5 Myths and Facts Behind Hair Texture Change

Hair texture changes with age. Maybe you spot some random strands with unusually wavy ends, or your curls seem a little less springy than they used to be. These shifts are common and don’t just happen when you hit middle age. In some cases, the transformation starts earlier due to various factors. Scroll down to learn what drives these unexpected changes in your locks.

The hair you had in grade school is probably different from what’s on your head right now. But this evolution has nothing to do with the so-called “seven-year hair cycle.” The theory that hair resets every seven years isn’t scientifically true because the human hair follicle grows in phases that vary from person to person.

Significant changes in hair texture are mainly tied to aging, not a fixed timeline. As you get older, DNA within the follicles can flip certain genetic switches that cause straight hair to develop waves or curls to be smoother. Shifts in hormones, such as those during pregnancy, can also impact your mane’s overall appearance. Your locks can look and feel different in seven months or seven years, depending on what your body has been through.

Stress has some influence on hair health, but mainly in terms of its growth and thickness. Elevated levels of cortisol can trigger the follicles to enter the exogen phase faster than usual, which leads to shedding.

But stress alone is rarely a factor in hair texture changes. Lifestyle changes due to stress can influence how your tresses behave. For example, unhealthy habits like smoking can affect the production of hormones and nutrients necessary for hair development. Lack of sleep and poor diet can also make your strands even drier or frizzier than usual, making your 1A hair look like a 2A.

Curly-haired women often experience “scissor shock” – a phenomenon where their once-springy ringlets go limp after a big chop. This effect is only temporary, though, and it isn’t as dramatic as you might think.

Curl patterns are determined by the shape of the hair follicle and the distribution of keratin along each strand. None of these can be altered by scissors. What does change, however, is how your curls “sit” after they become shorter.

When you cut your hair, you’re essentially removing half of those spirals. This messes up the natural shape of your curls, which makes them look flatter since you’re left with only a portion of the original kulot. If this happens to you, finger-coil your hair to help define the curls and be patient.

Switching up your haircare routine isn’t going to harm your hair, let alone change its texture. You just have to make sure that you’re using the right products for your hair type and current needs. Otherwise, problems like a greasy scalp, dandruff, and dullness will crop up.

When it comes to finding your haircare soulmates, you have to sift through some stones to uncover the gold. The key is to identify the root of your hair woes. If the ends are frayed and feel coarse, your strands are likely damaged. Give them some TLC with Dove Ceramide Intense Repair Shampoo and Dove Ceramide Intense Repair Conditioner. These two have ceramides that nourish and protect the hair’s outer layer. With regular use, your locks will feel smoother and 10x stronger against breakage.

Flat ironing your hair every single day can cause hair texture changes, just not in the way you might hope.

Excessive heat from styling tools gradually weakens the protein molecules in each strand, which relaxes its curl pattern. This might make your hair look straighter without frizzing up, but it’s not because you’ve “trained” it; it’s because your hair has lost its elasticity. In other words, you’ve damaged your hair beyond repair.

The only way out of this crisis is to cut off the damaged ends and let new, healthy hair grow back. Going forward, try taking a break from heat styling and invest in deep conditioning treatments to help strengthen your tresses.

Genetics, hormones, and aging are behind most hair texture changes, and they’re beyond anyone’s control. So, if your hair has taken on a new look out of the blue, don’t be alarmed. It’s normal. The best you can do is make the most of what you have now.