HOW TO GET HEALTHIER LONGER HAIR
Everyone wants to have healthier hair; we try many products, homemade solutions and still not get the results you are looking for. Have you ever considered that maybe it’s not the What you use but the How you take care of your hair?
Depending on your hair type you may be one of those fortunate few that can get away with showing your hair very little attention and still have healthy, long hair; but then there are those who can’t seem to get their hair moving.
A hair care regime is nothing more than a structured routine where you perform basic and some specialized hair care practices. Your routine will require trial and error as you find the proper hair care products that will work with your hair type and specific need.
I recommend you try to get to know your hair type this is very important. Different hair types will determine the manner of care needed and the products to use. For instance, someone with kinky curly or coily type hair may require heavier moisturizing products than someone with straight or type 3 hair.
You should also determine your hair’s porosity, moisture level, strength and health of your scalp when building your regime.
Let’s talk about Building a Hair Regime that’s just for You:
What you’ll need:
Shampoo or cleansers – used to clarify the scalp leaving a healthier base to work with
Deep Conditioners – Protein-based AND Moisture based – my recommendation is to alternate between protein and moisture depending on what your hair requires.
Leave in conditioner – These provide additional benefits such as enhanced elasticity, seal in moisture, heat protectant, and detangler.
Moisturizers – Whether cream or butter it is important to use daily to seal in moisture and keep your hair hydrated which helps to decrease breakage due to dryness.
Oils – your choice eg. (Castor oil, olive oil) It is best to use natural oils as they contain no chemicals that can clog your pores. Each oil provides the hair with different benefits
Spray bottle – used in reapplying moisture with water, our hair
Here is how it works
Select a day that you choose to be the best for wash day – Saturday or Sunday and book yourself a time slut 30 minutes to an hour.
I find that the best way to reach all areas of your hair is to do it in sections to ensure better product coverage.
1. Cleansing and Conditioning
Like building a house the foundation is important. Your scalp is the foundation for healthier hair. Keeping your scalp clean is essential for growing hair.
You should try to stay away from harsh shampoos that can dry out the nutrients in your hair. Follow up each cleansing with a moisturizing conditioner. Moisturizing conditioners replenishes the moisture removed by the shampoo/cleanser
Co-washing is also a solution to cleansing the scalp. Co-washing is basically the use of conditioner to clean the scalp. This is a healthy solution as it cleanses the scalp without removing moisture and in my opinion leaves the hair softer and easy to manage. For me the only time you really need to shampoo is when you are experiencing lots of build-up.
Deep conditioning
The Holy Grail - Deep conditioning for me is the most important part of ALL hair care regime. No matter your hair type or current condition a good deep conditioner can revive your hair. Deep conditioning can be either for increased protein and strength or moisture and lustre. Moisturizing conditioners help to make your hair manageable while protein based conditioners are used to nourish and strengthen your hair. I recommend to everyone who asks that a deep conditioner should be used weekly on every wash day.
Deep Conditioning Schedule
Deep conditioners each have their purpose and should be used alternately. Protein strengthening is the best way to repair breakage and tears in your hair. Alternate your treatment by including a moisturizing deep conditioner this will reduce frizz, improve elasticity and improve manageability.
2. Moisturizer, Seal and Protect
Whether you are using the LOC method where you incorporate spritzing your hair with water (liquid) then apply oil before cream or you use the LCO method applying the cream before the oil. This is where your leave-in conditioner and moisturizer play their part.
Depending on your hair type you may opt for a light to creamy leave-in conditioner which you apply to your hair after washing and follow up with your moisturizer and oil to seal in the moisture creating a protective barrier allowing a healthier look and feel. Using your moisturizer daily especially on the ends of the hair which needs the most coverage will ensure continued protection until your next wash day.
Helpful tip
Always style on detangled and stretched hair to avoid knots.
3. Protective Styling
I also recommend incorporating protective styling into your regime. Protective styling refers to the use of styles that allow for less manipulation and decreases what I call the “Hand in Hair Itis.” The less you have to manipulate your hair the less friction is introduced decreasing possibilities for breakage.
I hope you found this guide helpful.
