Jan 4, 20142 min read

Then & Now..

Hi curlies!

I’m a firm believer in creating a regimen, following it, and practicing healthy hair care habits. Being consistent with washday, conditioning, and trimming will yield results– believe me!

I had the privilege of sitting in the #styleseat with #styledbyreece on 12/29 for my NYE prep. Since I last straightened my hair in May, and it was 1 year post the mini/big chop of December 2013, I wanted to bring in the new year with straight hair. I wear my hair curly most of the time so it was good to change it up a bit.

As always, Reecie did her thing and I was extremely happy with the results. She is very careful and thorough, which is greatly appreciated because healthy hair is good hair. Reecie is also a curly girl so she understands the importance of being gentle; she doesn’t tug or pull your hair and she works fairly quickly. All in all, it took about 1.5-2 hours to complete the process– cold water rinse, product application/detangling, and trim included.

I’m honestly happy with the length retention since I last straightened my hair. However, I’m super proud of the progress made since I mini/big chopped in December 2013. Considering that the sides and back were tapered, I think the growth and length in those areas was key and put me in a comfortable place. I do admit that I need to get better with protecting and dusting my ends in between trimmings– I actually got scolded because my ends were terrible. In the meantime, I’ve been maintaining my hair by wrapping it every night and tying a scarf over it. I’m extra careful about the amount of time I spend in the bathroom since it is one of the hottest rooms in the house. We all know how straightened, natural hair reacts to moisture.. *covers eyes.

Since NYE, I’ve used my flat iron twice to adjust my bang (the day of and New Year’s Day) since that is where I want the most volume. I’ve used it on a low setting to avoid any kind of damage when it’s time to revert. For now, I’m going to have fun with this since I don’t straighten my hair too often. However, I do predict curls within the next week, but we’ll see!

First selfie post straightening (I was really feeling it):