Although this is my curly girl journey, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to straighten my hair from time to time. Now, the main difference is that I’m straightening my hair because I want to, not because I feel that I have to. And that’s the big difference really.
For so long, I felt that because I didn’t fully understand or know how to manage my curls, that I needed to straighten them. And now, I don’t feel that way. I leave my hair curly because I finally know how to care for my curls properly, and I love the way they look. I straighten my hair because I’m bored, desire a short change, and because I simply feel like it. No other reason behind it, which is truly the greatest feeling in the world. As amazing as my hair felt while straight and how confidence boosting it was to see how healthy and long my hair had grown, I missed my curls and am so happy they’re back to continue the care they need.
There are so many curly hair influencers out there that preach the Curly Girl Method, or refer to heat as the devil. At first, listening to them made me feel really guilty about even considering straightening my hair. But after doing more research and more soul searching, I realized that no one else’s opinion matters aside from my own. So if I wanted to do something, I should go for it. So I did! But I did it safely to ensure my hair would not become damaged.
Here are the steps I followed to make sure my hair was safe while applying heat:
- Deep conditioning: Before straightening my hair, I did wash and deep condition my hair with an emphasis on moisture.
- Heat Protectant: I used the MoroccanOil Blow Dry Concentrate Oil and Amika’s The Wizard: Detangling Primer. Although the oil is recommended for blow drying, I prefer to prep my hair for blow drying by sections with the detangling primer, then use the blow dry concentrate in each section to straighten with an iron. These products do have silicone in them, but I will refer back to one of my previous blog posts that mentioned the use of silicones. When it comes to heat, especially higher temperatures and more concentrated heat that is involved with straightening hair, silicones help to further protect and defend the strands and follicles from damage. So for the purpose of protection, products with silicones will definitely help in that department.
- Lower/Limited Heat: I used to use the max setting on the straightener to straighten my hair. This time around, I kept the heat below 400 degrees. Throughout the week, instead of using the straightener to refresh styles, I stuck to my Revlon blow dry brush to refresh in addition to continuing the use of heat protectants.
- After care: On my wash day, I made sure to use a lineup of strength and nutrient restoring products. I started with the Olaplex No 3, washed with the Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Shampoo and Curlsmith Post-Biotic Conditioner, and deep conditioned with the Not Your Mother’s Matcha Green Tea Butter Mask. This line up really helped bounce my curls back to their natural state!
Again, I LOVE my curls, and I also love wearing my hair straight. I will definitely not be straightening my hair on a regular basis, but I do like the change from time to time. So see you in 7+ months straight hair! My curls have a lot more growing to do!
Naturally, Taylor 💙
TAYLOR LYNN 