Many of us did not embrace our natural textures until we were doing our own hair. It is not easy going natural or working with your true hair’s texture if all you know what to do is how to straighten it. It can be discouraging for many women going natural when they did not get the desired results or if they notice radically different textures in your head.
One problem lots of curly girls face when embracing their curly hair is dealing with bangs. Bangs will always be popular but for curly girls they can be problematic to maintain, as they stick up, frizz up, or shrink up causing bad hair day mania. This is what anduran13 from Curly Q&A was facing as she inquired about what to do with her bangs now that she’s embracing her natural curls.
Question
How do I get my bangs to curl like the rest of my hair after years of straightening them? Hello everyone, I have type 3B hair (I think??”> and was never taught to embrace it. From age 4, my mom cut bangs into my hair and straightened them every day, I continued this pattern throughout my teenage years. I am now a senior in high school who still continuously straightens her bangs with a straightener. However, I just want to rock all my hair naturally and fully embrace it. I have tried this process but my bangs just won’t curl like the rest of my hair… they are more wavy than curly and it just looks extremely off. Any suggestions for getting my bangs back to their natural state? Thank you very much.
Answer
The problem you may be facing is heat damage to your bangs. “Heat damage occurs when the protein bonds in the hair have been permanently altered to the point that the hair does not return to its natural curl pattern and your hair struggles to retain moisture as it once did.” Using heat tools daily or even weekly can increase one’s chances for heat damage. Although heat damage is irreversible, those heat damaged strands can be masked until they grow out and you can gradually snip them away over time.
Fake it until you make it
The easiest way to handle heat damaged bangs is to give them the same texture as the other strands. You can achieve this with pin curls, a twist out, braid out, perm rods, or Bantu knots out. All of these techniques will give the bangs a curlier texture and blend in better with the rest of your hair.
Prevent further damage
Try to not exacerbate the problem by straightening or heat styling them or the rest of your hair anytime soon. If you feel strongly that you want to use heat tools, make sure you do so as safely as possible. It’s impossible to prevent heat damage entirely, but you can minimize the damage with a few easy steps. Shampoo and deep condition before using heat to thoroughly remove buildup and impart moisture. When you are ready to return to your curls, be sure to give your curls a deep conditioning treatment. Incorporate monthly deep treatments into your routine to help strengthen your hair, such as Duosity’s Double Whipped Repairing Treatment or ApHogee’s 2 Minute Reconstructor. If you only use heat on your bangs, you can focus your treatments on that section of your hair.
Start a healthy hair regimen
You cannot fix hair that has already been heat damaged but you can instill a healthy regimen that will help strengthen your strands and keep them looking great. Proper cleansing, conditioning, and regular protein treatments will get your hair in better shape and be more receptive to the styles you are trying to achieve.
Embrace bobby pins
As this heat damaged hair is growing out, you may need to resort to the bang-grow-out’s best friend: bobby pins. They can disguise your hair and keep them out of your face until the heat damaged hair has grown out and your natural curls have grown in! It can vary greatly, but the average speed of hair growth is about half an inch per month so you should be heat damage free within a few months.
Get regular trims
By getting regular trims you will be able to slowly snip away the heat damaged hair giving way to your healthy curls as they grow in. It will take time but trims are necessary as the heat damaged hair cannot be fixed. Trims also keep split ends at bay and give hair a healthier look.
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