Starting a hair regimen part 3/3 : You've made it!

 

When I think about regime building, i'm often reminded of the preparatory process for the first day of secondary school. Mum has packed the biggest and brightest lunch bag, your hair is as fly as you can remember it ever being, and it's time to enter the big world on your own. 

Well it's all the same for starting a hair regime, you have all of the info you need to get started and it's up to you to enjoy it, embrace it, and succeed at it. Of course there will always be guidance along the way, but your fave hair advisor/ blogger etc can't fly across the world to help you wash your hair on wash days!

Before you finally embark on your journey, here are a few more top tips that will help and guide you along the way!

P.s i've included an extensive list of go to hair products which you can apply to 
'Starting a hair regime part 2' 

Heat reduction

Not always the easiest aspect to deal with, especially for sleek straight hair lovers, but heat reduction is vital. Heat breaks down the protein bonds of our hair strands and fizzles out any moisture that was previously there. A few ways to reduce heat damage, in the case that you want straighter hair are:

1| Use a heat protectant - it creates a protective film which coats the hair strand in order to reduce damage caused by heat

2| Lower your heat settings - often we are tempted to apply heat on the hottest setting so that we have straighter results, however, often enough lower heat settings can also give sleek results without you having to re-straighten that segment of hair. This also applies to blowdrying, if you are blowdrying try a lower heat setting. Moreso if you straighten after blowdrying, try and blowdry on cool air so that you use less heat all in all.

3| Natural: If you know you'll be sporting a curly do, try and achieve it through air drying e.g in twists or braids. Relaxed: If you're still rocking freshly relaxed hair opt for air drying. As soon as your new growth begins to peek through, use a headscarf to help flatten your edges.

All in all it is a good practice to reduce heat usage. You can challenge yourself to no more than one heat application per week, and in good time you'll notice healthier hair.

Protective Styles

Weave, braids, wigs - you've heard of them all! Protective styles work a treat if done properly. As stated in the name, they are used to protect your hair e.g in times of extreme weather conditions, on holidays, during exam periods etc. 


Hair Appliances/ Tools
[by no means compulsory but most certainly recommended]
- Seamless wide tooth comb
- Silk/satin headscarf or bonnet
- Shower cap for deep conditioning (+ steamers and hooded dryers)
- Soft bristle brush
- Bobby pins/clips (always come in handy)
- Rollers for rollersetting
- Adjustable setting straighteners/flat iron
- Hair scissors for trimming 

finally...

Have fun, haircare should never be a burden. Invest in a hair diary and best of all get sassy and take those pictures! You'll be shocked at how much you can achieve in a few months! You can also get yourself a snazzy length check t-shirt to make your journey that tad bit more exciting!!!

Here's a list of go to products you can try to get your journey on the go!
[the list could go on forever so I've just added the one's I love and others that are highly spoken of, that came to mind!)

PRE-POO

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme

SHAMPOO

Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Shampoo, Anita Grant shampoo bars, Hair One Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner, Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme Shampoo, Nexxus Aloe Rid Shampoo, Aveda Detox Shampoo, Eluence Moisture Benefits Shampoo,  Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Shine Shampoo, Shea Moisture African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo, As I Am™, KeraCare Products etc

CONDITIONER / DEEP CONDITIONER

Goldwell Kerasilk Ultra Rich Care Treatment, Kerastase Nutritive Nutri-Thermique Masque, 

ORS Replenishing Pak, Queen Helene Cholesterol, Nexxus Humectress, Philip Kingsley Moisture Extreme Conditioner, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Conditioner, Herbal Essences Smooth and Soft Intensive Mask, Keracare Humecto, Elasta QP DPR, ORS Hair Mayonnaise, Aphogee 2 Min Reconstructor, Anita Grant Rhassoul Deep Conditioner, Roux Porosity Control, Shea Moisture African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner, As I Am Products, Kera Care Products etc

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER / MOISTURISER

Kinky-Curly Knot Today, Giovanni Direct Leave In, Joico Daily Care Leave-In, S-Curl No drip, ORS Olive Oil Moisturising Lotion, AtOne Botanicals Leave In, Cantu Shea butter Leave-In, Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Cream, Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling Cream, As I Am Products, KeraCare Products etc

OILS / SCALP FEED

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Carrot Oil, Neem Oil, ROOT2TIP Energizer Scalp Tonic, Philip Kingsley Scalp Tonic, KeraCare Products, Unrefined Shea Butter, Rosemary Oil*,Tea Tree Oil*, Peppermint*, Lavendar*, Ylang Ylang*, Eucalyptus* etc

(*- must be diluted in a carrier oil, NEVER use alone)

Avec amour...

edF ❥

Starting a hair regime part 2/3 : Building a regimen that works for YOU!

primary image sources

So you've started to incorporate healthy eating and more exercise into your lifestyle, now it's time to deal with the next most important phase... which hair regime to follow

Before I start I've got to tell you one of the most important things you'll hear but most probably not believe until you reach a certain landmark in your healthy hair journey...

'No two heads of hair are the same'

This has to be one of the realest facts in the hairsphere to date! Truth is, some of the things I post below may not even work for you, but are still worth trying out. You never know till you try when it comes to haircare! Hair changes with seasons and products you love in year one, may be your biggest enemies in year 2, so learn to observe your hair, keep a hair diary, and legho!!!

SHAMPOO

Moisturising Shampoo - Moisturising shampoos can be used once/twice a week or fortnightly depending on your commitments. They are more gentle than clarifying shampoos and work to remove oil, dirt and other environmental nasties that may get caught in those tresses!

Clarifying Shampoo - Clarifying shampoos are stronger cleansers and work to remove heavy product build up e.g. grease, gels, oils etc. They are also effective in restoring hair after it has come into contact with chlorine from swimming. Clarifyers can be used once a month, depending on the extent of experienced product buildup.

Mini whisper: Some people prefer not to use shampoos which contain Sulphates. Whilst shampoos without sulphates as a key ingredient do tend to be more moisturising, effects vary per head of hair, so trial may just be the best option. P.s if you find your product buildup is barely visible but your scalp craves a good washing, opt for co-washing! [See below]

CONDITIONER / DEEP CONDITIONER

Conditioning should be your go to step after every shampoo wash, even if you can't DC for a long period of time, a quick 5 minute condition is better than none!

Moisturising [Deep] Conditioner - Moisturising conditioners are the most widely used conditioners. Hair lacking moisture becomes softer, more nourished and simply more moisturised after good conditioning. A moisturising DC can be done once or twice a week after every wash. If you wash more than once a week you can reduce the amount of time you use to DC considerably, e.g 10-15 minutes in comparison to 30-40 minutes.

Protein [Deep] Conditioner - With well moisturised hair follows the need for proteins. One issue often faced in hair regimes is the protein and moisture imbalance. Too much of one can wreck havoc on your hair! Protein DC's can be done once a month, in order to strengthen and rebuild your hair. Additionally, on days when you opt for a moisturising DC, you can follow up with a quick protein treatment e.g Aphogee 2 min reconstructor in order to get a quick surge of proteins.

Co-wash Cheapie - Sounds odd right? Washing hair with conditioner is the perfect way to give your hair a good and extremely gentle cleansing without stripping it when it doesn't need shampoo strength cleansing. What's more you can mix your shampoo and conditioner to enhance your shampoos moisturising effects.

Mini whisper: I personally find that conditioners work best for me when aided with heat. Wearing a shower cap for 30-40 minutes or better yet sitting under a steamer/dryer for 20-30 minutes should do the trick!

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER / MOISTURISER

Leave-in Conditioner - People often ask why Leave-ins are important in a hair journey and how it is that they are different to moisturisers. Well,  generally they help give your hair a good moisture boost, ease detangling and often contain ingredients which prepare hair for styling with and without heat. Most leave-ins can double up as daily moisturisers depending on how muh you like them and their moisturising effects.

Moisturisers - A moisturiser, according to the dictionary definition, is used to counter dryness. It may be that your leave-in is made specifically for detangling and therefore you still need something more moisturising. In this case a separate moisturiser is the way forward, something which can be used daily without weighing hair down is always great! 

Mini whisper: hydration and moisturisation are not necessarily the same thing, there is a fine line so don't shoot me yet! Moisturisers are specifically targeted at preventing dryness, this can be, for example, via a water and oil blend which seals moisture in more effectively, however hydration is the specific addition of H2O in order to quench thirst. Some products are deemed moisturising and do not contain any water, therefore can be called moisturising but not hydrating!

OILS

If you're already clued up about moisturising and sealing, then it's no surprise how important it is! Using oils to add sheen/shine is one thing but more importantly oils are perfect for prolonging the during of achieved moisture in your hair. All it takes is moisturising your hair with your desired moisturising product, and then using some oil on top to seal in the moisture!

Mini whisper: you can also use your oils as hot oil treatments and bases for a scalp nourisher. If your a skin lover like me you can even use your loved oil as a facial oil cleanser. Yummy!

SCALP FEED

So far so good, we've covered just about everything from washing to conditioning to moisturising, but how about what happens to your scalp in between washes? If you're after  healthy and perhaps longer hair, it all begins at the scalp. Feeding our scalp with some sort of oil/cream keeps it from being dry and encourages very healthy new growth. Additionally, massaging your scalp is a mastermind when it comes to scalp stimulation! Stimulation meaning enhanced growth of course!!!

EXTRAS

Other hair treats you can try if you don't already feel overwhelmed by the joys of haircare!

Pre-poo - incorporating a pre-shampoo treatment into your regime. Encourages easier detangling, softness, reduction of shampoo stripping and added moisture.

Washes/Rinses/Glosses - to combat porosity issues you can rinse your hair with ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar), to stregthen hair you can do a coffee/tea rinse or try your hand at a Henna Gloss treatment

Detangling - if you struggle with detangling and find yourself in knots, you can try washing in 4 sections to ease the process.

So there it goes, a long but essential guide on how to build a Healthy Hair Regime. Of course you'll want to know which products to use/try right? Well look out for part 3 for a chunky list of go to hair products and the final phase of 'starting a hair regime'!

P.s I'll be creating a downloadable guide upon completion of the 'starting a hair regime' series on how to build a hair regime, so look out for it! Also here is part 1/3 if you missed it.

Feel free to contact me if you have any hair Q's!

eaudefiona@loveyourtresses.com

Avec amour...

edF ❥

Starting a hair regimen part 1/3 : Nutrition [Re-post]

I completely neglected this 3 part series, and wish I hadn't forgotten about it because it's so important! For those that missed it, here it is again. The next 3 parts of the post will be posted in the next coming days.

'It all starts from within'

Two years ago when first starting my hair journey, the biggest off put was always the blogs that mentioned the importance of a healthy diet in haircare. I mean honestly who has time to drink more water, eat more fruit and go to the gym these days! Watching keeping up with the Kardashians is more than enough for body exhilaration right!

Well folks truth is health really is the first point of call when starting a hair journey. It's quite simple... if you are healthy, your hair is healthy. Several problems can arise from the lack of necessary nutrients and vitamins in our diet. 

 So where to begin ...

Moisture

1-2 litres of H2O everyday

Protein

Hair is dead protein, therefore protein intake is important for healthy hair. 

You can find protein in many everyday foods e.g. fish, prawns, beef and eggs. 

The classic F and V’s 

Fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients 

to our hair e.g iron, silica, which in the long run help support 

healthy hair growth and prevent hair loss.

Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, bean sprouts, beans, papaya, apples, berries, 
melons, citrus fruits, grapes, coconut's are all sources of nutrients fit for queens! 

[You can semi cheat through pure fruit juices and smoothies that make known the a percentage of your daily fruit intake. 
If an apple a day can keep the doctor away, think of the hair benefits it has too!]

Vitamins

Hair loss occurs when our diet is inadequate in vitamin B – especially 

biotin and folic acid. Foods rich in B vitamins include beans, peas, carrots, 

cauliflower, bran, nuts and eggs.

Vitamins such as Vitamin A (cabbage, broccoli and spinach), 

Vitamin E (vegetable oils, dried nuts), are essential vitamins that help

 prevent hair loss and elasticity.

Vitamin C aids in improving scalp circulation. It is important to maintain

 capillaries that carry blood to the follicles. Oranges all the way!

Simple healthy habits

Apart from having a balanced diet, other effective hair loss 

solutions include exercise, adequate sleep and avoiding bad foods. Smoking, 

junk food, fizzy drinks and caffeine in excess can result in negative

 effects on hair.

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If you're wondering how to make these habits practical, begin by choosing 2 things 

you can change/add, with time you can add other elements and before you know it, 

your skin, hair and body will show you the results!

Avec amour...

edF ❥