Many of us dread shrinkage, when shrinkage is in fact a sign of healthy hair. There are a whole bunch of reasons why it is often said, “Shrinkage is the devil!”:
- You spent hours stretching your hair, only for it to shrink back up.
- Due to your hair type shrinkage results in tangles and matting.
- You just hate short hair. You are still influenced by the standard that says long hair = feminine + beautiful.
Whatever your reasoning behind your disdain for shrinkage is, take comfort in knowing that the fact your hair is shrinking is a good thing. There’s no particular rhyme or reason behind it other than that’s just the nature of our hair.
Think about it: When you get your hair straightened, I bet you hope and pray that your hair will revert back when you are done wearing your hair pressed. Hair that has been heat damaged will remain straight and stringy while the remainder of your hair will curl back up. Heat damage creates this horribly inconsistent look which we hate. Unfortunately, when the damage has been done to our hair the only solution is to either cut the hair off right away or transition by slowly trimming the straight pieces off. So, by your hair shrinking up it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.
While shrinkage can be frustrating, just be thankful that this is an indicator that your hair is in good health. In some weather/climates you may want to wear hairstyles that embrace shrinkage and frizz or prevent it all together so that way you are not fighting a losing battle. If you are in a mood wear you want to show off some length or have more style options you always have options for stretching your hair, see our post: Hate Shrinkage? We Have 7 Ways You Can Beat It!