It has been four years since I have been a curly girl. These four years have been so exciting and I have learned so much about not only my hair but also myself. Wearing my curls and accepting my hair texture has made me strong, confident, and super fly. This is usually the time of year where we evaluate our current practices and see what we can do to make it improve them. Join me as I take a look back on my journey to see what has changed about my regimen.
Wash Day
During my first two years, I literally did everything that you could think of. I started my weekly washday with a pre-poo, shampooed my hair with a clarifying and moisturizing shampoo, conditioned my hair and even deep conditioned after that with a hooded dryer. My washdays took quite some time because I wanted to take the proper steps to retain as much moisture as possible to maintain healthy hair and promote hair growth.
Things are a bit different. I do not pre-poo my hair anymore. Whenever it is washday (still once a week”>, my hair is usually in a stretched state, which makes washing a bit easier. I also do not pre-poo/detangle my hair before shampooing because I learned my hair does not like much manipulation; I rather save it for the conditioning. I use a clarifying shampoo (with tea tree and peppermint oils in the ingredients”> and a moisturizing shampoo due to my dry and itchy scalp. I condition my hair and detangle carefully with a wide toothed comb and use a steaming method instead of a hair dryer. I have not purchased a steamer and the method I use is very simple and affordable. I only use a towel and a few plastic caps.
I realized as long as I kept my hair moisturized during the week, I did not need the other steps to apply more moisture. I can save time and enjoy doing other things I love instead of worrying about my hair all day.
Styling
My go-to hairstyle was a twist out. Wash and go’s were not my favorite style because I thought it was only one way to achieve them. I only enjoyed them when I had a TWA. When I transitioned from a TWA, the awkward stage got the best of me and I preferred to wear stretched styles to show as much length as possible. I literally lived by the LOC method while applying products and refreshed my curls with a curly refreshing spray.
Twist outs are still my go to hairstyle. However, I will rock a wash and go every once in a while. With my modified method that allows my hair to try in clumps, which prevents frizz and allows definition, it lasts so much longer and I receive results that I am happy with. I will also wear my hair in a bun when I know washday is approaching. I prefer to wear low buns and avoid high buns often to prevent breakage from the back of my hair. While styling, I still use a leave-in conditioner with loose consistency, light oil, and butter to give my hair lasting moisture. Now, I use aloe vera juice before applying products to help with breakage and shedding.
Experimenting with different styles allowed me to finally learned what works for me and what is best for the health of my hair. I prefer to have a very simple styling regimen to retain as much length as possible.
Preserving style
My satin cap was a stable, especially during the TWA phase. When I wore more twist outs, I would re-twist my hair every night or every other night after a light mist of water. I would take my hair out with a little oil on my fingers and fluff.
I still use a satin cap, but I will put my hair in two pineapple ponytails (one in the front and back”>. I will only re-twist after the third or fourth day if it is necessary since I wash my hair every week. This helped me prevent any over manipulation. I’ll shake and fluff the next day with a light oil too.
If it is not broke, do not fix it. This way helps me preserve my curls to last all week!
Overall
After taking a look back, my hair regimen is now simple and fits my lifestyle. My regimen allows me to take great care of my hair in a timely manner while still looking great! I realized that over-manipulation and consistent wear of particular hairstyles could cause breakage, which I want to avoid for healthy curls.
Take a look back at your hair regimen. Has your regimen changed since you started your curly journey? What stayed the same?
