We regularly hear about shrinkage and often not in a very negative way. However , shrinkage , valid for kinky hair but not only, is a sign of good hair health . The curly and coily textures also “shrink” but this is less obvious than for the kinky texture.

So no more questions, we explain this phenomenon and give you tips for those who want to fight against it. Of course, this is not the case for everyone:

Shrinkage = healthy hair

Shrinkage comes from the English “shrinkage” and therefore simply means that the hair curls up on itself and thus can reduce its length by half . This is therefore one of the reasons why many believe that a kinky hair does not grow.

Fun fact : kinky hair is often very long, but the healthier it is, the more it shrinks! This is the whole paradox.

Having a hair that shrinks is therefore a guarantee of care and maintenance of the hair. The hydrated and nourished fiber will be much plumper, much tightened. Unlike damaged hair, in particular by thermal aggressions which tend to leave the hair relaxed. Shrinkage is therefore something natural and positive since it tells us that our hair is doing well.
Shrinkage is also present when the fiber is in contact with water or simply high humidity , just like another phenomenon, frizz. You have never found yourself one day, leaving your house with your hair rising and your head full of frizz. These are two phenomena in response to humidity:

• the frizz is created because of the ambient humidity which comes to open the scales but leaves the humidity on the surface of the hair.
• shrinkage is done in response to moisturizing products, called humectants in the fibre.

The first is therefore more of an undesirable effect of lack of hydration, we give you our best tips in this article, while the second is a guarantee of fiber health.

How to reduce this phenomenon of shrinkage

• Wire braids: it is the fact of wrapping a wire around a wick, without tightening it too much.
• The banding method: it consists of separating each strand by a few centimeters and putting a seamless elastic around it. You can apply a little Smoothie or Kurl Nectar so that your fiber is nourished
• Braid-out or twist-out: two techniques and protective hairstyles to naturally stretch your hair overnight!

Start by making your braids or twists using a hair milk like Smoothie* or a buttercream like Magic Twist. You can make a dozen braids as above or make smaller or larger ones.

Then leave your hair style for at least 6 hours so that the fibre retains the natural stretch generated by the braid. If you sleep with it on, remember to protect your hair with a silk scarf for example, so that the moisture does not evaporate.

Remove your braids one at a time, separating the thicker strands with your fingers and then pulling out your roots with a large comb.

The tip of the Les Secrets de Loly team