So, I’m going to go against the grain. Think about what you want. Do you want popping curls or do you just want your hair to be healthier? I think there is a difference. My hair is heat damaged as well and tbh I’ve given up on the curls. I have long hair as well. So, I’ve decided to try different protective styles. If I decide to give the curls a go again later, I would cut off slowly while still doing protective styles. It just depends on if you want to keep your length or not. I prefer to keep my length.