Ariana Grande has some of the prettiest curls ever. The wild thing is that her hair is beautiful even WITH all the damage. It shows that her hair has got massive potential. Her damaged hair sits around a 2c-3a, but with the proper routine and time we truly believe her hair would bounce into 3c-4a territory. Here's what we would advise her to do.
We recommend this in 2 steps: starting with a 30-day intensive plan and then scaling down to a more easy going routine.
Intensive 30 day reset + repair
As someone who has undergone a 30 day reset (thanks hairdresser damage), I can definitely speak from experience.
A week by week plan will help kickstart her confidence so that she can feel good about herself and her curls again ASAP.
WEEK 1
Nourishing products are nothing if there's harsh residue and buildup blocking the hair. A scalp scrub will help remove flakes and a detox wash will help remove the residue that we can't see.
We'd follow up with two masks. One to repair deeply internal layers at the medulla layer of the hair strand and one to repair on outer layers. K18 is a fast acting option that works internally. We'd let this sit for 4 minutes and then lightly wet the hair again. Then we would use a Glossing and Repair mask for further healing that will make a visual difference.
To get even more effect with the mask, process with heat using the LuxeHeat Cap.
WEEK 2
Now it's time to focus on moisture. Wash with a bond repair shampoo that will help moisturise curls. Use the same heating technique but this time with a moisture focused mask.
Follow through with leave in treatments and stylers to help further repair.
WEEK 3
Repeat week 1. Another round of detoxing is important. She's had years of damage and buildup. It will take a few washes to fully start seeing the benefits.
Continue to style with repairing leave in products and protect curls at night with a sleep bonnet. If she wants to take things further, she can scalp massage nightly with a growth serum - yes, sounds like a scam, but this one has clinically proven results to make a visible difference within 90 days.
WEEK 4
Repeat week 2. Focus on bringing moisture back into curls to help with long term elasticity and bounce. This isn't an over-night transformation. It's laying the groundwork for curls that pay off later.
Loose, low tension hairstyles are also vital to help curls breathe and bounce back to their natural form. Hairstyles to help disguise damage include half-up dos, loose braids and cute curly buns/pineapples.
Moving forward
Deep treatments can move to biweekly and detoxes monthly. She should continue using only repairing stylers that can not only define and enhance her hair but actually continue to strengthen and improve her hair the more she uses them.
With the right care and patience, we're confident her curls can bounce up to 3c-4a. After stronger hair starts growing through, she can then think about some curl-friendly highlights and colour to have some fun with her curls. Although, her natural dark brown is already stunning enough ❤️
Important tips for healing curl damage:
- Putting down the straightener during this time is not an option
- Not all bond repair/repairing products are equal. Most are super weak and just say "bonding" for marketing purposes, not because they actually do anything
- Don't "express" your treatments. If the bottle says to let it soak for 20 minutes, then set your timer and let it do its thing for 20 minutes. An express 5-minute version is only rinsing your money down the drain
We might not ever get the chance to do Ariana Grande's hair, but we can transform yours! Book at our Gold Coast curly hair salon to see what your curls are truly capable of.
If you're still not sure, then take a look at our YouTube channel for curl specialist made guides and help!
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