Your teenage years bring with them lots of challenges: navigating school, making new friends, and (sometimes most frustratingly of all) taming your hair. Like many middle schoolers, I spent countless hours trying to use hot tools to recreate the sleek, straight styles that dominated magazine pages and TV shows in the 2010s.
But after almost a decade of (unsuccessfully) trying to replicate Lindsay Lohan’s and Hilary Duff’s signature looks on my thick, frizzy hair, I realized that the flatiron life just wasn’t for me. So I ended the cycle for good two years ago, when I decided to chop my mane into some seriously shaggy layers. No more hours spent burning my ears and making my hair steam—I was going au naturale.
In the salon, my hairstylist grabbed a razor blade to give my hair some texture and get rid of the extra weight that had been dragging me down. I was nervously hoping for the best as I left the chair—but when my previously straight hair began to sprout waves the next day, I started to panic. Did my whole head seriously curl overnight? (Was that even possible?)
Your hair texture can change for lots of reasons: Thinning it out with a razor, giving up hot tools, or getting a “curly cut” from a stylist can all be factors, Steven Serrato, hairstylist and owner of Serrato Style in New York City, tells SELF. But learning to roll with your new do can be tricky—and, as Serrato puts it, there are simply so many new hair products popping up that it can be hard to know where to start.
So for the six months following my haircut, I cross-referenced curl charts, took advantage of free bang trims at my salon to ask my stylist for advice, and watched lots of “curly girl method” TikToks to build a game plan for my newly wavy hair. Now, I’m a huge fan of my 2B, sometimes 2C texture—and I’m armed with plenty of advice from the pros on how to style it. After tons of trial and error, I’ve finally found a lineup that works for me and my hair.
Oh, and one last tip: While creams and sprays are great, they aren’t everything. “If you have to use more than two styling products to get your hair to look how you want, you either need a haircut or those are not the right products for your hair,” Serrato says. (Wondering whether your hair is wavy, curly, somewhere in between, or just hasn’t reached its full potential yet? Consulting a salon professional is the way to go.)
Ouai Detox Shampoo
“Everyone should be washing their hair at least once a week, no matter what the texture is,” Serrato says. He also recommends using a clarifying shampoo once a month to remove as much product as you can (which makes styling it much easier).
Although I’ve tried a few options, I always come back to Ouai’s Detox Shampoo. One of its key ingredients, apple cider vinegar, has been proven to remove buildup and leave your hair looking smoother and shinier. I love how quickly this wash lathers up, and that it leaves my scalp feeling completely clean. Plus, it’s free from sulfates that can be harsh on your hair and has a light floral scent that doesn’t linger too long after a shower—which I like because it won’t compete with other fragrances you might want to dab on.
Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Hair Mask
Chemicals, dyes, heat, and environmental factors can all cause stress to your hair that may change how it looks and feels. A great conditioner cuts down on dryness and frizz to bring out the best in your hair.
