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.

One of the first things I learned about heat damage is that it is irreversible. And take it from me, after transitioning for 21 months from heat damage - it is very true. There is no turning back the tresses of time when it comes to severe, gradual heat damage that happens after too frequent heat use, at too high temperatures, with too few heat protectants. But what about that one time you might have just made one too many passes over your hair? Or maybe you know you did everything right, but you're just nervous about the possibility of your curls and coils not bouncing back quite the same way. All hope may not be lost for those short-term straightenings. Try taking these 6 steps to rehabilitate your curls after a heat binge. You don't have to do all 6 at once, feel free to pick and choose which ones may work for you!

Keep reading at NaturallyCurly.com!

Before I get any further in this piece, let me make one thing abundantly clear:

If your hair is heat damaged, nothing, I repeat, nothing, I mention after this sentence is going to help restore your curl pattern. Damage is damage is damage. Trust me. I know from experience.

Moving right along...

If you follow me on Instagram (why do I feel like 87% of my posts start that way now? But I digress...), then you know I spent the better part of a week with straight-esque hair. I flat ironed my hair after a 4 month hiatus from heat, and I was semi pleased with the results. On the plus side, my hair was thick as all get-out. On the down side, I experimented with a Redken product at the recommendation of someone from Ulta and I HATED it. Like, nothing redeeming about the product. Somewhere in the middle of the road, I'm toying with the notion that I'll likely never see that super sleek and straight hair again...unless I find a hairdresser that can flat iron the crap out of my hair without damaging it.

All that aside, I am always happy to report successfully straightening my hair and being able to bounce back without a curl out of whack. Of course, I still have the same heat damage I've always had, but nothing new. How? Well, there are two steps:

Step 1: Prevent it in the first place. Click here to read about how I prevent heat damage when flat ironing.

Step 2: Rehabilitate those curls and coils.

We're here to talk about step 2. Luckily, step 2 only consists of 4 really easy parts, which you  probably do in some form or fashion already. But to rehab the hair, kick each one up a notch.

Ready? Let's explore.

Part I: Water-Based Pre-poo.
There are a million reasons why the pre-poo is important  to natural and transitioning hair. But in the process of reversion, it is an integral step. When hair is straightened, we tend to avoid water or water-based anything to prevent hair from reverting to its natural state. That's all well and good, until we start talking moisture. There's only so much serums (many of which are silicone-based anyway), oils, and butter whips can do. Our hair needs and craves true moisture from water. So to stave off breakage and prepare the hair to return to normal, a water-based pre-poo is in order. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated, your favorite conditioner will do just fine. Right now, my personal pre-poo preferences are Kurlee Belle Banana Nut & Avocado Deep Treatment and Soultanicals Knot Sauce. Both are super duper slippy, and contain amazing ingredients. Don't worry, an in-depth review is coming soon. Whatever product you choose, make sure it is water (or aloe vera juice) based. As an added bonus, if you're able to steam the hair then do so. Pack in as much moisture as you can! I personally whip out the Q-Redew for pre-pooing, but you can find a list of alternative ways to get your steam on here.

Part II: Really Clean Your Hair
Post straightening stint is really not the time for a cowash. Let's face it: you've got buildup. If you're anything like me, you probably used 2-3 products to protect and straighten, added oils and serums throughout the week to maintain softness, and sweated to high heaven at the gym. With all that going on, a cowash is not going to cut it. At the very least, you need a diluted shampoo or shampoo bar. Something that will produce some sort of lather, and lift up everything you've put down. For this step, I personally enjoyed using Obia Natural Hair Care's Coconut Shea Shampoo Bar or Soultanicals Honey I Shrunk the Frizz Strand Poo Bar. Gentle, effective cleansing without drying the hair. Of course, Soultanicals review coming soon!


Part III: Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep Condition
Of all the steps, I think this one is the most important. After enduring processes that have zapped the moisture out of your hair, deep conditioning is a must-do. Preferably, a deep conditioner known to moisturize, penetrate, and nourish the hair and scalp. On top of that, the longer you can let it sit on the better. Yes, most deep conditioners are going to do their repairative work within 30 minutes. But I personally believe that the longer your hair can sit in a wet/dampened environment slathered in conditioner after a straightening binge, the better off it will be. This particular time around, I have been boo-lovin' on All Things O' Natural Natty Cupuacu & Rhassoul Deep Conditioner (review coming soon...I promise). I sat with that tootsie-roll smelling, slip-havin', moisturizing, deep conditioner in my hair for 2 hours. Then, I rinsed it out, turned around and slapped some more into my hair as a leave-in base for my wash n' go. Which takes me to my next point...

Part IV: Give Your Hair A Chance to CHILL

After you've done all these steps and gotten your curls to bounce back with a vengeance, you might be tempted to go straight into another style, or even stretch them out a little. Don't. You just spent so much time pouring back into your hair what it has missed out on. Give it some time to absorb the goodness of being back to normal. If you can, try and stick with a one-and-done style like a wash n' go. Or a bun. Something that requires minimal effort and manipulation. My style of choice is a wash n' go, featuring the aforementioned DC and Soultanicals Curl Blaze Hair Glaze (my new MUST HAVE). Sidebar: can you tell that EVERYTHING Soultanicals makes is amazing? Yeah.

See! Not that bad. What are some of your favorite ways to rehab your hair after a straightened or stretched stint?