How long to see improvement if I remove heat treatment from my hair?

[Puddingsmummy]

My hair isn't particularly damaged but it's awful, I hate it. I can't do anything with it as it's a frizzy mess and I'm crap at styling it.

I wasn't born with frizzy hair, when I look back to teenage years before I started with hairdryers, straighteners & colouring - it was lovely and shiny with a slight wave. I want that hair back!

I've tried to cut out heat styling before but after 2 months gave in and started with the straighteners again because I saw no change.

If I quit the heat again, how long would it take for me to have soft natural locks? Would I literally need it to be the fresh regrowth or can my hair be retrained?

Anyone?

Do you have a picture of your hair? That will give people a good start on what advice to give.

Another few questions as well.
Is your hair coloured?
How often do you deep condition?
Do you have split ends?
What shampoo and conditioner do you use?
How often do you wash your hair and do you condition every time?
Do you put anything (spray, serum) on your hair when dry?

When I do this I wash less often too to give the natural oils a chance to spread through a bit. This means a longish period right away-4 days or so, then onto washing every 2-3 days as a pattern, rather than every 1-2 days. The first longish period usually restores it, then the less frequent washing maintains it. At the end of the longish period I do a castor oil soak followed by Olaplex.

Are you still using a hairdryer or is it just the straighteners you’ve given up? I usually only blow dry mine every 2nd wash.

I have dry curly coloured hair that I straighten and my hair was in really bad condition.

I have done the following since January.

Bought an airwrap, I still use my ghds but only once a week because I use colour wow spray in so I don't need to use them apart from that. So I have removed a lot of heat.

I get an olaplex treatment when I get my hair coloured and use the olaplex conditioner.

I have stopped using hairbands.

My hair is in amazing condition now, grown a lot and not breaking underneath anymore because I'm using clips etc

Three years ago I went for about 5 months without any heat, no dryer, no straighteners. My hair is wavy/frizzy looks dry but is too slippery to hold a style...5 months later absolutely no difference to condition!

Not trying to be the voice of doom but my hair looked shit the entire time as I need the heat to tame it - I'm happy I tried it but really probably should have only tried for a month or two.

Currently using the airwrap and haven't used my straighteners for quite a while - condition doesn't feel or look any better. Might just be my hair type.

I do and have always used heat protection when using any heat.

You need to combine this with washing it less (once a week), regular trims, and regular hair oil / conditioning treatments. Takes at least a year.

Consider co-washing as well as giving up heat.

Following this with interest as my hair (which used to be my best feature- shiny and smooth) is now frizzy and dry.

I blow dry it every 3/4 days but have stopped using the straighteners. But I've got loads of baby hairs around my face and the ends are so dry. Hoping some of these suggestions will help.

@PatrickMerricksGoshawk what's co washing?

Washing with conditioner instead of shampoo. I find it works really well and my hair is not frizzy at all anymore.
It has to be a conditioner that doesn’t contain silicone-based ingredients as normally you would use a shampoo with SLS to prevent build up of silicones.
Look up curly girl for more info - I don’t do anything else from CG and my hair is mostly fairly straight, but co-washing works fine without all the other CG stuff.

Thank you @PatrickMerricksGoshawk , I'll give it a go 😊

I think that stopping colouring mine has made the biggest difference. I was so sick of the condition of my hair and wanted to grow out my highlights anyway, so had it pixied (a bit drastic, I know). It's now in a wavy chin length bob and it's back to how my hair used to be! I try to use as little heat on it as possible and now just wash with shampoo and then scrunch some serum through the ends. I don't use conditioner at all.