Christina Milian’s journey from heat-damaged hair to bouncy curls

Has anyone else ever wondered what the heck happened to Christina Milian's gorgeous curly hair? The girl used to have the prettiest, bounciest curls back during her Love Don't Cost a Thing days. But I guess with all the heat styling, hair coloring and extension-wearing, her rizos just haven't been the same. And it looks like she's on mission to get them back because Christina recently got her hair chopped (just look at this pic) by curl expert Shai Amiel who has been helping her nurture her curls back to health. Did I mention she hasn't straightened her hair ONCE since?

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When I first heard that Christina Milian had done a big chop, I just knew that heat-damage had to be the reason behind it and apparently that really was the case. Heat-damage, those words alone haunt my dreams. I'm a victim of heat-damage myself, so I definitely relate to Christina's curl struggle. Unlike her, I've been masking my damage wearing my hair straight until my curls are long enough to cut. I just make sure I always use a heat-styling protectant to prevent any further damage. But Christina has been taking a much healthier route–she's ditched the blow dryer all together!

Want to know how to get those bouncy curls back? Check out Christina's journey for inspiration!

Image via Christina Milian/Instagram

Original curls

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This is how Christina Milian's curls look when they're at their healthiest. Remember these? Her goal is probably to get this full of head of rizos back but it's definitely not going to happen overnight. The first tip to recovering from heat-damage is to have LOTS of patience!

Straight styling

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This is how Christina has been wearing her hair for years now, heat-styled straight. I'm sure a lot of the damage came from heat-styling, coloring and wearing extensions too.

The damage

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shaiamiel/Instagram

The before picture shows how damaged Christina's hair was from constantly heat-styling. She had three different textures going on. Tight curls at the roots and nape and wavy, straight pieces throughout. The chop helped cut away most of the limpy ends and gave her hair more shape. But she still has a long way to go.

The chop

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Christina Milian/Instagram

Christina's curls after the chop. Looking good!

Heat-protecting

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Christina Milian/Instagram

Christina hasn't been blow-drying her hair straight since the chop, instead she wears her hair up in styles like this that helps protect her delicate ends. How cute is this look?

Up in a bun

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Christina Milian/Instagram

When you're transitioning from heat-damaged hair to bouncy curls you're bound to have a ton of bad hair days. On those days, pull it all up in a sleek bun, like Christina did here. You can never go wrong with a top knot!

Polish it up

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Christina Milian/Instagram

To avoid straightening, Christina polishes up her curls for big events, most likely with a 1/2 inch curling iron. But you want to be careful with this. Passing a hot curling iron on curls that are even slightly damp can cause instant damage. You're basically frying your hair! Trust me–this is how I heat-damaged my curls! Make sure hair is fully dry, spray a heat protective spray throughout and always put the curling iron on medium settings. Don't do this often either!