How Do I Reduce The Shrinkage Of My Naturally Curly Hair?

by Patty
(California)

I am a black woman and my hair is soft, silky and curly (it curls up tightly).

How can I make the hair shrink up less when in its natural state and cause the curls to fall looser, without using a product that makes my hair stiff or sticky or wet like some curl activators or gels do?