Sophomore year I was on top of the world and ready to rock my curly fro. Then the unthinkable happened HEAT DAMAGE. I know what your thinking, “what happened to no heat?!” I experimented with my instyler on my natural hair one time (turned into a frizz ball in the humidity). Then a week later I tried roller set wraps (did two days in a row) and then when the second rollerset wrap didn’t work (frustrated) I brought out my instyler and used it on HIGH. Keep in mind I used no heat protectant* for all of this.
The result, my curl pattern appeared slightly different to me and in one small section on the left side of my head I saw about an inch of stringy ends (NOOOOOOOOO!). So I cut off about half the heat damage and I had about half an inch left to get rid of. After going through that experience I am SO DONE with heat.
The results are truly not worth it. For anyone who has some heat damage like i did just continue taking care of your hair as best as you can and your hair WILL grow back. Don’t focus on length, but the health of your hair. Just a couple of months ago I cut off the last bit and the difference was huge! It was the feeling I had when I got rid of my relaxed ends.
My hair was once again reborn strong and most importantly healthy! Last but not least, after going through all of that with my hair and experimenting with different products I felt like I truly understood my hair, and I felt a need to start helping others so…. I LAUNCHED A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!!
I self titled it “shemekascurls” and now i’m constantly working to produce videos helpful to new and old naturals;hoping that I can show people something new and inspirational so they’ll love their curls as much as I do. Also so they won’t make the same pitfalls on their journey. So if any of you girls (or guys) out there are scared to go natural JUST DO IT!
You won’t regret it. When you finally learn to love your hair, a whole new world of healthy living is revealed, and you will find you love those curls, coils, or kinks much more than you ever thought possible
What is your typical weekly regimen?
On a typical wash day I go for my wash and go because it’s a great low manipulation style. I always do a pre-poo before co- washing- or clarifying my hair. I pre-poo by spritzing my hair until it’s drenched with water. Then I apply a generous amount of olive oil* and shea butter* to my hair. Next, I part small sections, detangle first my fingers, then a wide tooth comb* and twist them up so they’re ready to go for the next day.