16 months, lots of research and several haircuts apart
My resolution for 2025 was to finally figure out my hair — I was sick of the breakage and spending $200+ every month for a wash and style that lasted two days.
I’m pretty sure my hair is 4c, I’ve been relaxed since I was about 7 or 8 (currently 29). My hair actually did really well when my mom took care of it (besides the constant overlapping she’d do with my relaxers) but when I got out on my own, my hair went to crap. I didn’t know anything about hair care and I picked products based on vibes more than anything else. I was using those god awful blowdry brushes, super high heat flat irons, not protecting my hair at night, you name it.
I started a weight loss journey in 2022, which was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, but boy did my hair suffer. Lots of breakage and hair loss. By the time 2024 came around, my hair looked terrible 😭 Here’s a pic from then: https://imgur.com/a/PIyNt3S
I was so insecure about it. Thus I made my plan to figure out a haircare routine and get my hair right.
It was definitely a lot of trial and error but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Abbey Yung method. I was reluctant to take haircare advice from a white woman but her advice has absolutely transformed my hair. I tweak it for my hair type of course but a lot of her product recs are fantastic.
What I feel has helped my hair the most are:
-more frequent washing — I used to wash 1x per week tops. Now I shampoo 2-3x
-Protein!! Do not be afraid of protein. Use a good conditioner afterwards and you’ll be fine! Aphogee makes great options for this.
-Weekly deep conditioning with heat
-Satin/silk scarves/bonnet/pillowcase
-Moisturizing & sealing with silicone based oil
-Bond repair!! Particularly k18 and epres or olaplex
-Less rubber hair ties, more satin scrunchies (not too tight) and claw clips
-A good moisturizing leave in spray for in between washes, lots of good options but currently using Aussie Hair Insurance. It’s super cheap too. I’d look for something with amodimethicone specifically
My hair has always grown quickly so retaining length was my main goal. I did however start taking iron supplements to help with my hair growth because I know I’m deficient. The pics don’t show it because my stylist has been consistently trimming my hair (it was so uneven from the breakage and my ends were fried) but my hair has grown a ton. I think the difference in density between the pics says it all!
I use minimal heat on my hair, usually just blow dry and wrap but in the pics posted my hair was curled with a flat iron. First pic was January 2025 and done by my stylist, I’m not sure what temp she uses but it’s definitely hotter than what I use. Second pic was this past weekend (May 2026) and I used a flat iron at 360° F, only one pass for most spots. And heat protection of course! I used multiple heat protectants:
- Redken Acidic Bonding curls leave in (packaging doesn’t say heat protection but online it does)
- Amika The Wizard Blowdry Primer
-Olaplex No 7 Oil
-Chi Silk Infusion for flat iron
I only use a flat iron maybe once a month.
Just wanted to share what has helped me over the last year! With all of my haircuts I felt like I wasn’t making any progress (I’m aiming for waist length 😳 a girl can dream) but comparing these photos showed me I was so wrong!! Time and dedication is key. I’m hoping a year from now I’ll be posting another update with armpit length hair or longer!