Self • December 17, 2024

Cara

A Hair Journey, Part 2

Hair Health

Like any journey, a hair journey is made up of different phases. I’ve already written about the first part of my hair journey - getting the right cut. I got a good 2-inch trim back in November and my hair felt immediately better by just getting those old ends trimmed off. It inspired me to continue on the second part of the journey - getting my hair as healthy as it could be.

I’ve always been a bit “hair obsessed”. I religiously used Alberto VO5 Hot Oil treatments back in the day - remember those? I even used to use mayonnaise as a conditioner weekly (boy was that hard to rinse out of your hair!). I’ve gotten a little more sophisticated in my hair treatments as an adult - let me share!

Over the course of the last 20 years, I’ve read and researched and quizzed my hair stylists about good hair habits. These are the things I’ve come away with. Some may work for you, others may not. Please note: I have a lot of colored hair- so I tend toward dry hair. Adjust accordingly!

  • Before you wash your hair, make sure to brush it thoroughly to get any knots out. Hair is much more fragile when it’s wet, so you don’t want to be detangling it after the shower and risk losing more hair then you’re already losing. It’s amazing how your hair is so much smoother when you do this. A good detangling brush is also key - both for wet and dry hair.

  • Now it’s time for the wash. If you are somebody who uses lots of products on your hair - dry shampoo, hair spray, etc.- using a clarifying shampoo once a month will be really helpful to clean up your scalp. Oribe makes a great one, as does Ouai. After the clarifying shampoo, I use a regular shampoo - one specifically for color-treated hair. Again, Oribe makes amazing products, but they are pricey.  I justify the cost by the fact I only wash my hair every five days so I’m really spreading out the cost.

  • A good conditioner, based on your specific hair needs, is the next step. Unless I’ve just gotten my hair colored, I only use conditioner from mid-shaft down, so as not to weigh down my hair and make it flat (my biggest hair nightmare!). I try to keep the conditioner in for as long as possible (shave your legs, exfoliate, just relax!).

  • As far as the rinse, there’s a debate in the hair community about the cold rinse. The benefits of a cold rinse are that it doesn’t wash away all the good (expensive) conditioner that you just put on your hair but does close down the hair shaft and could help to make your hair shinier. But, if you are cold-sensitive and standing in a freezing cold shower is not appealing, the benefits are negligible.

  • A good microfiber hair towel or turban is also a key to good hair. They just help with frizz and also are lighter and don’t pull down at your hair’s roots. Crown Affair has a great one (again, pricey) but there are many at different price points that help dry your hair smarter.

  • Once you’re out of the shower and have taken your hair out of the towel, go in with a leave-in conditioner (unless your hair tends to be very oily, then I wouldn’t do this step). It just helps with brushing your hair out. I also put some hair oil on my ends at this point as well. I have thick, color-treated hair so I need all the things!!

  • If you know you’re going to blow-dry your hair, put in a heat protectant. Color Wow makes the best. It just helps coat your hair and protect against the damaging heat of the dryer or flat iron or curling iron. 

  • Now let your hair dry a little bit. No need to blow dry sopping wet hair - it will take longer and expose your hair to more heat - which is basically the devil. Then add any other products you may use and dry and style.

These are the basics of the normal hair wash. But there’s other things to be doing in between:

  • Get a regular trim - you really do have split ends.

  • Sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to help keep your hair frizz-free.

  • Use silk or satin scrunchies instead of elastic bands.

  • Add oils back into your hair regularly- look for products that contain argan oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil - especially at the ends. 

  • Eat a healthy diet including lots of leafy vegetables and sources of iron. Incorporate foods like eggs, nuts, avocado, and citrus fruits. These all aid in hair growth.

  • Use a monthly hair mask. Put it in and then go use your red light therapy wand for 20 minutes or so. 

We’ve put together all the products mentioned in this article (plus some other favorites) right here. Remember, we all have different hair, but these are the things that we use and have used for a while.