7 Reasons Why Your Hair Won't Hold a Curl

The Wrong Temperature

"You don't want to be using heat over 350 F," says Aleasha Rivers, a Davines educator. "This could cause the hair to shut its cuticle and therefore flatten itself, unable to hold a bend. But you don't want the temperature too low that it is not strong enough to heat the amount of hair you are picking up in each section."

The solution: Aim for a heat that creates a curl in your hair without being over 350 F—look for curling wands with lower heat settings. This heat will vary depending on your hair texture and the style of curl you're trying to achieve—practice makes perfect with this one.

In-Shower Products Coating Your Strands

"Make sure you are not using shampoos and conditioners that are creating wax buildup on your hair and therefore weighing down the curl and/or coating the cuticle to the point it cannot open if it wanted to," says Rivers. Silicones, which are often put into hair formulas to add slip and shine, are the most common culprit. Try an apple cider vinegar rinse or a clarifying shampoo weekly to clear up any residue.

Poorly-rinsed Hair

Even if you're already using quality products, you want to ensure you're thoroughly rinsing your strands in the shower. "Not throughly rinsing out the conditioner creates an oily residue which doesn't react well with heat, and it also creates a barrier that stops the heat from activating the hair curl," says Laura Courtie, bridal hair expert from Laura Courtie Hair.

The Wrong Hairspray

It seems like a no-brainer to mist your curls with hairspray when you're finished styling, but the hairspray formula is key. "Hairspray is great, but the formula must be dry—any wet spray will make the curl fall down," says Valerie Maine, a hairstylist at Live True London. If you're looking for a good one, hairstylists recommend Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($49; amazon.com).

Touching Curls Before They've Cooled

If you brush or touch your curls when they are still warm, well, it's pretty much game over. "[You] need to let the hair cool down completely before touching it," says Stéphane Ferreira, a hairstylist at Live True London. "I recommend setting the hair with pins or clips until it has fully cooled."

Heavy Styling Products

"Sometimes products can actually reverse the holding process by creating weight in the hair, which contributes to the 'drop' effect," says Steph Stevenson, celebrity hairstylist and founder of HNB Salon. "Trial and error works best here, so try with a product and then without; you'll see what your hair reacts best to. It's not super common, but some hair actually reacts better with no product at all!"

Too-long Hair

If your hair is naturally curly—but isn't as curly as it once was—it could be solved by a trip to the salon. "If there is too much weight in the hair, it won't hold a curl. Personalizing techniques such as 'twist cutting' can keep the integrity of your curl but release a lot of the weight and literally spring life back into your strands," says Philip Downing, TIGI creative & education director.