All products are independently selected by our editors.
If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In 2019,Taylor Swiftopened up about a hair phenomenon every curly girl fears: Her natural curls disappeared.
In an essayforElle, she confirmed her curly hair was losing its curl.
From birth, I had the curliest hair and now it is STRAIGHT.
Its the straight hair I wished for every day in junior high.
Swift in 2007 and 2025
But just as I was coming to terms with loving my curls, theyve left me.
yo pray for their safe return.
And then it happened to me.
My curls at age 2 and age 15
It was my hair texture.
Could I still claim membership in thecurly girlcommunity, which had been there for me at my frizziest hour?
I began wondering, Did I ever really have curly hair at all?
My curls in 2020 versus 2024
And more importantly, what the hell do I do withwavyhair?
Exasperation seems to be a common denominator for many of the women who experienced changes in hair texture.
To be a woman is to suffer in envy of someone elses hair.
I dont know if this is a result of hormonal changes, but it does happen a lot.
Additionally, after suffering a bad bout of adult acne, I was prescribed an antiandrogen called spironolactone.
Could all of these different hormones be the root of my suffering?
Or is this texture change just a sad but normal fact of life?
First things first: Whats actually going on during these major life events that causes our hair to change?
Hormonal impact also varies depending on where on the body the hair follicle is located, she says.
For example, head hair and body hair can respond to the same hormone in different ways.
Heres what we do know.
Estrogen:High levels of estrogen are typically associated with thicker, fuller hair.
We call this terminal hair growth, she says.
We see this effect during puberty with the growth of terminal hair in the pubic area and armpits.
This is thought to be related to hormonal changes.
However, she reiterates that the exact reason this happens is not completely clear.
And its not limited to women.
Soren Roi, a barber in NYC, recentlyshared his experience on Instagramwith a dramatic texture change at puberty.
We think this is related to higher estrogen levels in pregnancy.
Estrogen also has an antiandrogenic effect, opposing some of the effects androgens have on hair follicles.
But what if youre not pubescent, pregnant, or menopausal?
In general, hair follicles are either curly or straight, Dr. Lipner continues.
However, depending on the progesterone component, it may be associated with either hair loss or hair growth.
Is there anything that can be done to retain your hair texture?
Dr. Ulrich also underscores the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
These products are still in the testing phase.
Except maybe write a song.
Curlsmith Essential Moisture Shampoo (12 oz.)
Amazon
Sephora
Ulta
