Photo Courtesy of Instagram @emijayinc
Your hair is one of those things about you that can introduce you before you even say a word. The way you style it and dye it, the way you wear it or pin it, there’s no way around it.
A few years ago, I started my hair care journey. As most girls do, during college I tried to lighten my hair. I had a nice balayage going and then I made the mistake of going to the wrong person who ended up frying my hair. I mean she literally put bleach on my entire head and tried to call it a balayage. This then turned into multiple dye jobs to try to cover it up and my hair getting more and more damaged in the process.
Once I got my hair to my natural shade, it was time to work on repairing it.
The same way you try to fix your skin when you go through months of acne, is how you need to look at your hair. The products that will target your specific needs and what habits you can incorporate into your routine are what will get your hair where you want it to be.
The great thing about your hair care is that the efforts that you put in play more of a factor. With your skin, you may be using all the right products, but then your period will come and ruin all of your hard work with a pimple right on your chin. With your hair, you know what actions are leading to the damage and how you can help repair it.
If you are looking to start your hair care journey here are a few tips that can get you to the luscious locks that you are hoping for:
Get regular haircuts, A friend had asked me how she should get her hair healthy and when I told her to get regular haircuts she was disappointed because she wanted long hair, but also healthy hair. Unfortunately, it does take time to get your hair where you want it to be and so you might as well focus on having as much of your hair be as healthy as you can. Then once it is healthy not only will it grow faster, but it will look how you want it to when it is at the right length. You don't want to finally get your hair to your dream length and have to chop half of it off because it is damaged.
Use products that will help your hair everyday, Not all of your products need to be used everyday, but try to find something that you can use everyday to help your hair. For me, I use a leave-in conditioner on days when I wash my hair. On the days that I don’t wash my hair, I use a hair oil to give the ends some shine or as an alternative to gel to help slick back my hair. No matter what, something is going in my hair to help protect it.
Do a hair mask every so often, When I first began trying to get my hair back to a healthy spot, I tried to do a deep, overnight hair mask once a week. Needless to say, all it was doing was making my hair oily. If you are getting the right products then they are going to do their job. So while it a hair mask is going to do a great job at repairing some of the deep damage in your hair, you can’t fast track the progress. Listen to the directions on the bottle!
Make sure you are giving your hair days to relax, You know how when you don’t wear makeup for a few days and your skin feels like it can finally breathe? Consider this for your hair. Having days for your hair to rest can mean no tight ponytail or slick back bun. Rather than putting heat on it every time you get out of the shower, instead opt for a few days of your natural hair so that your hair can have a rest.
Even though healing your hair may take time, take solace in knowing that it will get there! No bad diet or hormone imbalance can dry out your hair like it does your face. Keep using your heat protectant and your hair will be blowing in the wind in no time.
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