Why Does My Hair Curl Up At The Back? (What To Do About It)

It is an annoying problem for both men and women. Hair that curls outward at the back and it sometimes seems as if there is nothing to be done about it. Men indicate that if they want their hair to grow, at some point, when the neck reaches a length, it begins to curl outward. Women also notice that this often happens when they have cut their hair at shoulder length, for example.

In some cases, there is, unfortunately, nothing you can do about this, but in some cases there is and so there are tips to adjust this!

Curious about why hair curls at the back and how you might be able to solve this? Then read on and find your answer!

So, why does my hair curl up at the back?

For men:

Around me, I hear it more often and I often see it in my inbox. Men wonder why their hair curls at the back of their neck. As a man, if you let your hair grow longer and it reaches the point where the shirt collar length is, the hair often curls at the ends in the back.

Why is this?

There can be several reasons for this. If you have a natural wave in your hair, it could be that this is exactly where your hair starts to make a wave. That’s why your hair curls at the back. The wave of hair starts at the root but sometimes it doesn’t become visible until your hair reaches a certain length. Should this be the case, it is best to try to make your hairstyle with a straightening iron. This will solve your problem in most cases.

Combing with a great comb your hair can also be a solution. Comb your hair before you go to bed and make a morning ritual out of it. Another cause for curling your hair at the back can also be because your hair is exactly the length it needs to be to rest on the nape of your neck. When your hair rests on the nape of the neck, you’ll notice your hair will curl outwards on that spot. If this is the case, then there is nothing really wrong because it is only about length. As soon as your hair gets longer, you’ll go over the critical point and your hair will fall straight down again just how you like it.

For women

For women (and also men who like their hair to be longer than described above) there is a painful in-between length of the hair where everybody who grows their hair out goes through. Whether you want to grow your hair very long, or just want it longer than a short hairstyle, you need to go beyond the in-between phase.

The above section for men is also important for women and it largely goes about hair that is just a tad shorter than shoulder length. That’s why below I’ll go into more detail about a bit longer hair that curls outward.

When your hair is longer than neck length, and it curls up at the back, there are a couple of things you can do to avoid this from happening. Below you’ll find 4 things you can do to avoid having your hair curled up at the back.

Do not let it touch your shoulder

When your hair is longer than neck length, you’ll probably notice that your hair touched your shoulder. This can be a factor in your hair curling out. When your shoulder line (or neckline) is perpendicular to your hair, you’ll notice that your hair will curl outward because the ends of your hair touched your shoulders. 

The solution

The solution is simple. Keep your hair away from your shoulders. As long as you do not let your hair rest on your shoulders, your hair will not curl up at the back as easily as it does now.

Getting a better haircut

This may sound strange, but the way your hair is cut can be a leading factor in your hair curling up and out at the back. When your layers are thick, the chance of your hair curling out is higher.

When you go to your hairstylist, make sure that you tell them (if you got a good one he or she already knows) to cut your hair in such a way so that your hair will tuck in. They can perform some undercutting at the nape and this makes it more suitable for thicker hair. 

If you have less hair or less thick hair, you can reap benefits from texturizing and overlapping layers. Ask your hairstylist. He or she will know what to do!

Related article: My hair curls up at the ends, why is that?

Hair damage can contribute to hair curling up at the back

Another possible reason for your hair curling up is the state of your hair. If it is healthy and properly hydrated, it will not curl as easily as when your hair is damaged. This phenomenon can occur when you have colored your hair too much (without taking proper care of your hair between dye jobs) or an overload of heating elements like a straightening iron and stuff like that. A way to combat this is to treat your hair better with shampoo and contitioner. A great shampoo and conditioner to use is the NewYorkBiology Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Hair Growth. This will help repair your hair damage and also stimulate the hair growth you want.

What’s the solution?

You’ve probably guessed it, but the best thing you can do is trying to better hydrate your hair. You can do this by using hair masks, great conditioners, and serums.

When you keep your hair healthy by taking proper care of your hair and hydrate it more, you’ll notice that your hair becomes better manageable. This in turn means that you’ll better manage your hair curling outwards.

You can try a perm

The main benefit of a perm is that it is long-lasting. This makes your hair curling out unlikely because it always sits the way it sits. That’s why a perm is a long-lasting approach to hair curling up and out at the back.

The other thing you can try would be a new haircut. The problem with a haircut approach is the fact that it eventually will grow out, will go out of shape, and therefore increases the chance of your hair curling outward. To not have that problem, you can try a perm!

Final thoughts

Hair curling up at the back is a problem for both men and women (how cool! Both can have the same problem!) At first glance, it seems like this is just the way your hair is, and it seems like there’s no coming back from it.

By now I hope you’ve learned that that is not always the case. Sometimes it can just have to do with your length and you need to be patient and just grow it longer. Other times there are things you can do like hydrating and maintaining your hair better so that the chance of your hair curling up at the back will be less. 

If you’ve found your own method to keep your hair straight at the back, I’ll gladly hear from you! Let me know so I can put it in here. This way it becomes a better article and something where everything can take something out of to make their hair look better!

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time!

Related artcles:

Why does my hair curl inward?
Why does my hair curl up when it gets longer?