It sounds like your hair might be drying out. Naturally curly hair has a tendency to also be very dry. I have curly hair and keep the ringlets looking nice by never using hair gel as it is full of alcohol. Of course most hair products contain alcohol but my stylist told me that hair gel is the worst and contains the most.
Here's how I maintain ringlets:
-always use a moisturizing shampoo & conditioner along with an intensive moisturizing treatment once a week
-use hair serum..it keeps hair looking sleek
-get a trim every 4-6 weeks..the ends of curly hair dry out fast and show split ends and styling damage
-if you dry your hair always use a diffuser..it's best to dry hair for a couple min and then allow to dry naturally
-use a mousse especially for curly hair, never gel
I know this sounds like a huge answer to your post but this was the advice given to me by my stylist and I never have problems with my hair now.
Hope this helps. Take care!