Getting my curls back?

[Saryn Jumail]

I have naturally curly hair (look at my pictures on my profile if you want to see what it used to look like), and now, from tons and tons of straightening, it won't curl hardly at all.
Does anyone know of any repair treatments to get it to curl again?
Thanks so much!

[Badwolf]

You can try a protein treatment, but unfortunately, if you've been using heat to straighten your hair a lot, there is a good chance that you've got heat damage and your curls might not ever go back to the way they were before the straightening. You might not get back the curls you want until your hair grows and you're able to cut off the damaged hair.

[Tisiloves]

Some people seem to have found that SMTing helped regain curl and amla is a curl enhancer. (Sorry I can't help too much, my hair's about as naturally curly as a plank)

[Aliped]

I read somewhere that curly hair curls, because of sulfur bonds between proteins in the hair. Eggs have protein and sulfur in them, so egg treatments??

[CurlyCap]

Looks like you've got heat damage sweetie. Too much flat ironing for too long.

There are a few members around here who are recovering from the same thing. Hopefully they'll chime in with their stories.

Basically, you need to baby your hair for a long while, maybe even a year, paying special attention to deep condition your hair. I'd try going to conditioner washes ("co-washes") instead of shampoo and doing deep oil or deep conditioner treatments whenever you have the time.

The hair that can recover, will recover and most of it will be nearer the roots. You may have to work for a while blending the damaged with recovered and new growth, but it can be done. In the end, you may have to cut off the last few inches of hair, but by then, you're hair will be so gorgeous no one will care. :D

There are lots of curly girls around here to help you figure out what to do. Ask us questions and we'll be glad to help!

[fridgee]

CurlyCap has said most of it already! I've got heat damaged wurls and COing has really helped bring them out more than they've ever been. Have a read up on the curly girl method if you haven't before, it's a really good method for treating curly hair and will help rehabilitate those curls as much as the damage will allow. :flower:

[Saryn Jumail]

So I put a SMT on my hair (btw, Suave green apple works well, if anyone cares), and it made it super soft, but practically stripped my hair of all curliness (this may have been my fault - I just put it up and didn't put anything in it to make it pretend to be curly).
I also bought some Amla powder, but the box says it helps to make hair darker? I really don't want my hair to be darker. Maybe I bought the wrong stuff? I used a link I found in another thread about curlies.

Also, does anyone wanna share their curly hair routines/direct me to somewhere where I could find some? Thanks :)

[HappyHair87]

I would consider doing the CG method for a while....leave heat alone(flat ironing) for a loooooooooong time.....and you may want to trim every 3-6 months to get rid of any heat damage.

Yes i would do a couple of protein treatments....usually for protein i just add an egg to my regular deep conditioner....but after my recent flat ironing i decided i would try something that i used to use in high school...Hair Mayonaise...it had egg protein in it...its found in the "ethnic" section <---i HATE that SO much!!!.....lol...i digress...but i got it at Walmart for $4....i let it sit on my hair after washing while in the shower and it helped strengthen my hair and helped with reversion. It might be a bit greasy on your hair tho...i don't know:confused:

[Saryn Jumail]

I would consider doing the CG method for a while....leave heat alone(flat ironing) for a loooooooooong time.....and you may want to trim every 3-6 months to get rid of any heat damage.

Yes i would do a couple of protein treatments....usually for protein i just add an egg to my regular deep conditioner....but after my recent flat ironing i decided i would try something that i used to use in high school...Hair Mayonaise...it had egg protein in it...its found in the "ethnic" section <---i HATE that SO much!!!.....lol...i digress...but i got it at Walmart for $4....i let it sit on my hair after washing while in the shower and it helped strengthen my hair and helped with reversion. It might be a bit greasy on your hair tho...i don't know:confused:

I may try to look for it, but I'm trying not to spend anymore money on hair products, I already have a ton :/
oh, and the gel I used to use (soft and shine something), I got in the 'ethnic section'. I also really hate that. But that gel worked amazingly, sadly they don't have it at the walgreens where I live now.

[HappyHair87]

I may try to look for it, but I'm trying not to spend anymore money on hair products, I already have a ton :/
oh, and the gel I used to use (soft and shine something), I got in the 'ethnic section'. I also really hate that. But that gel worked amazingly, sadly they don't have it at the walgreens where I live now.

Have you ever tried EcoStyler gel? I used to be a diehard fan for it...i like the Argan oil one...but lately i have been using the Noodle Head curl cream from Sally's...in fact you can find both of these at sally's. I know you said you're not trying to buy anything else tho....hmmmm....i think they sell that gel at CVS and maybe even the dollar store too....is it the one with the black/pink label?

[Saryn Jumail]

Yeah, it has a black and pink label, I stopped using it because it made my hair look too oily, it was a little strong for my hair I think.

[Copasetic]

Your best option might be to let it grow out, and gradually cut as you go along until you have all new curly hair. Since your hair isn't too long yet, it won't take long, and it will be worth it in the end.

[CurlyCap]

So I put a SMT on my hair (btw, Suave green apple works well, if anyone cares), and it made it super soft, but practically stripped my hair of all curliness (this may have been my fault - I just put it up and didn't put anything in it to make it pretend to be curly).
I also bought some Amla powder, but the box says it helps to make hair darker? I really don't want my hair to be darker. Maybe I bought the wrong stuff? I used a link I found in another thread about curlies.

Also, does anyone wanna share their curly hair routines/direct me to somewhere where I could find some? Thanks :)

naturallycurly.com
tightlycurly.com

Tons and TONS of information.

For me, I just co-wash with my favorite conditioner of the month/season. Ie, get hair damp, smoosh on a giant glob of conditioner, wash body, rinse hair (preferably cool/warm rather than hot). Then when I get out, I turban for less than a minute (just to stop the drippy phase), and put enough conditioner (preferably silicone free) in my hair to define clumps. Then I let air dry. Pretty full-proof, especially if you shower before going to work. I shower at night, so I have to take extra steps to make sure my hair doesn't get all smooshed at night.

And this doesn't have to be expensive! Use all your current conditioners first and then explore. My current favorites are VO5 Rosemary Sage Tea (.99c, woot!) and Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition for a leave-in. Totally affordable.

HUGS.

[Safira]

I have naturally curly hair (look at my pictures on my profile if you want to see what it used to look like), and now, from tons and tons of straightening, it won't curl hardly at all.
Does anyone know of any repair treatments to get it to curl again?
Thanks so much!

Been there... I straightened my hair 3 years, and when I stopped, my hair didn´t make curl for 2-3 months. It looked awful. Just horrible.
After months of good care, my curls came back.

I would recommend protein treatments (cassia won´t make your hair darker) and moisture. Your hair can survive, mine did.