These 2 Curl Products Helped an Editor With Post-COVID Hair Loss

I had COVID-19 for the first and (knock on wood) only time in January 2022. Fortunately, I have come out of it relatively unscathed. I never lost my taste or smell, and I don't have any symptoms of long COVID-19. Really, the only known aftermath to speak of is my newly thinning hair.

I first noticed my thinning hair a few months after recovering from COVID-19. I had just showered and, as usual, was bending down to pick up any fallen-out hair from the drain — but this particular time, I was seriously alarmed by the size of the clump. At first, I thought I had maybe forgotten to clean up after my last couple of showers and convinced myself that there was no need to panic. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. After a few more showers like this, I realized that like many people, my hair was shedding like never before.

I have since revised my haircare routine to include products that encourage hair growth and reduce hair loss — but that is a long game. I needed something in the interim to at least fake the look of the voluminous curls I once took for granted.

My bathroom looked like a mad scientist's laboratory for a couple of weeks while I tried a number of masks, DIY concoctions, and new products. I finally hit the jackpot with a two-product cocktail of R+Co's Ring Tone Ultra Defining Crème and Andrew Fitzsimons' Fantasy Curls Curl Crème.

At the very least, I thought that the two products had camouflaged the ceaseless shedding. These products have, however, outdone themselves; they make my hair look vivacious, voluminous, and thick — so much so that a fellow curly-haired woman stopped me in a store to ask what my secret was. And I'll let you in on it, too.

R+Co Ring Tone Ultra Defining Crème

Shop now: $29; dermstore.com and amazon.com

When I'm done with my shower, I turn the water off and wring my hair out before putting a quarter-sized dollop of R+Co's Ring Tone Crème into my hands. I then run my fingers around the exterior of my hair before parting it to work it deeper into each strand.

This cream eliminates frizz, doesn't leave behind a residue in my hair, and prevents the curls that touch my neck from being flattened down or straightened out.

Andrew Fitzsimons Fantasy Curls Curl Crème

Shop now: $14; ulta.com

Andrew Fitzsimons Fantasy Curls is the other piece of the puzzle. It is incredibly thin, and feels more like a watery gel than a butter-like cream. It plays well with the R+Co product and doesn't weigh down my hair, either.

Fantasy Curls gives me glossy, defined strands and retains the volume at my roots throughout the day — which as a result, makes my hair seem bigger and fuller than it has been since I had COVID-19. One day, hopefully, my strands will recover to their regular strength and thickness so it doesn't feel like I'm using smoke and mirrors to feel like myself. In the meantime, however, I am thankful that I have found a two-product cocktail that has restored my confidence in myself. Shop Andrew Fitzsimons' Fantasy Curls Curl Crème and R+Co's Ring Tone Ultra Defining Crème at Amazon and Ulta.

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