Merry Christmas to you and yours!

That leave-in trio tho!

That shine tho.

Dynamic Cleansing + Conditioning Duo!

The perfect style to delay wash day!

Styles. On. Fleek. With these two!

A little classy. A little curly.

Softness. Style. Shine.

Perfect for holiday parties.

Honey + Aloe works like a charm!

A year-round staple perfect for the holidays too!

Definition for days!

Share with a curlfriend!

:::knocks gently:::
Are y'all still there? Or did you abandon me because I haven't posted in like a week?

Hopefully, you guys are still with me. I'm just going to come right out and say it: I'm sorry. I know those of you that follow my blog dutifully have been disappointed in the lack of content lately. I'm not one to make excuses, but I can honestly say that I've been crazy busy transitioning to an entirely new career field. It's been challenging, time-consuming, and most of all, rewarding. But in the process, everything for The Mane Objective has been slacking off. I'm finally beginning to achieve some semblance of balance, so I'm hoping to get back to pushing out consistent content at least 3 days a week. My goal is 4 days, but I'll make peace with 3. I'll share with you guys what it is that I'm up to really, really soon!

Now let's get on with this post.

I recently flat ironed my hair using the methods here, and after almost a week, I grew tired of my straight hair. I missed my curls, and wanted them to come right back without fuss or drama. Luckily, I was able to nail my reversion back in 3 simple steps, with some slight wash day tweaks. Some folks thinks it takes a few wash days to bounce back, but I'm here to let you know that you don't have to spend the next month fighting with limp curls. Especially if you took proper heat protecting precautions beforehand. Follow these 3 simple steps and have your #curlspoppin again in no time:

Note: If you have heat damage, these steps won't work. Heat damage is irreversible, but the tips I give here might be worth trying!

Step 1: Hydrating Pre-Poo
Pre-pooing with oil is popular among many naturals, but in the case of reverting from straight hair, it's not all that helpful. Chances are, you've applied any number of silicone-based heat protectants to your hair prior to blowing out and styling, which is good. Heat protectants are designed to to slow water loss from the hair, block humidity, and delay the transfer of heat from styling tools. Silicone serums and creams are the reason why you can run your flat ironed hair under water, and it will stay bone straight (and make your heart sink) initially. Adding oil on top of that won't do your hair any favors. Beyond that, you've likely spent the duration of your straight hair venture avoiding water and water-based products. If you wash your hair frequently (like I do) or moisturize daily, your hair is likely screaming bloody murder by the time you're ready to revert. I know my hair was. Wetting your hair down with a spray bottle and applying a moisturizing conditioner like tgin Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner is the ideal way to get the reversion and rehydration process started. Simply section detangle, saturate with water, and apply a generous amount of conditioner. You can sit under a hooded dryer if you like, or just don a plastic cap for about 15-20 minutes. Bonus: break out that Q-Redew!



Step 2: Clarify
One thing you most certainly don't want to do fresh on the heels of flat ironing is co-wash your natural hair. Co-washing is great, but you really need a clarifying shampoo to get up all the humidity-blocking and anti-frizz silicones that allowed your straight natural hair to be great. I used Be Kekoa Be Clair Sulfate-Free Clarifying Shampoo, and got my curls back in one shot. My hair and scalp were clean, and my curls had returned -- all without my hair feeling dried out or stripped. When your clarifying shampoo is gentle yet effective, you can get everything with your natural hair texture back right in one shot. No need for a repeat after that lather and rinse!

Step 3: Deep Condition the Right Way
After clarifying your curls, deep conditioning is a critical step. But not just with any ol' deep conditioner. Because your hair has been devoid of moisture, subject to high heat temperatures, and bent into a structure (straight) that it's not accustomed to, having the right deep conditioner makes all the difference. To revive and re-invigorate your curls, deep condition with a product that's going to hydrate, elasticize, restore protein, soften, and smooth. My favorite all-in-one treatment for this purpose is ApHogee Texture Treatment. After 15-20 minutes with this super thick miracle worker in your hair, rinse with cool water and proceed with your regular styling regimen.

See? It's super easy! And here's my curls, just as springy, wild, and shrunken as they want to be:


And just because I'm trying to get back in y'alls good graces, here's a cool pinnable image for your future reference:


What's your process for reverting your curls after wearing flat ironed hair?

FINALLY.

Ya'll have NO idea how much of a long time coming this video and post has been. I've been trying to edit this video for WEEKS. Every single time I opened the video, files corrupted, footage was lost, and narrations disappeared. I felt like somebody was working REALLY hard to get me to not put this video up! But it finally came to pass, and I am excited!!! Thank you all that have been soooo patient with me while I've been trying to work out the kinks in my janky @$$ Samsung laptop. I really appreciate it <3.

For those of you that have been asking, here is the full breakdown video of how I straighten my natural hair.  I have managed to successfully straighten my transitioning and natural hair WITHOUT HEAT DAMAGE since I began my natural hair journey in 2012.  Everything is pretty much the same as it always has been done, I just recently incorporated roller setting into the mix to mitigate blow dryer damage and also began upping my temperature setting as I realized what my hair could handle.









The products may change, but the purpose behind them doesn't. I always use shampoo to cleanse prior to straightening, and I always use a deep conditioner that contains cetrimonium chloride (to improve tensile strength). Heat protection is a must, and I always rely on silicone-based serums in that department.

When it's time to revert back to natural hair, using the same shampoos and deep conditioners I began the process with is a vital step. The hair must be stripped of all the silicone buildup that helped straighten, heat protect, and prevent reversion.

All of the steps are outlined in the video, but here they are with the products used included:

Step 1


Shampoo twice - once with TGIN Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo and the second time with Lawrence Ray Concepts Complete Cleanse Shampoo. This ensures that any dirt, oil, or product buildup is long gone from my hair prior to straightening. It also preps my hair to receive the Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask for deep conditioning -- it contains jojoba, proteins, and cetrimonium chloride to hydrate and strengthen my hair, which will help prevent heat damage.


Step 2



Roller setting - I applied a moderate amount of ApHogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer Spray, followed by ApHogee Style & Wrap Mousse and Garnier Marvelous Oil Frizz Defy serum to provide heat protection, tame frizz, smooth my hair, and add shine. I used approximately 18 of the Annie brand jumbo rollers/perm rods with the elastic fastening ends. My hair air dried for about 3 hours.

I don't know what that black comb thingie is. I just used it to detangle, lol.

Step 3


Blow dry - since my hair was still damp in some places, I used a type of tension blow drying method to achieve a straighter blowout with less direct heat. I applied the Infusium serum, removed tangles with my paddle brush, and then blow dried. Using medium heat and high speed, I moved the blow dryer along the shaft of my hair, keeping a safe distance while simultaneously pulling the hair taut through the paddle brush. The end result is a straighter blowout that took less time and heat to achieve, which helps safeguard against heat damage.

So far, I'm really enjoying this #AllAboutHair Q&A that I've been doing on Instagram and Facebook. I'm trying to tackle all the questions -- ya'll have some good ones! It will probably take me at least two weeks to get through the ones I've already gotten -- I'm going to aim to answer at least 2 per day. So today's installment is all about heat protectants!

One lovely Instagrammer @meandmrjacobs3and_princess posed this question:
What is a good heat protectant for flat ironing that is inexpensive?

Rather than rattle off a random list of products and leave you to figure it all out, I'll go ahead and break down my 6 picks for blowing out and flat ironing natural and transitioning hair -- that don't hurt the pockets. All the products in the picture below are broken down in this post. Read on :)



Before you blow dry or flat iron...
Make sure you DEEP CONDITION! Having a good deep conditioning session is the first step to preventing heat damage. A deep conditioner that nourishes, hydrates, smooths, tames frizz, and strengthens is vital. Aside from too-high temperatures, one of the main causes of heat damage is dehydrated hair. Hair that lacks internal moisture is more susceptible to breakage and heat damage. So what deep conditioner fits the bill? For me, the best all-around deep conditioner to use before straightening is Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask ($15, Ulta Beauty). Not only is it enriched with keravis protein, jojoba, and fatty alcohols to nourish, hydrate, and strengthen, it also contains cetrimonium chloride, which when met with direct heat (via blow dryer and flat iron), actually increases the tensile strength of hair. All of this leaves you with properly moisturized and strengthened hair, ready to withstand the tugging and pulling associated with blowouts and flat ironing.

For blow drying natural and transitioning hair:

Lawrence Ray Concepts Shake & Go, $15 www.lawrencerayconcepts.com
Shake & Go is an amazing creation from the mind of Los Angeles-based high profile stylist, Lawrence Ray Parker. It is a water-based leave-in conditioning formula that banishes frizz and makes tangles history (I'm not exaggerating). It contains a mix of fatty alcohols, jojoba oil, keratin amino acids, aloe, and Pro-Vitamin B5 that will penetrate, smooth, and strengthen the hair. It also contains cones, which are vital to the straightening process as well. In this particular case, silicones help slow the dehydration of the hair. Hydrated hair is crucial to preventing heat damage from blow dryers, because blow dryers in particular work by zapping moisture from within the hair. Silicones help prevent the hair from fully dehydrating and thus, help preserve vital moisture that will prevent heat damage and breakage.

Blow Dry Addict, $5 (currently on sale or clearance) at Sally Beauty Supply
Although this product will never take home an award for "most natural cream or conditioner", it performs well as a blow drying aid. It is essentially a leave-in conditioner that in the same vein as Shake & Go, helps retain internal hydration against the drying heat of the blow dryer. If you decide to use Blow Dry Addict, grab it now while it's on sale. I bought mine months ago at full price.

ApHogee Keratin & Green Tea Restructurizer Spray, $8 at Sally Beauty Supply
This lightweight, bodifying spray is not only great for added heat protection, it is a must-have in my natural hair arsenal. Thanks to keratin, amino acids, and cetrimonium chloride, the hair is strengthened from the inside out and primed for blow dry styling. Added bonus: it provides UV protection and revitalizes follicles! Before you buy, check out my review here!

For flat ironing natural and transitioning hair:

Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, $4 at Target
Tresemme Heat Tame Spray can be used during the blow dry process, or right before flat-ironing (just make sure it dries on your hair first before ironing). It contains a mix of silicones, polymers, and goodies like cetrimonium chloride that penetrate, delay transfer of heat, and guard the hair from dehydration during flat ironing. It is supposed to protect hair at up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, although I would never push my iron up that high.

Garnier Fructis Serums (really, any of them ), $5 Target
I say any Garnier serum because truthfully they're all the same. They are all silicone based formulas with a few drops of argan or jojoba or something. You really can't go wrong. Last year I was using the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Moroccan Argan Oil Treatment, now I'm using the Frizz Defy Marvelous Oil. The reason I use these cheapie serums is for their silicone content. As we discussed earlier, silicones when straightening are GREAT. Not only do they block frizz and humidity, but they're real champs when it comes to the flat iron. As I mentioned earlier, silicones help delay the evaporation of moisture from the hair. But they're also great at delaying the transfer of heat, which helps lessen the likelihood of damage from the flat iron. Lastly, silicones make the hair shaft smooth, which allows the iron to glide down your hair and not cause overheating in any particular area (which also prevents heat damage).

That's all, folks! Another Instagrammer has requested an updated blowout and flat ironing routine, and I will definitely do those soon! But in the meantime:

If you want to know how to use a cellophane (yes, a throwback to your beauty shop days) as a heat protectant, let me know and I'll do an article on it!

If you're interested in my 2013 guide to straightening hair, check this out!

If you want to pick out your own products, or have some at home and wonder if they'll do the trick, check out these ingredients to look for when straightening natural and transitioning hair.

For my transitioning ladies, if you're interested in my 3 month flat ironing check-ins, here ya go:
3 Month Check-In
6 Month Check-In
9 Month Check-In
1 Year Check-In
19 Month Check-In

More tips for transitioners and preventing heat damage, click here!

And lastly, if you've recently straightened and you're looking to rehab your hair and bounce back, check this article out!

More questions? Keep them coming! You guys are giving me tons of inspiration to be a better blogger, and look for new and creative ways to share information!

One of my favorite blow-outs to date -- via Q-Redew!

Let's face it. At some point, you are more than likely going to stretch or straighten your natural or transitioning hair. Whether it be a regular part of your wash day routine (like stretching your roots for a super voluminous wash and go), blow-drying your hair to prevent tangling during protective styling, prepping for a knock-out bantu knot-out, or even flat ironing for a sleek look, protective measures are always necessary to prevent damage. Keep reading at NaturallyCurly.com to find out how to get the most out of your heat stretching without compromising the health of your hair.