Thanks to my mother I have been natural my entire life. I only got around to experimenting  with me hair once I got into college,  mostly out of necessity as I could no longer sport the two pigtail braids that were my signature back in high school. Yet it would be some time until I could actually figure out how to properly care for my natural curls without twisting them and in the process I began to try something new by straightening my hair via heat styling.
Fast forward to the present and I really only ever straighten my hair during the  late fall/winter and sometimes into early spring. Why? Well, to  be honest  I do love my curls and make a point to try to challenge western hair standards, however, I’m a very lazy natural. In order to get my natural coils looking fresh and defined,  it takes at least 7-8 hours of work and waiting (I air dry my hair).  That’s practically a full day of work! For straightening it can clock in at 2- 3 hours max, which is still a lot, but I still get time to do other things.  Not only that but I can get my hair done in the evening once I get home from work and this is  something I can’t do with my curls because they don’t set and dry that quick. So more often than not, my decision to straighten my hair is in response to my hectic schedule, which usually does not have room for a lengthy hair day, OR I have a job interview (Note: That is a topic for another time.) That said, with today marking the official start to  winter  I felt it would be beneficial to share a few tricks and products I’ve picked up that have helped keep my hair healthy in the winter when using heat styling.

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