I Love My Hair

Yep, I'm still nurturing that little black girl inside of me that always wanted feathered bangs. I do love my hair, but now that "love" isn't just a passive verb, it's active. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've noticed that my hair has lost some of it's oomph in the past couple years. In order to restore the luster I'm accustomed to and grow my hair long again I'm taking steps to educate myself about hair care. Photo via theurbandaily.com

One of the invaluable sources of info that I've found is YouTube superstar kimmaytube. Her channel has an amazing library of videos that demonstrate and educate on topics of hair maintenance. One of the important lessons that Kim has taught is that growing hair is dependant on preserving it. So instead of falling for gimmicks that claim to make hair grow faster, I'm looking at ways to make sure the hair I grow doesn't break off or shed excessively. Check out kimmaytube's visual lesson about hair growth and maintenance here.

My hair will benefit from good nutrition, adequate sleep, stress management, and staying physically active. All of these are part of my overall fitness agenda, so I've got a good headstart! But my goal to have my hair past my bra strap by this time next year will require me to go the extra mile. To combat the dryness that causes breakage and is characteristic of curly and otherwise textured hair, I've got to keep my tresses moisturized. My routine is still evolving, but here's what I'm trying out right now.

• Wash hair only once per week.
• For the past two weeks I've used Auromere Ayurvedic Shampoo w/ Neem. It's okay, but it feels a bit like it's stripping my hair. Since my issue is dryness, this is a no-no. I've read good things about neem for hair, however, so in the future I may try the same shampoo in a sulphate-free version.
• I didn't use the Auromere conditioner. Instead I've used the Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing conditioner by Aubrey organics. So many people love it, saying how great it is for detangling and giving "slip." But I've found it be just okay. It might be fine for summertime, when my hair is less thirsty. Or perhaps it's just not good in combo with the Auromere... yep, this is a trial and error process.
• This week I'm switching to Giovanni's Smooth as Silk Deeper Moisture shampoo and conditioner. They are sulphate AND paraben-free (a must!) and I've heard great things about how well they moisturize. Let's hope that's the case.
• I'm also implementing the use of protective styles. These are basically just ways to style your hair to minimize its exposure to the elements. One of the key aims is to make sure the ends (those elderly and sensitive parts of your hair strands) are tucked away from the harsh, cruel world. For me a simple bun is the go-to, as I've never been especially jazzy about hair styles. 
• Another protection tactic is to keep my hair is twists for most of the week. I'm lucky enough to work from my home and don't worry about being terribly fly on a daily, so this is really easy. On weekends, or whenever I'm socializing I'll usually take the twists out because they are, frankly, not that cute. The biggest gain from wearing twists is that they prevent or minimize tangles - a curly girl's worst enemy. I've lost many (many, many) a strand of hair that couldn't be untangled and had to be pulled or cut out.
• At night I sleep either on a silk pillow case or with a silk scarf covering my hair.
• At the mid-point between washes I give my hair a much needed drink of water, by simply getting it a little damp. I then seal that moisture in with a leave-in conditioner that I also use after a wash. Right now, I'm using a mixture that includes Curl Enhancing Smoothie from Shea Moisture and Lavish Curls Moisturizer by the Curls brand. In the future I'll probably make a leave in from my own recipe using some kimmaytube tips, found here. I will, of course, adapt my recipe to the needs of my hair, because what works for some doesn't work for all. These pre-bottled items were already in my possession, however, and I'm not going to waste them. They are paraben-free and contain some highly recommended ingredients. Namely, neem oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera juice.

So that's the plan! I'll be taking some progress shots soon so that I can document the effect of my new regimen. I'm excited to see how much I might gain from putting in a little effort! See the products mentioned above in the widget below. They all score well on the toxicity levels as published by cosmeticsdatabase.com