This is the truth of curly hair.

Some curls are tight while others are loose, and some are in between.

Francois said to let your curls sit in water to see if they float or sink.

A woman with curly hair, smiling

Another popular method of managing your curls is straightening out those temperamental ringlets.

So use that flat iron with caution.

Why don’t humidity and curls get along?

Two women with curly hair, laying on grass

But why does humidity have it out for the coiled strands?

According toSmithsonian Magazine, it all comes down to science.

That explains that annoyance.

A redheaded woman with curly hair

From leave-in conditioners to styling gels to co-washes, the range of potential products is seemingly infinite.

For example, if your curls are flat, that could be due to not using enough product.

In fact, doing so aggressivelycan ruin your curly hair, though some shedding is normal.

A woman with frizzy, curly hair

But rest assured, shedding is completely normal.

Specifically, cotton is a hard no-go when it comes to keeping unruly knots and frizz away.

Furthermore, cotton fibers can cause breakage because of the way they tug on hair follicles.

A woman with curly red hair holding products

This is due to excess friction, which can lead to breakage in curly hair.

Additionally, over-touching can also increase greasiness, weighing down the hair follicles.

That’swhy you shouldn’t wash your hair every day.

Curly Hair

Over-washing can also strip hair from its needed nutrients, which can cause dryness and breakage.

Should you blow dry your curly hair?

When it comes to drying curls after washing, blow drying isn’t something that benefits curly hair.

A woman touching her curly hair

Function of Beautysuggests air drying whenever possible so you can both reduce frizz and maintain definition.

Or, here’show to quickly dry your hair without a blow dryer.

But there are ways to blow dry and avoid damage without a diffuser.

A woman teasing out her curly hair

One way is to deep condition your curls.

According toFunction of Beauty, sulfates are the agent in shampoos that provide extra lather during washing.

Depending on the curl pattern, different hair needs specific moisturizing and cleansing needs.

A redheaded woman with her curly hair in a bun

“Loose curls tend to get wrapped around each other.”

Shrinkage actually means your curly hair is healthy

No two curls are created alike.

While some are loose and long, others can shrink after washing.

A woman washing her curly hair

Shrinkage occurs after wet curls dry and recoil, causing long strands to shorten.

According toLus Brands, shrinkage means curly hair is happy.

“Your hair’s ability to recoil when it shrinks shows that each strand is strong and healthy.”

A woman blow drying her curly hair

They may become less textured and lose their bounce, or become drier and more prone to breakage.

Fortunately, there are ways to navigate the changing tides.

According toCurls, there are a few tricks to avoid a shift in hair texture.

A woman looking at a bottle of hair product

A woman spraying her curly hair

A woman with short and curly hair

Two woman with large, curly manes