the first day of the year, I washed my hair. After using the shea moisture mask I reviewed (product review), these were my curls. I have a lot of shrinkage and my curls are very defined. I’m very happy with how they look. I also have a photo of how much shedding I had, which is fairly normal for me (that’s about a week’s worth of shedding). Since I protective style (mostly braids), deep condition weekly and use the LOC method, my hair has really flourished. Below I have some of my go to’s to keep my curls poppin!
- LOC
For those of you that aren’t familiar with the LOC method- let me just say this is going to change your curls. LOC is a method to lock in moisture that I use prior to styling my hair (right after I dry my hair- after rinsing out conditioner, I wrap an old cotton t-shirt around my head which dries it without hurting my hair follicles).
L- liquid/leave-in
I start off by spraying my hair down (lightly, but I either use just water or a water and oil mix). I use Shea Moisture’s Leave-in Conditioner (Jamaican Black Castor line).
O- oil
I use a lot of oils. My favorites are- organic extra olive oil (trader joe’s), organic raw shea butter (beauty supply- Jack gets it for me (thanks Jack- I really love it), Silk by Design Essentials, and Extra Penetrating Argan Oil of Morocco (OGX).
C-creme
I only use creme. I use Cantu’s Coconut Curling Creme. After this I normally put on Camille Rose’s Curlaide Moisture Butter and Curl’s Créme Brule. After this my curls are ready to be styled!
- Nightly routine
Establishing a nightly routine is really important. I vowed I will never go to sleep in a ponytail again. Braiding/twisting at night and using a satin bonnet/scarf really is curl-changing. It will protect your ends and make styling so much easier in the morning.
- No touch rule
NO PLAYING WITH YOUR HAIR. It’s a horrible habit and all it does is lead to breakage. Whenever I see girls playing with their hair all I can think is about the breakage and how they’re hurting their hair.
- Hair appointments
Hair appointments are mandatory in my opinion. Regular trims from a professional are essential to keeping your hair healthy. And if you’re natural and don’t want to straighten your hair, there are salons that specialize in natural hair. You’ll have to search, but your hair will thank you! Trimming your own hair is a horrible idea- my hair stylist explained to me that unless you’re trained you can’t evenly cut your hair. Just pay to get it done or save up until you can.
Taking care of your hair is like taking care of the rest of your body! Treat it like it’s as important as it really is!!!!!
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