Mushy Hair – What Does Mushy Hair Mean?

Many folks with curly hair have a love and hate relationship with their hair. Sometimes, they love their hair, but other times, they can’t stand it.

Curls can be beautiful but overwhelming.

A survey shows that curly-haired people spend more on their hair than those with straight hair. That shows that those with curls are facing all sorts of challenges, like the mushy hair challenge.

You’re going to learn everything there is to know about mushy hair and what you can do if you are dealing with it.

If you can solve this issue, you’ll be happier since this usually means you’ll spend less on your hair. It also means you’ll have better hair days, and everyone can be happy about that.

What does it mean when hair is mushy?

Firstly, mushy hair feels slightly different for everyone, but there are a few signs that you’re dealing with a mushy hair situation.

The curls may feel a little dull or lifeless. Sometimes, your hair feels or looks wet, even though it’s been a while since you dried your hair.

Mushy hair has too much moisture. No matter what you do, your hair has no body or volume.

Some people say that mushy hair feels like it’s saturated with grease or something similar.

Most of the time, folks who have mushy hair did something to get it that way. They may add too much conditioner to their hair or try a hot oil treatment that didn’t work out in their favor. If you did something like that and your curls went limp, then you are dealing with mushy hair.

This is going to feel scary, and sometimes, you won’t be able to regain that volume you love for some time depending on how bad the hair situation is. Some folks have to treat their hair for weeks before that mushiness goes away.

You are going to have to be patient. You could try to solve this issue on your own. A few solutions will be discussed later, or you could work with your hairstylist. The choice is yours, but don’t wait too long because this over moisturization issue won’t solve itself.

While you try to solve this problem, you could just wear a hat you love or a few scarves you’ve been dying to try until those curls are resurrected from their long slumber.

How do you tell if your hair is over moisturized?

Everyone with curls knows the drill: you need to moisturize.

Curly hair is naturally a little dryer than straight hair.

It’s not surprising to find out that a person with curly hair carries a moisturizing spritz everywhere they go. This is helpful because curls soak up moisture like crazy, which makes people with curls moisturize as much as possible.

The issue with that is that you could make the mistake of over-moisturizing your hair. There’s a name for this phenomenon, too. It’s called hygral fatigue.

As you try to moisturize your hair throughout the day to keep those curls looking spectacular, something happens.

Water makes those curls swell up a bit, but the water won’t stay there forever. At some point, it’ll dry, and that leads to shrinkage. You may feel the need to keep spraying your hair.

If you moisturize excessively, this can damage your hair and cause breakage. The hair can only take so much stretching and pulling from the constant moisture and drying. This is when your hair starts to look mushy and not so appealing.

Most issues curly-haired folks face can usually be solved with conditioner but not this time.

At this point, you might need a protein treatment, but you’ll learn more about that in the next section. Protein is scary to consider, especially for someone with curls. Too much protein can lead to damage, too.

Most of the time, too much protein can cause brittle hair, and that’s the last thing you want. Finding a way to resurrect your hair after over moisturizing is not going to be easy, but it can be done if you do things right.

What helps with mushy hair?

Before getting into what could help you, you must prevent this from happening again.

While you may not be able to guarantee this won’t happen again, at least, you can reduce the chances of it happening by learning a few tricks. For example, if you stick to natural moisturizers, you don’t have to worry.

Natural moisturizers help keep your hair moisturized longer, and that reduces your need to moisturize more often than your hair can handle.

You could also use natural oil on your hair, like coconut oil before showering.

Doing this one thing reduces the amount of swelling your hair experiences when you wash it. This could help reduce the pressure of the swelling and shrinkage.

It’s also a good idea to dry your hair as quickly as possible.

Keeping water in your hair for long periods is not a good thing. Your hair soaks up moisture quickly enough. It doesn’t need you to keep it wet all day.

It sounds strange to read a statement like that when you know you’ve been told to keep your hair moisturized, but your hair has enough moisture if it looks healthy.

You should also avoid leaving moisturizing formulas on your hair for extended periods.

If you leave that hair conditioner in too long or that hot oil treatment, you might over-moisturize without knowing it.

Solving the Issue Now

To solve your problem, the best thing you can do is work with a professional. It’s the best way to resurrect your hair.

Still, there are a few steps to take at home that could yield good results.

First of all, you want to clarify your hair. You can use a clarifying product, or you can mix about four tablespoons of vinegar in two cups of water. Rinse your hair with any of these clarifying formulas before moving on to a protein treatment.

Use protein shampoos and conditioners. Use them as directed, but don’t overdo it. If your hair looks healthy, then stop using it.

You also want to apply a small amount of oil, enough to coax your hands before applying. You’ll want to apply this oil after showering.

Squeeze water out of your hair before applying, and it should help prevent your hair from absorbing too much moisture.

How do I know if my hair is lacking protein or moisture?

You know some signs that your hair needs protein.

When your hair feels flat and you are having a hard time curling your hair, then you need protein.

Those natural curls require elasticity, and that requires protein. If you lose elasticity for some reason, you need a protein treatment. If you see interruptions within your natural hair pattern, you need a good protein treatment.

Stringy or limp hair needs protein as well and so does hair that feels sticky or maybe a bit gummy or mushy.

These are signs that a good protein treatment can heal your hair.

Now, it’s time to figure out when your hair needs a little more moisture. You’ll notice that your hair feels a little dry, maybe even brittle.

At this point, it’s safe to say that you need some extra moisture for your hair, maybe a good leave-in conditioner.

Hair that needs extra moisture will also appear dull-like or lifeless.

You should consider using more moisturizer at this point. Dry hair also tangles up easily, and you’ll notice split ends.

Knowing these signs should help you avoid over-moisturizing since you’ll only feed your hair the moisture it needs when you see signs that your hair is lacking moisture.

Now, you know everything there is to know about mushy hair and how it happens. On top of that, you know what you need to do to fix the mushy hair issue. Talk to your stylist if you have additional questions or need some help.