Taking your hair from crochet braids or any protective styles to straightened is no easy task if you do it right. It’s important that after you have had your hair in any protective style specifically crochet braids to show it some extra love. In this post and video below I will take you step by step through my process of straightening my naturally curly hair after its been in a protective style.
Short Step By Step Video
Step 1: Pre Poo
Pre pooing is when you apply a conditioning treatment to the hair before shampooing to add moisture to the follicles. I actually use olive oil to pre poo, but not only do I use it to moisturize my hair I also use it to make detangling my hair an easier process. After your hair has been in a protective style its important to take your time to detangle your hair carefully to avoid damaging your hair.
Step 2: Clarify
I use 2 parts apple cider vinegar (ACV) to 1 part water to clarify my strands. Clarifying helps to remove any products or dirt that may have built up while your hair was in Crochet Braids/protective style.
Step 3: Shampoo
Traders Joes Tea Tree Tingle is my shampoo of choice.
Step 4: Deep Condition
In order to give my hair an extra boost of moisture I created a deep conditioner that my strands love.
- Mayo
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Cinnamon
Check out the video above for exact measurements. Leave conditioner on hair for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Step 5: Apply Heat Protectant
This was my first time using Chi Silk Infusion as a heat protectant. I applied the heat protectant to damp hair. Lookout for a review coming soon.
Step 6: Install Curlformers
I used Curlformers to stretch and dry my hair without applying heat. Simply install Curlformers and allow hair to air dry, approx. 3 hrs.
Step 7: Straighten Hair
Up until this point I haven’t used any heat on my hair. And even during the straightening process I use as minimal heat as possible. One way I accomplish that is by making one pass over each section. The video above demonstrates how to use a small comb to keep your hair as straight as possible while straightening, which makes taking one pass over your strands attainable.
Another new product to me I tried was the Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Flat Iron. Review coming up next.
Hopefully this post will help you if you are attempting to straighten your own hair. My biggest tip to you is to pamper your hair and it will thrive!
