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Showing posts with label healthy hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy hair. Show all posts
Healthy Hair Secrets Your Stylist Won't Share
Hair Diet Summary
Well June is over and I made it the entire month without silicones or sulfates. My hair feels fabulous!
During the month of June, I used:
Kimmaytube Leave In Conditioner (with Giovanni Direct leave in)
I also did a henna treatment during the month of June.
The verdict:
The combinations of these products left my hair feeling soft and moisturized. I experienced less itching with my scalp and my shedding also decreased (strange??). My hair was also more manageable and easier to style. I am very satisfied and would recommend the use of natural/organic products to anyone.
I looked at my product stash last night and debated about repurchasing many of the items on the shelf. I am thinking that I would love to only use the products listed above or the ones that fall into the natural/organic category. This will require a complete re-haul of my stash. My non-natural/organic products far outweigh the amount of natural/organic products that I already own.
ugh....I need some coupons
How I Retain Moisture
I found that when I made moisture my primary goal (not length, style, etc) it made a dramatic difference. I pre-pooed to retain moisture and prevent drying shampoo, the shampoo I used was selected because of minimal stripping properties, my conditioner’s choice was targeted towards the ones that seemed to be the most moisturizing, and now my styling products that are chosen for their moisturizing properties.
I aim to implement moisture at each step of my regimen:
Pre-poo: The first step in my regimen and like so many things in life the first step is the most important step. So don’t slack at this step.
Shampoo: A stripping shampoo can make your pre-poo step almost irrelevant. First I aim at really cleaning my scalp by applying shampoo directly to my scalp. While I am massaging the shampoo on my scalp suds form and I use those to cleanse the rest of my length.
Conditioner: I used to think that any conditioner could be used as a deep conditioner until I read somewhere (that I can’t find right now) that there is molecular difference in rinse out conditioners and deep conditioners. I am still on the fence with this one but that’s a topic for another day. The goal for moisture at the conditioning step is to deep condition with a moisturizing conditioner. The way in which you do (shower cap, heat, no heat, etc) really had not shown that big of a difference to me.
Styling: You don’t want the last step of your routine to ruin all of your hard work. Selecting a styling product that contributes to all of moisturizing that you have done at each step will benefit a whole lot more than an alcohol filled drying product. I style on damp hair and seal as I go.
Special treatment, such as protein, that are done to strengthen the hair should be followed with a moisturizing treatment. Proper strength and moisturize will decrease or prevent breakage. Too much of anything can be harmful so proper balance is key.
I retain moisture by adding moisture in each step. I haven’t had a problem with dryness for almost a year.
As always, this is what I found that works for me – experiment and find what works for your hair.
Protein Treatment
1/3 Cup Lustrasilk Shea Butter Cholesterol
1 Large Egg
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Apply to entire head (dry hair) and let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Deep condition and style as usual.
I never did a protein treatment before because I ate a pretty high protein diet and I didn't want to overload. For the past few months my diet has been extremely poor and I could tell my hair was missing something. You know that voice in your head? It told me to try a protein treatment. I did and my hair feels so much stronger. As of this moment I have not decided if this is going to be a regular in my regimen. I will do it as needed.
Recap: January '10 Protective Style
During most of January (5th-30th) I wore two strand twists. It was great not having to worry constantly about styling but it was a struggle to fight through the boredom. I am used to changing my hair every week. When I finally took the twists out, I had a TON of shedding. This was expected since I did not comb or detangle my hair for nearly one month. I knew they were shed hairs because they we long and I could see the white bulbs on top. I didn't look at all of them but I did examine a good number of them just to make sure I was suffering from a ton a breakage. I feel like I retained a lot of length from wearing the twists all month but I didn't think to do before and after pics so I have no way of checking that assumption.
I learned that tea tree and aloe vera are GREAT for the itches. The first two weeks of January I used a water/conditioner mix for moisturizing and my scalp was itching like crazy. The last two weeks I used the aloe vera spray with some tea tree oil and my scalp felt sooooo much better. I also learned that my hair LOVES getting moisturized and sealed nightly. The shaft of my hair feels stronger but yet softer than it did in December. When my scalp felt a little too dry I used some coconut oil and that absorbed right in with no problem.
My routine with the two strand twists was fairly simple. Moisturize & seal nightly, co-wash (while twisted) in the middle of the month, and oiling the scalp when needed. I continued to wear my twists up because most of my length retention would have been lost if I would have allowed my twist to brush against my clothing or constant exposure to the dry winter hair.
Combating Dry Hair
"Dry hair is hair that does not have enough moisture and oil to maintain its normal sheen and texture."-Medline Plus
It seems like the biggest and most frustrating problem with hair problem is dryness. I base this assumption off of the fact that I get asked about this topic a lot.
External factors that contribute to dry hair:
- Shampooing too often
- Using a harsh shampoos
- Environmental elements
Internal factors that can contribute to dry hair:
- Nutrient deficiency
- Illness
Some suggested ways to combat dry hair include:
- Shampoo your hair with care-don’t go overboard
- Use a conditioner (deep, leave in, or a rinse out)
- Trim frayed/split/knotted ends
- Use a no heat styling methods
- Protect your hair from the elements (weather)
- Do hot Oil Treatments
Alternative methods:
- Aromatherapy - add a combination of six drops of lavender, bay and sandalwood essential oils with six ounces of warm sesame or soy oils then apply the oil to the hair, wrap in towel for 15 minutes, then rinse
- Food Therapy - Eat lots of food high in omega -3 fatty acids, such as fish. Add flaxseed oil to your diet; approximately two tablespoons a day added to popcorn or potatoes can replenish lost hair and skin oils.
- Mayo - comb the mayonnaise through your damp hair, then wrap your head in a towel, let it penetrate for at least 20 minutes and then shampoo.
I personally prefer to combat dry hair by:
-Moisturizing and Sealing regularly
-Using a conditoner/water mix spritz on my hair
-Wearing hats when the air is dry
-Deep Conditioning Weekly
Treating dry hair was not an overnight process. It took a few weeks of me treating my hair with love. It has been well worth. I showed my hair love and my hair is loving me in return. Patience is a virtue
Coconut Oil
This past week I have been applying coconut oil to the length of my hair before I go out into the cold dry winter air. In the evening when I return home my hair is really soft and just feels great. I am so in love with coconut oil and after reading about it's capabilities I understand why.
Some key points:
"Historically, coconut oil has been used as a hair dressing in the developing countries in
the tropical regions of the globe where the coconut is cultivated extensively. Prolonged
use of coconut oil has been known to lead to healthy looking long hair, suggesting that
it may prevent damage to the cuticle in grooming procedures involving abrasion."
"It is well known that wet combing is accompanied by the breaking of the surface cuticle cell because of its brittleness"
"...the performance of coconut oil in reducing protein loss was better than that of mineral
and sunflower oils. Coconut oil performed better as a pre-wash rather than a post-wash
conditioner"
"damaged as well as undamaged hair benefits from application of coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner, whereas in the case of sunflower oil and mineral oil, there was no effect. The effects of coconut oil were also positive in a salon test. In both normal and bleached hair, treatment effects in reducing protein loss were significant, whereas the same findings were absent in the case of mineral oil and sunflower oil."
“Coconut oil is mostly a triglyceride of lauric acid and is hydrophobic. Application of Coconut oil as a pre-wash conditioner coats the hair and inhibits the penetration of water into the hair. A small part of it is also absorbed in to the hair during the wash when the fiber is swollen. Introduction of this hydrophobic component reduces the swelling propensity of the cuticle, which limits the upward curving of the surface cuticle. This reduces the chipping away of the cuticle cells, which reduces protein loss, as observed in this work.”
I strongly recommend reading the research article in its entirety on your own:
Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage
Cold Weather Regimen
This is the first year that I actually made an attempt to change my regimen with the seasons. I now see that I only need two main regimens; one for warm weather and one for cold weather. The regimen that I started the following for the fall was quickly thrown to the wayside and now it's just a cold weather regimen.
The first day of winter is December 21 but I guess it really doesn't matter because it's cold already. I hate cold weather. Hate it! It's like we went from summer straight to winter.
This is the update to my regimen:
Cleansing
Alternate between shampoos and co-washes. The winter hair is already drying to I don’t want to shampoo too often. Every week might be too much for my hair.
Conditioning
Deep condition every week with LeKair Cholesterol/Rosemary Oil/Olive Oil Mix Moisturizing: After rinsing and while hair is still damp, leave a small amount of condition in the hair and apply coconut oil to the entire length with special focus on the ends.
Special Treatments
Oil Rinse - Twice a month (I love these!!!)
Styling
Styles for the cold weather will consist of braids, cornrows, buns, and twists that are pinned up or styled in updos. Now that I can do roller sets, I will incorporate those as well.
Trims
Since I have been more loving towards my ends they have not given me a problem with splits and fairy knots. I am going to trim when needed. S&D!!!
Quiz: How Healthy is Your Hair?
Find out if it’s Pantene-commercial worthy or if it should join Amy Winehouse in rehab
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 Think your hair is healthy? The answer might surprise you. Take this quiz to find out the real health of your hair and get tips on how to nurse it back to a shiny, soft state. |
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