to grow down with and without heat. So, what are some heat-based methods you can incorporate into your hair regimen? You may need a combination of hair styling products and hot tools to get the right outcome.
The great thing about using heat is that you can quickly achieve lasting results. In addition, you can experiment with styling products that can give different looks. Some tips include controlling hot tool temperature and using a heat protectant.
Control Your Temperature
Heat styling curls can be controversial. Using heat too often or at a high temperature can damage your curls. However, you’ll need to find the right balance and stick to heat styling as little as possible.
Using warm or even cool air can stretch out your curls so that they can grow downwards instead of out. You can heat style your curls once a week and maintain their elongated shape.
Use A Heat Protectant
Another helpful tip is to invest in a multipurpose or high-quality heat protectant. A heat protectant will ensure you can easily heat-style elongated curls without the stress of damage. It creates a barrier between the strands and hot tools.
Also, heat protectants, especially ones formulated for curly hair, are packed with moisturizing ingredients. This can help create a weighed-down effect to stretch out curls without looking greasy.
Get A Diffuser
If there is one blow-dry attachment to invest in for curly hair, it’s a diffuser. A diffuser can help maintain the shape and resilience of your curls. So you can still keep their bouncy and lively nature while styling them downwards.
Diffusers allow you to keep your texture while slightly elongating their shape. This can give you the illusion that your curls grow down instead of out.
Blow Dry Downwards
When in doubt, you can always blow dry your hair downwards. You can direct the dryer’s air down the hair shaft for a stretched-out effect. This tip is excellent for beginners or those who don’t like to spend time styling their hair.
In addition, you can even complete this technique with cool hair to impose less damage on your strands.
How To Elongate Curls Without Heat
What if you don’t want to use heat at all on your curls? Thankfully, multiple styling methods like braiding, banding, or twisting allow you to achieve curls that grow down instead of out.
The Amatuer Guru on Youtube shows four easy ways to achieve elongated curls for natural, curly hair types.
Braiding
The first no-heat technique you can try to elongate your curls is braiding. Braiding doesn’t have to be complicated. You can split your hair into two or four sections, braid each section loosely, and leave them overnight for the elongated effect.
However, you’ll want to create very loose braids to avoid making dents in the strands or altering your curl pattern. Loose braids will keep your curl pattern intact and manipulate them to grow downwards.
Banding
Another no-heat technique is banding. Banding involves using stretchy bands or multiple curl-friendly hair ties that can help elongate the curls. You’ll want to section your hair again and add the bands down the shaft for downwards curls.
Banding can also help your hair avoid tangles or knots. It can also help to leave the bands overnight to achieve longer-lasting results.
Twisting
Twisting will provide a similar result to braiding. You can section your hair into medium-sized sections, twist the strands together, and leave them in to create that downward-growth effect or the illusion that they are naturally elongated.
You can customize the technique and create as many or as few sections as you want with your hair. However, it’s crucial to note most techniques will look different depending on what curl type you have between type 3 and type 4 hair.
Use Cool Air
Does using cool air count as using heat? Cool air can still manipulate your hair to sit in a different direction. In addition, almost every blow dryer has a cool shot button that can style your hair without the need to turn up the heat.
Cool air can be a go-to method if you find yourself in a pinch and need to style your hair. However, it can be more time-consuming to use cool air than heat, but worth the effort for those looking to avoid any contact with hot air.
Protective Styles
Finally, you can experiment with various protective styles to help create the illusion that your hair grows downwards instead of out. The great thing about hairstyling is that you can adapt techniques to fit your hair’s needs.
Takeaway
You can manipulate your curly hair to grow downwards instead of out in multiple ways.
For example, investing in moisturizing hair care products, getting a curl-friendly haircut, and using high-quality tools can create an elongated and stretched-out effect.
You can elongate curls using heat or trying heatless styles. Diffusers, cool air, braiding and twisting, and more are all easy methods to help your hair grow downwards rather than out.
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