Straightening your hair can be a good way to see how much it has grown. It is also a nice way to switch up your style, if you fancy a change. Which is the beauty of having natural hair, the versatility can have you being like different people a year!
I tend to straighten my hair once or twice a year depending on what special occasion arises. In December 2017 I straightened my hair because I was going to New York and I knew that my curls wouldn’t be able to handle the winter weather that was over there. Plus I just needed a break from styling it every day.
I managed to keep my hair straight for a good month, and only reapplied heat on the occasions I was going out. Which were three times tops. As I mentioned on Instagram, I didn’t need to reapply heat as my hair can maintain the press for a month before it starts to revert. Hindsight is one hell of a thing, if only I knew better. As a result of reapplying heat to my hair, I did get a fair amount of heat damage.
However, the damage could’ve been worse if I didn’t follow the below regime when washing my hair.
Step one: PRE WASH TREATMENT
I usually do a hot oil treatment before I wash my hair, especially when I know my hair has been in abused e.g straightening it.
I tend to mix several different oils into a bottle then apply to my hair. The main oils that I use are avocado, grapeseed, macadamia and mint. These oils have qualities that will add moisture to your hair follicles and stimulate your scalp (mint oil, in particular, is good for scalp stimulation)
I applied the above oils throughout my hair focusing on my ends and massaging my scalp. Then went under the steamer for 15mins. You can do this method with or without a steamer so longs you give the oil enough time to work its magic!
Step two: WASH
With a shampoo or co-wash of your choice. I chose to shampoo my hair as it had been a month since the last time I washed it so I needed to ensure it was clean.
To prevent stripping my hair or the oils that I just spent time applying to my hair, I made my own shampoo using a blended bar of Shea Moisture African Black soap The soap is amazing as it is multi-purpose and can be used on your face, body and hair!
Step three: SCALP RINSE
This step was only added due to the fact that my hair needed a deep clean, so it is not compulsory to follow.
I mixed:
1/2 a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
1/2 a cup of Water
A few drops of Rosemary oil and Lavender
mix in a spray bottle and applied it to my scalp, and throughout my hair. I sectioned my hair into twists to ensure my hair was detangled.
ACV rinses are always a good choice when you’re wanting to define your curls or bring them back after having your hair straight and add shine. It also is an excellent cleanser, where shampoo disrupts the pH levels in the hair cuticles, ACV brings the pH levels back into balance.
Do be careful when using ACV, if it gets in your eyes it can be quite painful. (I learnt that one too many times but lived to tell the tale)
Step four: DEEP TREATMENT MASQUE
To add moisture back into the hair after washing I always do a treatment using a masque either homemade or shop bought. On this occasion, I used Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Treatment masque that I purchased when I was in New York at Target. I had heard many good reviews about this product and I needed a product that would help repair my hair after getting heat damage. Plus I didn’t want parched curls post washing.
Once I rinsed the ACV out of my already sectioned hair. I applied the above treatment mask finger detangling as I went through. This product has a lot of slip so meant it was easier to detangle my hair while applying it.
Then I sat under the steamer for around 30 minutes to allow the product to sink in thoroughly.
Step five: POST WASH/ STYLING
Once rinsing the treatment masque out your hair the final step is styling your hair with a leave-in conditioner of your choice. I used Mane Choice 3 in 1 Conditioner for the first time and I loved how it triples up as a Co-wash, Leave in and detangler, plus has a sweet scent which is a bonus.
I then sectioned and styled my hair in two strand twists rather than the usual chini bumps (bantu knots) because I wanted a good nights sleep.
It wasn’t until my hair had dried the next day that I noticed my ends were still straight, which instantly made me realise the amount of heat damage I actually had. I did end up cutting the straight ends off as I was supposed to trim my hair before I straightened it so it was no love lost anyway.
I am focusing on repairing my curls and getting it back to a healthy state so that I can actually style a wash & go rather than hiding my hair away in a bun all the time.
*I will provide ingredients and tutorials on how to make homemade shampoo, oil treatments and masks etc shortly so keep an eye out for future blog posts*
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khadija mary xo
khadija mary 
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