When I read my heat damage story I posted a few months back I cringe. “How do you fix heat damage? You don’t!” So harsh!
I straightened my hair on October 15, 2017. When I washed it out after 3 weeks and my curls didn’t all revert back I was DEVASTATED. I smelled the burnt smell I had smelled when my hair was being blow dried. Did she really not use heat protectant ? Seriously?!
I could not sleep, my curls were loose and some parts just straight. My first thoughts were okay I know this is a lost cause, I want to do a big haircut anyway – what better time than now? I immediately started looking on Instagram for cuts I wanted and hairstylists that could do it. At the same time I was sad because my hair was SO healthy, and this one decision messed it all up. Am I really gonna throw away my head full of hair?
I was stuck between:
“it’s gone too far its trash you know there’s only so much you can do to save it” vs. you wanted to cut your hair anyway just cut it vs. “maybe if you wash it again it’ll come back?”
All these thoughts were circling in my head. I thought okay I can disguise it as best as possible and not talk about it on the blog/Instagram. But that would not at all be honest, and in my heart I knew I could work with this, going on a journey to bring my hair back to its best possible health and show how I’m doing it. Then when I’m ready to cut it, I can let go of all damage that could never be recovered.
Now let me say – I do not know if I can get this hair on my head back to perfect health. It almost seems impossible, the curls are loose and limp – but they’re still there. However, I KNOW FOR A FACT the straight pieces I have (around my nape, front of my hair) will NOT REVERT BACK. Never ever ever. And that is what I was talking about when I earlier wrote, you don’t recover from heat damage. The straight pieces will at best go back to a wave but not back to complete health. I wanted to CUT these pieces immediately but I just got a trim and I don’t want to mess with my shape.
I plan to deep condition weekly, do protein treatments twice a month, and low manipulation styles to get my hair back to some kind of health.
I think I’m over seeing my own hair be pin straight, I am traumatized by heat for now yes – but I will be back soon. This is the first time I’ve had heat damage since “going natural” so its just hard for me. I am however interested in the wig life – (and not synthetic wigs) , to get my straight looks popping.
Anyway the purpose of this post was to say you can work on your heat damage, you can try your best to nurse them back to health using the steps I listed and there are probably even more remedies. But just remember you hair will continue to grow! It’s not the end of the world!
Honest Hair Diary 