As hot as it gets in the summer, and as much as my hair adds to that, I never find myself wanting to chop it all off in the hot summer months, but in the dead of winter… I get SO frustrated with my hair. I think it has something to do with all the static and my hair feeling dry and brittle, and breaking and all the things that come along with the winter months… you know what I am talking about! So I have decided this year I am going to take better care of my lovely locks over the next few months, A) so I dont do something drastic out of frustration and B) so it looks nice and healthy come August! So, here are a few hair care tips I have stumbled upon that I am wanting to try, or have been using.
I have to say the biggest lie the internet told me about my hair is that if I take care of my roots then my hair will grow much faster, but thats definitely not the case, preventing split ends has helped my healthy hair growth immensely. I dont just mean go get your hair trimmed all the time, you have to take care of your locks between appointments. I use to only condition like once a month because I thought that it was the reason my hair was greasy looking in the morning…. which meant that my hair always looked a hot. mess. But more recently I have been trying to condition every other day (just the strands, not the scalp!) and even trying to incorporate a leave-in conditioner every now and then to keep my hair healthy and moisture rich, especially during the winter when some days I feel like my hair is about 5 seconds away from looking like this.
Another tip that was sent my way recently was to not wash your hair every day. This isn’t really something I have tried and I am kind of not thinking I want to. I am a full believer that cleanliness is next to godliness and like I said earlier, my hair gets super greasy SUPER fast, so Im not into looking like I don’t know how to take care of myself, but, if I know I am bumming around the house for the day, I try to refrain from washing my hair. I just need to invest in some good dry shampoo, I think that will do the trick!
Another thing I have recently changed in my hair-care regimen is my brush. I was using a regular hair brush until like 3 months ago when I realized it was literally ripping the hair out of my head instead of untangling the knots, so I did a little research and decided to change things up a little. I have been using a wide-toothed comb in the shower and then a round brush with boars hair to brush my hair out when I get out of the shower. It seems to have helped, at least my scalp is appreciating the change!
Also, if you’re anything like me, you are probably not a fan of leaving your house with wet hair when its FREEZING outside, because your mom told you that you would get sick, But if you find yourself having some extra time to sit around for a little air dry this winter, even if you have to blow dry the ends when its all said and done… I would recommend it! The hair dry can really dry out your hair, even after all the attempts and moisturizing and conditioning. I have also read that you should just blow dry your roots because they can take some obscene amount of time to dry and then let your ends air dry. So, up to you, whichever you want to try, but just know the less time your hair spends under a dryer, the more it will thank you later!
Beware of the towel turban!!! When your hair is wet, its in its weakest state so the last thing you want to be doing is getting it caught up in the strands of a terry cloth towel and twisting it up in knots in a turban on top of your head, nothing will break it off faster. I have to say that I am 100% guilty of this. I try to limit my turban time, but its just the easiest way to keep my dripping wet hair from getting on my nerves until I have time to dry it. Kevin Mancuso, creative director for Nexxus says,”When towel drying hair, squeeze the hair with a towel rather than rubbing and matting hair into a tangled mess. Be gentle! After towel blotting, gently start at the tips with a paddle brush or large comb as with combing in the shower; always start from tip to root.”
Add-Ins: Some other at home finds to fight dry and brittle hair.
Nuts and seeds. Try snacking on some seeds and nuts. They contain essential fatty acids that can pop that sheen right back into your hair.
Avocado and banana. Mash a little overripe banana and avocado together, spread in your hair, and leave it there for up to an hour. Then rinse with warm water.
Beer. After your shampoo, rinse your hair with a little beer. This can help restore shine.
Mayonnaise. You’ll need the full-fat kind, not a diet or low-fat version. Slather 1 tablespoon or so onto your hair, rub it in down to your scalp, then cover with a plastic cap and wait about 30 minutes. Rinse it out thoroughly or you’ll be craving tuna salad the rest of the day.
Oil. Rub a little oil into your scalp. Olive oil works well, and so does coconut oil. After you rub it on, cover your hair with a cap and leave it on overnight, then shampoo and rinse the oil out in the morning.
C P & B 