Four year transformation, all from learning how to take care of my curls [1] from curlyhair [2]
Learning to properly care for [3] and embrace your curly hair [4] can be a bit of a struggle filled with endless trial and error. One woman finally has it down to a science, but it took her four years to get there. Reddit user capslockramen [5] is going viral on Reddit for sharing the details of her dramatic hair transformation, along with her daily routine for keeping her luscious curls in check.
She posted before-and-after photos [6] that show just how drastic her hair journey has been. The "before" snapshot was taken during her senior year of high school when she "hated" her curls so much that she "got a relaxed curl perm, bleached it blond, and straightened [her] hair five to six days a week, without using quality heat protectant." But that all changed when she went off to college, where she decided to let her blond perm grow out and started experimenting with different products until she found exactly what works best.
Four years later, she's mastered the art of taming her curls and finally loves her springy ringlets just as they are. "I've never felt more in love with my hair," she wrote in the Reddit post. She also shared her step-by-step styling routine, which is detailed below.
- After shower, squeeze excess water from hair.
- Flip head upside down.
- Apply generous amount of Cantu leave-in conditioner [8]. Run fingers through hair to ensure even distribution.
- Scrunch in generous amount of Miss Jessie's MultiCultural Curls cream [9].
- Scrunch out excess water using a cotton t-shirt.
- Wrap hair in said t-shirt.
- Stand upright again and let hair sit in the shirt about 10 minutes.
- Flip head upside down again and remove t-shirt.
- Dry with hair drying facing toward the scalp. Use a diffuser! Put the heat settings on warm (not hot) with the speed on high.
- Scrunch hair with t-shirt while drying. This part usually takes me like 20 minutes (definitely have to take breaks so all the blood doesn't rush to my head and make me pass out).
- When it's close enough to completely dry, spray with medium-hold hairspray. Stand back up normally and fix where I want the part, hairspray that a little.
- Done!
Once her detailed routine went viral, amassing nearly 800 comments, the woman responded to other users' questions with various other tips and tricks for managing curls every day.
- Make sure your hairstylist cuts your locks while they're dry, and avoid using a razor to thin it.
- She opts for using a shampoo without sulfates three to four times per week.
- Worried about messing up your hair overnight? Try sleeping with a silk cap on or put it in a loose bun using an elastic ribbon as a hair tie.
- Brush out your locks before you shower, not after.
When celebrity hairstylist Oscar Blandi caught wind of this woman's viral hair hacks, he gave additional helpful recommendations for gals with curly manes. Instead of using a t-shirt to dry your hair like the Reddit user suggested, Blandi told Yahoo Beauty [11] how a Turkish towel, which is highly absorbent, may be a better option. "Press the towel on your hair, don't rub it all over your hair," he said. "Rubbing your wet, curly hair will create frizz." After that, apply leave-in conditioner, and then a silicon oil-based product with just a dab of gel. "The combination will keep the hair soft and not crunchy," he said.
At the end of the day, experimentation is key for people with curly hair, but this woman's routine and tips seem like a great place to start if you're looking to kick-start a journey to embracing your ringlets in their gorgeous natural state.