My curly hair Journey & Naturally Curly hair routine
My curly hair journey restarted when I was a sophomore in college in 2013-2014. Throughout middle school and high school I had been straightening my hair and getting relaxers. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I decided to stop getting relaxers. I didn’t even know my hair could get curly even though I had photos of myself when I Was younger where I had long curly hair. With all the heat damage and constant flat ironing my hair wouldn’t really curl up even after being wet.
WHY I DECIDED TO START MY NATURALLY CURLY HAIR JOURNEY:
After a couple of years of not straightening my hair as much and no relaxers, I remember being a sophomore in college and getting out of the shower with my hair soaking wet. When I looked in the mirror for the first time in a long time I saw actual curls. I was so excited that I decided I wanted to try and wear my hair curly from that point on and let me tell you it was not an easy journey. That was back in 2013.
It was during this time that I went on youtube and followed many natural curly hair influencers who would show their tips and tricks on how to take care of your naturally curly hair. When I first started my journey I bought a lot of products to help my hair, thinking that the products would turn my hair into healthy curls overnight. Because I decided to transition (I did not cut the heat damage off, but decided to grow it out and gradually cut it as I go) I did not retain as much length as fast as I would have if I just had cut it all off. Honestly, I regret choosing to transition and I will make a post about that later if you are considering transitioning or doing the big chop.
LEARNING HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MY CURLY HAIR THROUGH TRIAL & ERROR:
Over the course of a few years, I would use every product you could think of to try and not only make my curls more curly because I had heat damage, but also try and make my hair longer. From finer detangling with coconut oil before I washed my hair to hot oil treatments and DIY hair masques and concussions that I thought would be the solution to instant hair growth I tried it all.
It even went to the point where I found myself unpeeling a banana and literally smashing the banana into my hair because I had read that the potassium from the banana would make my hair grow. HAHA, your girl was desperate and I had banana chunks in my hair for days. I also accidentally cooked an egg in my hair when I thought the protein forming egg was the same protein that was in my hair and after I put the egg on my hair and got in the hot shower the egg started to cook. I know I was a mess, or maybe you are laughing because you have been in this spot too. The desperation, the many DIYs, all in hopes for longer, healthier, and curlier hair.
FINALLY SEEING HEALTHY CURLS WITH CONSISTENCY & SIMPLICITY:
My hair did start retaining more length and eventually, I stopped the DIYs more so because I was lazy than anything. As my hair grew and started to change so did my curly hair routine and a few years later the heat damage was gone and I was wearing my hair naturally curly ninety-eight percent of the time besides when I would get it trimmed.
Last year, 2021 I finally decided to get a professional curly hair cut and it was the final step to helping me perfect my curly hair routine because it gave me shape. I will also create another post about the importance of seeing a professional because I feel like naturally curly hair people don’t understand the significant change it can have on us and our hair.
TIME TO SEE A PROFESSIONAL. I AND YOUTUBE COULD ONLY DO SO MUCH:
Before I saw a professional I had already narrowed my curly hair routine down from a super long process where I would pre-wash and pre-detangle then have a leave-in-conditioner followed by oil and then a cream and then gel to only using a leave-in and gel to sometimes just a leave-in. After trial and error, I naturally found that my hair did not like the oils as much as I thought it did and that it responded better to certain products versus others.
Finally, eight years later I believe my hair is the healthiest it has ever been and my curly hair routine is not only simple but it works really well and I love it. Here is a video of how I do my curly hair routine.
My Curly Hair Routine
Step 1: I wash my hair using innersense hair bath. I make sure to use the pads of my fingers and not my nails to rub my scalp. I wash my hair once then I rinse it and wash it for a second time before making sure to rinse all the shampoo out.
Step 2: I use five pumps of innersense conditioner on half of my head. I work it through first with my fingers then I use a paddle brush to detangle my hair going section by section. AFter i finish one half of my head I do the same to the other half of my head.,
Step 3: Once the conditioner is applied to all of my hair and is fully detangled I Add a little more water and rinse some of the conditioner out ( not a lot) before applying four pumps of innersence gel to each half.
Step 4: After I apply my gel I am done and just need to dry my hair. I absolutely hate wet hair so I diffuse my hair for about an hour and a half to two hours.
This is my current curly hair routine. I don’t see it changing too much besides may =be switching up some products just to try something new. I hope you enjoyed it and have found something to help you with your own journey. Whether it is learning to stay away from DIY concussions so you don’t cook food in your hair, seeing a professional and getting a cut, or simplifying your curly hair routine so that you can save time and money.
