Managing Your Curls If You Have Thin/Damaged Hair

Having hair that's really curly, yet thin and/or damaged, can be difficult. I feel your pain, trust me. That's why I wanted to make a post sharing my hair journey and giving some tips on improving your curls (disclaimer: this information is based on personal experience and what works best for my hair, so your curl journey might not look the same as mine.)

We all went through phases in middle school. My phase was brutally straightening my hair daily. With NO HEAT PROTECTANT. This resulted in damage, hair loss, and brittleness. The detriment to curls.

Now, although I love my curls now, that was not always the case. It has taken years of work to get my curls in the condition they are now, so be ready to make an investment in your hair.

Tips

• My first tip: PUT DOWN THE STRAIGHTENER. Actually, put down any hair product that uses heat. Heat damage is detrimental to curls, and so hard to reverse, so I advise to just stop using them altogether. If you are in a position that you MUST Style your hair with heat, invest in heat protectant and reparative hair masks.
• NO SULFATES. Sulfates are abrasive and much too rough on your hair, which results in frizz and damage to your curl pattern. When buying shampoo, be sure to check the ingredients list for sulfates (and parabens while you're at it).
• NO SILICONES. While conditioner is vital to curly hair, be sure not to use any with silicones. Silicones weigh your hair down and don't wash out easily, so it builds up in your hair. Sulfate based shampoo is the only thing that can really wash it out. So, using silicones causes this never ending cycle of using sulfate shampoo. Cut both out, and cleansing your hair will be so much easier and healthier.
• SCRUNCH! no matter what product you're using in your hair, be sure to scrunch it in. To scrunch: gather the ends of your hair into your hands and push up to your roots (demonstration pictured below). It assists in your curl pattern formation.
  
• Use a microfiber towel. Towel drying your hair is totally fine, but using a regular towel is rough on your hair and produces frizz, so use a microfiber towel because it is much softer and gentle. If you cannot find and/or purchase one, a cotton shirt works too!

Routine

1. Cleanse your hair. Use whatever shampoo/cleanser you prefer, just please avoid sulfates and parabens.
2. If your hair is extremely dry, use a silicone free washout conditioner. My hair doesn't have a major problem with dryness, so I forego a washout conditioner to avoid weighing down my curls.
3. Towel dry until only damp.
4. Use a leave in conditioner. I LOVE my leave in conditioner (pictured below). I apply it by pouring a nickel sized amount in my palm and then dispensing the product through my hair WITHOUT combing my fingers through it. I also don't distribute it directly onto my scalp because, since I have thin hair, my roots have very little volume and I don't want to weigh them down.
   
5. Blow dry WITH A DIFFUSER (pictured below) until a little  less then half dry.Use the mcool setting to prevent heat damage.
   
6. Add your styling product(s). I only use one styling product because of the thinness of my hair (pictured below), and I ADORE it. I add a dime sized amount to my palm and rub my fingers together, then I scrunch my hair (like before) until all of the product is in my hair.
   
7. Take a step back and look in awe at your reflection. Your curls are going to look shinier and bouncier with a much improved curl pattern! Here is a photo of my curls after my routine, except I didn't diffuse them (so just picture them with a much tighter curl pattern). 
   
   
   
   

Thank you so much for reading and I really hope my advice helps!