Embrace the Transition: A Journey to Healthy Curly/Wavy Hair

Starting Your Curly or Wavy Hair Journey in Canada

Embarking on your curly or wavy hair journey can be exciting, but it often comes with challenges—especially if you’re transitioning from heat-damaged hair. Embracing a new routine takes patience, and it’s important to remember that achieving healthy curls is a gradual process. Here’s a step-by-step guide with Curlit to help you through your curly hair transition, along with insights from my personal experience.

1. Dealing with Heat Damage: Should You Chop or Trim?

One of the first choices you’ll face is whether to do a “big chop” at a professional curly hair salon or trim away damage gradually. If you’ve used heat tools often, your curls may have lost their bounce and shape.

Big Chop: For a fresh start, consider a big chop at a curly hair salon. This removes all the damaged ends and lets your natural curls grow in. That’s the route I chose, and you can see the difference in my before-and-after photos.

Gradual Trimming: If you prefer to keep your length, trim about 1.5 cm every month. This way, you slowly get rid of damage while maintaining your style.

2. Start with the Basics

Choosing the right products and tools can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options on the shelves. I learned that starting simple is best. Focus on a few essentials:

Continuous-Flow Water Bottle: Great for refreshing curls.

Satin Bonnet & Scrunchie: Protects your hair while you sleep.

Detangler Brush: Brushes that help reduce breakage and define curls.

Leave-In Conditioner & Gel: Start with a quality leave-in (like Curlit’s) and a gel to lock in moisture and hold.

3. Master Your Styling Technique

Styling curls is a learning curve. I tried different methods before finding what worked for me. Here are some basics:

Section & Wet: Work in sections and keep hair very wet. Apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner, then gel.

Try Different Techniques:

• Brush styling for curl definition
• Finger rolling for wavy hair
• Rake and shake for volume
• Flexi rods for uniform curls (optional)

Air Dry: Let your hair air dry at first—skip the diffuser or microfiber towel until you get the basics down.

Pineapple at Night: Use a satin scrunchie and bonnet to protect curls overnight.

4. Patience is Key

My journey started in 2019, and I saw gradual improvements over time—healthier, more defined curls with each cut and wash day. It’s normal to feel frustrated at times, but patience pays off. Celebrate every small win as your natural texture returns.