Category: curly hair

Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor on Natural Curly Hair

Posted on by Michelle

When my hair was relaxed, I never took the time to deep condition my hair.  I had a pretty simple regimen which included shampoo, conditioner and a leave-in conditioner.  If I had been introduced to do the idea of using a light protein treatment, my hair might have been a lot stronger.  Since I was clueless back then, my color treated, chemically straightened hair broke off like mad.

I heard about the Aphogee line when I was doing research on how to keep my hair from breaking.  The two step protein treatment sounded a little too involved for me.  However the conditioner like Keratin 2 minute Reconstructor I thought was worth a try.  I started using it once a month during my transitioning period and experienced a lot more length retention.

 

WATCH HOW I USE 
APHOGEE’S KERATIN 2 MINUTE RECONSTRUCTOR

After doing my big chop I figured I didn’t need the product anymore.  I started wearing my natural hair straight once a month and quickly learned that my hair still needed protein.  That’s why I still use the light protein treatment by Aphogee.  It is my go to product when my curls need a little help.  Now, don’t get me wrong, this product will not bring severely heat damaged hair back from the brink.  It will however help strengthen damaged hair and lessen the chance of breakage.  Take a look at my video to watch a quick demonstration of how I use the product.

DISCLAIMER:  If your hair is protein sensitive then this product may not work for you.    Be sure to read the product instructions prior to using this product.  I consider this to be a light protein treatment but if used too often it can lead to dryness and breakage.  Always follow a protein treatment with a moisture deep conditioning.

How I use a Blowdryer and Diffuser on my Wash and Go

Posted on by Michelle

 

curlyincolorado.com how to use a blowdryer diffuser on wash and go

During the winter months I tend to shy away from wearing the wash and go style.  This is because I don’t want to walk around with wet hair while it’s cold outside.  Recently I discovered that, if I carefully wrap my hair at night, I can rock the curly look without re-wetting my hair in the morning.  So as of late, I have been doing the style at night and then blowdrying my hair before going to bed.  That’s where my diffuser comes in.

The point of using a diffuser is to dry your hair without causing frizz.  Mine is an attachment for my blowdryer that I picked up at Sally’s Beauty Supply for about 10 bucks.  Unfortunately, the attachment broke recently after years of use which I’ll be replacing soon.  Nowadays you can find a blowdryer that comes with its own diffuser attachment included. Continue reading “How I use a Blowdryer and Diffuser on my Wash and Go” →

Changing My Hair Routine for the Winter Months

Posted on by Michelle
Curly in Colorado Winter Hair Routine
Making changes to my Wash n’ Go routine
for the winter months

This is the time of year where we start to make changes in a lot of ways.  Sometimes the drier weather may call for heavier products for the hair and skin.  This has been the case for me lately as I have had to make adjustments to my hair routine to make up for the lack of moisture.  Normally I’m able to do my wash n’ go style with just two products.  I like to use my favorite leave-in, Paul Mitchell’s The Conditioner with Eco Styler gel (the Argan oil one).  Right around early October I could tell that my usual combo was not working like it did over the summer.  I decided to add a little Castor oil to seal in moisture before applying the gel.  This helped some, but still wasn’t quite what my hair needed.

I started leaving conditioner in my hair that I would normally rinse out.   The Tresseme Naturals conditioners worked great for this but sometimes I used the Aussi Moist conditioner.  Both products were thick, rich and gave lots of slip.  The Aussi Moist even worked as a styler on it’s own and gave me lots of curl definition.  The only thing though with using conditioner only was that I didn’t get as much wear out of the style.  With Eco gel added I could go 4 to 5 days before having to re-do my hair.  With conditioner as my styler, I’m lookin’ at two days tops.

I finally settled on applying a little of the Tresseme conditioner to my hair for a moisture boost.  Then I’ll apply a little bit of the Paul Mitchell leave-in to each section I’m working on.  I seal in the moisture with a quarter size amount of castor oil for each section.  Finally, I re-wet my hair by spritzing water on the sections before applying the gel for hold.  It’s taken me a few weeks to figure this new method out but it seems to be working a lot better for me.  The added moisture makes my hair shrink up more but that’s a good thing so I welcome it.

From Wash n’ Go to Braid Out

Posted on by Michelle

For Memorial Day I decided to wear a wash n’ go because it’s seemed to be the easy thing to do with my hair.  I had a few errands to run but still managed to fix myself up before heading out.  One of the things I tried was stretching my roots with the blowdryer for the look of more length.  My hair was still damp when I was done so it shrunk up a little.  Still, I was pretty happy with the end result.

Later that evening, I wanted to co-wash my hair and re-style the wash n’ go which meant re-applying all of the products and waiting for it to dry.  Instead, I decided to just kick back and watch Youtube while braiding my hair up for a braid out.  I was surprised this morning to see the amount of definition I had.  I was also happy with the look of length I got without having to use any heat this time.

There was already plenty of product in my hair from the wash n’ go so I just spritzed each section with a little water before braiding it into plaits.  I then spritzed a little more water on the ends and twisted with my fingers to get a slight curl.  The product in my hair helped with this step.  I didn’t even have to use a comb or denman brush.  I just stretched my hair with my fingers and detangled a little here and there.  It was almost too easy!


I’m beginning to see a routine forming here.  I can totally see myself wearing my wash n’ go’s for a few days and then turning them into braid outs when they start to get a little fuzzy.  I hope this is the case because I get the feeling my hair needs a more simplified routine and this may be it.  What’s funny is the fact that this is what I used to do during my first year natural.  Now I’m not sure why I

ever stopped.

Wash n’ Go on Memorial Day
Braid out the next day

Natural Hair: Growing it Out In Your Own Time

Posted on by Michelle

This last couple of weeks I’ve been kicking myself for the frequent trimming that has kept my hair journey stuck in neutral.  Right now my hair sits just below APL (arm pit length) in back and layered in front with bangs (when straight).  My main motivation for going natural was to grow my hair longer.  I figured I was on a five year plan but saw how much faster my hair grew (or broke less) during the first year natural.  I was so excited and figured I would see Bra Strap Length hair (BSL) some time around the halfway mark.  When that didn’t happen, I started to get down on myself and wonder what I was doing wrong.  It also didn’t help that I kept seeing progress pics and videos from others who gained length and thickness in what seemed to be much less time.

HAIR GROWTH TALK AND TIPS
INSPIRATION VIDEO BY “MYNATURALSISTAS”
This week though, I watched a very helpful video that reminded me that everyone’s natural hair journey is different.  It’s okay to look to others’ experiences for inspiration.  However, it is unrealistic to compare my hair to someone else’s even though we may have the same hair texture and starting point.  Each hair journey is a very individual experience and there are so many different variables that decide the outcome.  There’s also a lot to learn along the way and we all do this in our own time. 
For now, I’m going to try to not focus so much on what I DON’T have and get back to appreciating what I DO have.  The longer length will come in time so I’m just going to have some fun with my hair as it is right NOW.