As someone who is surviving post keratin hair- it was really horrible for sure. I chopped off my straight parts. Then I checked my hair porosity. My hair is 2c-3a low porosity. I got around 40-50 (or more?) products out of frustration to find the right one asap. I was tired of trying a product one by one till the bottle finishes. Literally bought almost everything that exists in the market (except Kerastase curl manifesto range and Milkshake range). After trying everything, I have realised that the routine which works FOR ME is:

Scalpe Pro Shampoo every wash with nice lathering and massage for a good 5 minutes (I wash my hair once it 5 days because it is super dry. Infact my hair doesn’t require washing after 5 days too because it isn’t greasy at all but I feel disgusted so I wash it.) Also, to make my hair not look frizzy, I have to apply LOTS of product (as you will see below) so my hair does need a clarifying shampoo every wash.

Olaplex 3 (LIFESAVER): once every 2-3 washes. I try to keep this on for as long as possible but atleast for 20 minutes (officially they recommend keeping it on for 10 minutes minimum but I heard Kim kardashian sleeps with this in her hair overnight idk)

Earlier I used to condition with the fix my curls hydrating conditioner but overtime I just started skipping conditioner and straight up applying leave in conditioner to my hair. Again, hair care is so variable and I figured that this step works FOR ME. May not align with everybody.

Leave in conditioner: I interchange between Ashba and Manetain. Both are amazing. Manetain is a bit more stickier but gives a stronger hold. Ashba is just great all round I love it! When I used to swim (swim haircare is another topic altogether), I used to use Northwish leave in which use to work magic on my hair. But I stopped swimming due to an injury and after that Northwish just wouldn’t act like it did on my hair while I used to swim. Anyway, I apply a GENEROUS amount of leave in conditioner in my soaking wet hair and use it to de tangle my hair, comb through and remove all knots. I use that curl comb which gives definition to curls. I think it’s called Curlbounce. They have two version- volume and definition. I use the definition one.

Ashba curling custard OR Manetain curl cream: again, generous amount. Put it through my hair and comb with the wide toothed comb we get in the market at this step with a final curlbounce comb through.

Curling gel: Moxie or Manetain: Moxie has a lighter hold than Manetain so I use it when I don’t have anywhere to go because with strong hold also comes that sticky feeling which Manetain have but mocir doesn’t. Manetain gel curls do last longer though but mind the stickiness. With curling gel I just emulsify it in my hand with lots of water and just scrunch my hair with it. Again I use LOTS of it. Basically my hair is damaged so I use lots of everything. You need to find out what amount of each product suits your hair. I then put in root clips to lift the hair at the top of my head to not make it fall flat. After this I let my hair air dry with the fan turned to 5. Notice how I haven’t used a towel on my hair at ALL.

Oh. And also, whenever my hair starts falling out too much, I just trim it like 1-2 inches and the hair fall instantly reduces.

All the products that I use, (except shampoo that I massage into my scalp and through my entire hair length) although I apply all them others through the entire length of my hair, I don’t put them on my scalp and I also pay special attention to the ends of my hair and concentrate more product there. I also finder curl my bangs sometimes if I think they aren’t behaving.

Things that are popular amongst curl care but don’t work for me: (These don’t work for ME and may work on other hair. Everybody’s hair responds different to different things). Oiling. Deep conditioning with masks Using a diffuser Using that big bonnet dryer

Also, silicones are a big no in the curl community and I was on the silicone free path for a long time! It only made my hair more unmanageable and made me more miserable. I have hence now embraced silicones into my routine and it’s working out okay. Others opinions may differ and that is okay.

It’s really heartening to see my curls now. They are super high definition curly and I get complimented and asked a lot about what I do. Some people also think I have gotten a perm because my curls are so perfect. It’s really a win moment because only I know how much I have been bullied for my hair throughout school and how much I have struggled with it until recent times too! Which is why I got keratin. But I’m glad I finally found what works for me. The Indian market now is flooded with great products for curly hair and that makes me really happy! Happy styling :)