I feel bad for my fiancé, my friends and anyone else who has had to hear me whine and complain about my hair for the past year or so. But if you've experienced the traumatizing hair disaster I went through, you'd be PISSED too. So once upon a time (two years ago to be exact), I had awesome curls (my curly hair pictured here). The kind of curls that stayed bouncy and tight no matter how humid it was outside and flowed down my back. But like most curly-haired chicas, I didn't know how to manage or appreciate them, so instead I started abusing my hair with hot tools to keep it sleek and straight. So I got a little something called heat-damage!
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Now I'm going through that awkward transitioning hair stage where my natural curls are growing out, but the roots are super tight and curly, the mid-section is wavy, and my ends are almost pin-straight (pictured below). I refuse to do the big chop, so I'm doing everything in my power to make my curls look as wearable as possible. Trust me, it's hard!
My disastrous heat-damage journey has taught me a lot about myself. One, that I have a lot more patience than I ever imagined and two, that I'm a hair products junkie. You wouldn't believe the amount of products I've tested out over the past year or so! The thing is, when you're transitioning whether it's from chemical straighteners (like relaxers or Brazilian keratin treatments), bleach damage, or heat damage, the products you've used when your hair was healthy probably won't cut it this time.
You have to look for products that are going to deeply repair and nourish your hair, but that are also going to give your hair additional definition and bounce so the damage isn't as obvious. Here are a few products that have been keeping me sane–and pretty–during this ugly and frustrating hair journey!
Images via Johanna Ferreira
Switch shampoos
I know I say this ALL the time, but you have no idea how important it is to cleanse curls using a sulfate-free formula. My curls always look and feel healthier after washing with DevaCurl No Poo ($20).
Do a hair mask
Now that my curly roots are growing out, my straight-wave-ish ends are becoming more prone to breakage. Since I'm not ready to chop them all off, I do a deep conditioning mask weekly to keep my hair nourished and strong, like Ouidad Curl Recovery Melt-Down Extreme Repair Mask ($14). I leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes with a plastic shower cap on. Afterwards, my hair feel softer and my ends even look curlier.
Try a curl enhancing product
During that ugly transitioning stage, you want to look for styling products that are going to deeply moisturize your dry, damaged hair but also give your curls more definition. Here I used SheaMoisture Coconut Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie ($9) and it did a pretty good job at masking my heat-damage.
Use a conditioning pudding
Light curl creams and even gels aren't going to cut it for your straight, damaged ends. Use a thick curl pudding, like Ouidad Curl Recovery Curl Defining Styling Souffle ($26). You can still see the difference in textures, but my curls look a lot more uniform with the help of this miracle-worker!
Apply a leave-in
Before applying any styling product, keep curls conditioned with Carol's Daughter Hair Milk Original Leave-In Moisturizer ($12). This is hands down my favorite leave-in conditioner. It's made with agave, soybean oil, sweet almond oil, cocoa butter and shea butter that works to intensely hydrate even the driest curls. It also helps prevent frizz too!
Wear your hair up
Aside from products, part of transitioning is also knowing how to wear your hair. Sometimes leaving your hair down isn't your best option. To avoid that awkward straight-curly look, consider wearing your hair up. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail this weekend and it helped disguise a lot of the damage.
