Earlier this year I took the hard, although inevitable, decision to call it an end to my oh-so-adored heating tools. Well, for two months, that is! However, it felt like a year to me and I know there will be a lot of people out there who can relate to my struggles.
FYI, that’s not me in the picture! I might look more or less the same (ok, 100% the same) when I dry my hair, but I just wanted to make it clear that it’s not me!
Heating Tools Break: How It Started
Anyway, it was a sunny mid-July morning and I was making my usual cup of coffee when I took an unfortunate good look at my strands. They looked horrible! Actually, horrible doesn’t describe the state they were in. Imagine a hurricane, passing by a farm, that destroys everything and leaves a horrendous mess of dry straws everywhere! Pictured it? Good, because that’s what it looked like to me… My hair was not only straw-like, it was dull and frizzy – overall, lifeless! Then and there, I broke down in tears! I know it might seem very childish or PMS-ish, but my tears weren’t provoked by the thought that my hair doesn’t look good, hence I don’t feel pretty anymore.
On the contrary, my sobs had a much greater and deeper significance. I couldn’t for the life of me comprehend how I’ve managed to leave my hair in such a state. Obviously, my split ends haven’t magically appeared overnight! Don’t get me wrong, I know that damaged hair can be salvaged, but that’s not the point. I was blaming myself for not seeing the signs earlier and not taking proper care of my locks. You see, I love my body and every single part/feature of it. One of my top priorities in life is to be healthy and to take care of myself. With the risk of getting very spiritual (which I’m not!) – I do believe that our bodies are our temples! No, not temples of Gods, but we shouldn’t take them for granted. I’m not talking about getting obsessed with fitness and healthy lifestyle (which I probably am…), but eating healthily and doing some sort of exercise every now and then will do no harm. Just by not eating cake every day you’ll minimise the chance of diseases and high blood pressure and that belly fat. Personally, I thought I was doing a fairly good job and I was smashing the whole healthy lifestyle situation! For that reason, I got beyond upset when I realised what I’ve done to my hair. I was so focused on getting my body into shape that I somehow missed the warning signs.
Thankfully, I quickly pulled myself together and mentally went through the options I had to bring my locks back to life. I was already taking supplements (Biotin), doing weekly hair mask and taking the occasional breaks from styling. Clearly, my hair routine didn’t cut the mustard, hence I had to change something, FAST! Desperate times call for desperate measures! I decided to break up with my heating tools and leave my hair in peace for two months! Arriving at this decision was easy, implementing it, however, was a whole different story! Firstly, I went to my bedroom and I locked away (put in a box!) my heating tools. You know what they say – out of sight, of mind! Next in order were my dreadful split ends. I thought I should start-off my heat-free period with a trim. Unfortunately, I’m not known for being a fan of hairdressers in the UK, thus I had to kindly ask Vlad (my lovely bf!) to do the dirty work! By happy chance, my hairstyle is super boring – no bangs, no layers – just a long straight hair.
Easy-peasy or so I thought…
After two attempts and one cut finger, Vlad finally achieved the look I was going for! I know, I know, I should give him more credit. I’ve probably pressured him too much, despite the fact I told him it’s no biggie if he cuts it not to my pleasing… Although, now when I think about it, I probably had a devilish look and fire in my eyes. Yeah, I might have sent the wrong message… Oops?! Sorry, Vlad, I do appreciate your haircutting skills! *muah* Split ends gone, I felt immediately better, sort of revived. Now the only thing left was to keep my hands off the heating tools for the next two months! No sweat, heh?!
I’m not gonna lie, the first few weeks were a nightmare! My frizzy hair was everywhere and I hated it. I wanted to cut the whole thing off and hide under my duvet for the rest of my life. Gladly, I restrained myself from doing that. Instead, I went for the familiar ponytails and updos until the rest of the summer. It was quite boring, but by the end of the first month, I got used to not see my locks down. Moreover, we had a quite hot summer (believe it or not!) and I didn’t really miss my straight hairstyles. Trust me, having a long and thick hair has its nightmares – with summer being one of them! It doesn’t matter where I’ll go or what I’ll do, within 10 minutes my scalp will get sweaty and won’t dry for ages! Speaking of drying, that was another low-point from my two-month-heating break. I kept forgetting that I can’t use my hair dryer, hence I had to go to bed with wet hair. Again, I’m glad it was during the summer season, otherwise, I would probably have to welcome pneumonia in my life!
Heating Tools Break: The Outcome
To my surprise, I didn’t have to wait for two months until I saw some sort of improvement. After the first 3 to 4 weeks, my hair was already in a much better condition. It was less dull, dry and frizzy, giving me hope that my plan might succeed. I just continued with my air-drying techniques alongside the vitamins and the deep nourishing hair masks. Gladly, my efforts paid off! By the end of month 2, my hair was back to its original healthy state. It was soft, smooth and shiny, so I treated myself with the straightener! I know, I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t take it anymore… It was mid-September, I was getting the autumn and chilly vibes, hence I wanted to cover my ears with my hair! You’ll be pleased to know that there was no harm done. I took the appropriate pre-heating preparation – lotions, oils and all were taken into account. The result was astonishing! Honestly, I think I’ve only had a better straight hairdo at my hairdresser.
Long story short, I’m glad I took the two-month break from heating tools. My hair needed it and I now know that I should pay more attention. I shouldn’t neglect my strands. On the contrary, I should appreciate them while I still have them! I’ll probably won’t go bald, but you know what I mean. With age, hair loses its elasticity and thickness – its inevitable! For that matter, every now and then, we should all do the best we can to prevent the damage we cause to our locks!
What about you, have you given your hair a break from heating tools?
x Mariya
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