How I Revived My Curly Hair From the Dead

Brush. Clamp. Pull. Brush. Clamp. Pull. This was my hair routine for the past seven years. A hair routine that was never finished without a straightener and/or curler on hair that had been repeatedly bleached and dyed. It’s safe to say that I’d never be caught dead outside with my natural hair. A frizzy, thick, and wild bush of hair, my natural hair was a beast of its own (I was endearingly nicknamed ‘banshee’ by my family).  I was the only one in my family with this type of hair (my dad has curly hair too but was unfortunately never any help), and my mom and sister both wake up with flawlessly straight hair. This meant that I was on my own when it came to my hair. Although sometimes after a wash there’d be really beautifully formed curls, I could never figure out how to deal with the rest of my hair. Eventually, I just gave up and began to straighten my hair in middle school, deciding that was the only way my hair would ever be pretty. The crazy thing is that a lot of the time I’d also curl my hair after straightening it. From curly to straight to curly. A highly damaging process, to say the least.  I never thought too much about the damage inflicted on my hair. Sometimes I’d cringe any time I straightened a perfect ringlet, but I always found a way to justify the damage. However, over the past year or so, I began to notice my hair was thinning. My hair has always been very thick, so thick that I’ve broken countless hair ties and claw clips (to my mother’s dismay). Not only was my hair thinning, but it was also losing its curl. I remember my friend telling me that my natural hair was more straight than curly, and it was. I had damaged my hair so much that the curl pattern was completely gone, leaving behind dry and fried-looking hair. I wanted to fix it, but it looked even worse when left natural. So, unfortunately, I kept using heat on it.

It wasn’t until last March when we had to quarantine that I stopped using heat on my hair. I remember reaching for the straightener and then thinking how silly it was as I wasn’t going anywhere or seeing anyone. It was also around this time where I came across YouTube videos of girls reviving their damaged curly hair. Their hair pre-transformation always looked like my damaged hair and the after pictures were absolutely gorgeous. At this time, my curl pattern was growing in, so my roots were curly while my ends were straight and it made me hopeful that my curls could be revived.  I then decided to fully commit myself toward making my hair healthy again. I started trying out different shampoos and conditioners that were specifically for curly hair. I stopped using products with sulfates, silicones, and parabens (there’s debate whether this helps, but it worked for me!). I began using hair masks for revitalizing damaged hair once a week. I also completely changed my drying process. I started using cotton T-shirts to dry my hair (it reduces frizz) and using SheaMoisture’s leave-in conditioner (this brand has worked wonders for me!). When drying and applying products to my hair, I scrunch my hair in an upward motion so my curls hold their form. Instead of brushing my hair (this is a big no-no for curly girls), I use a wet brush in the shower after applying my conditioner and it glides right through!  After making and following all these changes for a month or so, I began to see a HUGE difference in my hair. It was thicker and curlier, and I wanted to show off my natural hair for the first time ever. It’s still not completely healthy but growing it out requires patience. Yet, it’s so worth it; I feel so happy and myself with curly hair. If you’re a curly girl in denial as I was once, I highly recommend changing up your routine and seeing what works for you! You might love it! 

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