The Morning After

So I definitely forgot to tell you all about my first co-wash after I'd straightened my hair last weekend! My bad! As previously stated, while straightening my hair I made sure to use a ton of heat protectant. I've done enough research to know the dangers of heat damage to us naturals. For those of you who don't know I'll explain a little later. Back to the story: So I hopped in the shower and used my detachable shower head to saturate my hair in H2O while simultaneously giving myself a scalp massage. I mean my hair was soaked! However, when I didn't automatically feel my hair revert back to it's natural texture I started to freak. What in the world was going on?! If I had just gone 5 and a half months without a perm only to ruin all of my progress in one weekend I don't know what I would have done! So, I slapped some good ole Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration onto my hair in hopes that it could salvage my curls. They came back a little but not nearly as much as usual! My heart was broken until I remembered one last trick: LeKair Cholesterol Plus! I saturated my hair from root to tip in the stuff and let it sit with a plastic cap for about an hour or so. Once I removed the cap, I saw that my lovies had returned! I was indeed a happy camper! So that was one more thing that I learned about my hair: it requires TLC after heat in order to return to a normal state.

Now, to those of you who may not know about heat damage I'll do my best to explain. Heat damage occurs when the hair is exposed to too much direct heat. (i.e. flat irons, blow dryers, curlers, etc.) The hair is damaged beyond repair and for those of us with kinky or curly hair, the effects are very obvious. Are you a natural who uses direct heat often? If you are you may notice that your curl pattern isn't as bouncy and healthy or possibly even non-existent. It is very common for women who have heat damage to have straight areas that simply will not revert back to their natural pattern. For women who are transitioning, it is extremely important for them to find a "transition style" that will allow them to manage their two textures without heat. For some, this can be too much and hence "the big chop". Personally, I find that co-washing and bantu knotting my hair at least twice a week helps to mask the two textures and allow for me to pretend I'm fully natural! LOL You've seen in a lot of my pictures on here that I'll wear my hair in puffs quite often. Other transitioners use flexi rod sets, braid outs, twist outs, hair extensions, and other styles to transition without heat. In case I haven't made myself clear up to this point let me make it plain: using too much direct heat while transitioning can cause your natural hair to becoming permanently straightened and thus defeating the purpose of your transition process. If straight is your thing then by all means, relax! Just make sure your hair is healthy. Remember, natural does not mean healthy and "perm/relaxer" is not a four letter word. As long as you're happy with your decision and your hair is healthy..have at it!

Here's a video that I found on youtube that I thought you all may find interest in. Enjoy!