Welcome back!
I hope you had a good vacay.
Yeah, my hair responds well to heat styling too. It goes against what we preach here but I’ve recently decided not to fight it. Lol.
Sounds like you’re going to be incorporating a lot of protein. A “damage” shampoo and condish, keratin and aphogee all sound pretty protein heavy. Does your hair typically respond well to that much protein? Aside from the Joico balm, which moisturizing products/techniquess are you planning to use to balance it?
Managing your thicker hair shouldn’t cause too much damage if you keep the manipulation low. Some ladies use heat to manage the two textures. Some ladies feel that braidouts, twistouts and knotouts are low manipulation enough. Either way, find a style that works for you until you can baby your hair back to a place where you feel ready to relax again.
GL!