Weekly visits to the salon can become very costly and time consuming. So, through trial and error I've come up with my own solutions to this problem. Eating right, drinking plenty of water, covering your hair at night, not spending too much time in direct sun, avoiding products with a high alcohol content, using high heat as least as possible--these are a few ways to gain a healthy scalp and head of hair.
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| Deep conditioning packs!! About $2 each! |
Olive oil and argan oil have been to my rescue many a time! I'm not sure if they're hidden secrets or what, but I don't really hear much about either product in general. When I hear oil and hair they don't seem to go together. Greasy hair is the last thing you want if you're goal is to maintain healthy hair. Trying random products out and doing a little research I've learned a thing or two. If you're like I was here's a little info on both:
Argan Oil
- Comes from the seed of an endangered fruiting tree found in northern Africa that's high in vitamin E and essential fatty acids
- Can be used in foods, for dry and dull hair, brittle nails, skin problems such as wrinkles, stretch marks, acne and eczema
- Natural antioxidant, so it helps lock in moisture, repair damaged hair, maintain healthier roots and scalp
Olive Oil
- Originally from Asia, pitted olives are pressed to retrieve the oil
- Contains both vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which are vital to healthy skin and hair
- Can be used in food, treating ear aches, digestion issues (such as constipation and indigestion) and to combat dry skin and hair
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As always, I started the process with freshly washed hair and a clean scalp. Since I was planning on straightening my hair I didn't want to add more stress to it than necessary. I used a detangling shampoo with tingling peppermint oil. Smells SO good and your hair/scalp feels really nice after wards!
Next, I used the Olive Oil Replenishing Pak that's in the first picture. After gently towel drying my hair I SOAKED it in this conditioner. There's a lot of product in that little pack, but I used it all.
To make sure the product was distributed evenly I used my shower comb to detangle my hair. With the olive oil conditioner in still, I parted my hair into four braided sections so it would be easier to rinse and keep untangled.
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| Nothing fancy, just 4 sections |
Side note:
In theory, knowing your hair type could help you in knowing how to work with your hair. I honestly have no clue what my hair type it besides a "do what it wants to do" type. 4B, Type 3..sounds like a game of bingo. Might just add this to my research list and get back to ya on it!
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| If you know hair types maybe you can help me out? |
After I got done with sectioning my hair I put a shower cap on. The longer you keep it on the better, but I had some things to do so I kept it on for about 20 mins before rinsing.
Tip: If you do a conditioning pack in the evening, and will be in for the night, you can try this. Wash your hair and condition as explained here, but instead of rinsing, keep the shower cap on. Add a bonnet or scarf on top of the shower cap to keep it in place. You can continue with your normal activities; including sleep. Keep the scarf and cap on while you sleep. The shower cap will keep the moisture trapped, so your hair doesn't dry out during the night. The scarf/bonnet will keep the cap from coming off while you sleep. In the morning rinse and continue the steps like usual. This deep conditioning method is great for wash and goes too!
Whenever I rinse my hair I use low pressure and lukewarm water. Hot water can strip your hair of its needed oils, and cold..well I just don't like being cold but it helps seal your hairs cuticle.
The braids were left in while rinsing the conditioner out. I squeezed the sections to make sure all of the product was out--rinsed for about 3 minutes.
Working one section at a time I blow dried my hair, pinned it out the way and moved onto the next. Since the hair was detangled when the conditioner was applied it doesn't need it again. This is a plus to rinsing with the sections in tact. After my whole head's dried I took small sections out of a pony tail to begin flat ironing.
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| Helps split ends and breakage that can occur from styling |
A little Healing Serum was applied to the sections before flat ironing, focusing on the ends. The ends of hair tend to be the driest, most vulnerable to heat, everyday wear and prone to breakage. This product adds shine, and a protective layer to seal your hair and keep it from breaking. It also smells good! One tip with this product is a little goes a long way, don't over do it! It's always easier to add more than to take away when it comes to hair products.
Tip: When it comes to flat ironing hair smaller is better. Most people want to get it over asap and work in chunky sections to achieve this. I don't want to be doing touch ups often, or having wavy roots after all of this. Taking small, thin sections to iron out, may take more time, but the end result looks better and lasts longer.
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| Hair after flat ironing! It's grown since getting it cut a couple months ago!! |
Before I decided I was going to straighten my hair I checked the weather. If it's raining, going to rain, be foggy, a chance of rain, humid--in other words any type of moisture in the air--I'm not straightening my hair. Right after spending all this time on my hair I walk my dog, Scrappy, and of course I get hit with some sprinkles. Funny how that happens o___O
As I mentioned before, I had some business to take care of ^_^' Dealing with the weather wasn't going to be one of them. I wrapped my hair and put a scarf on. Nice and simple. Chunky earrings, and a tie on the side to dress it up a little and I'm out the door!
-_________- It didn't end up raining after all, but I still looked cute!
This is one of a few ways I've found to keep my hair from being overly dry.
Know of other ways to keep your hair moisturized, conditioned, and/or healthy? Let me know!!
