My Healthy Hair Habits
My hair is fine, thin, and straight. I’ve been annoyed with its tendency to flatten to the sides of my head and limply droop into my eyes for my entire life. Even with a variety of fancy products, it will barely hold a curl or even fluff up off my scalp. And my decades long habit of creating the same severe side part probably wasn’t helping things.
My stylist, Jenn, has always gently encouraged me to move my part around, wash my hair less often, and avoid heat styling. At first, I resisted. I had been an every other day washer since childhood and even then the second day was borderline greaseball. Plus, the only thing that seemed to make my hair look soft and fluffy was a good blow dry.
However, I got pretty exasperated with how fried my hair looked, and I started to make some changes. This past year, I finally committed to a totally new strategy. And of course, Jenn was right! I just got a fresh chop, and she was so happy with how healthy my hair is now.
Here’s what I do:
· Wash and condition with moisturizing shampoo and conditioner every three days. Conditioner only goes on ends.
· Wring out and comb hair, then wrap it in a microfiber towel until halfway dry.
· Remove microfiber towel, lightly finger comb hair straight back from face, and leave it alone until totally dry.
Freshly washed...
...to drowned rat...
...to finished product!
Um, that’s it. Sometimes I throw a little dry shampoo in there if I have to be acceptable for public viewing on third day hair.
Of course, there are caveats. I do have a specific hair type and realize that my strategy probably won’t work for everyone. I encourage you to consult a stylist you trust to develop your own healthy hair routine! Also, I have to admit that it took awhile to see a difference with this routine, especially since I made the transition gradually. This is no overnight fix, but I do think it was worth it for me.
And of course, the best part of this whole thing is that it’s simple, straightforward, and has become an easy habit that doesn’t take up a lot of space in either my bathroom or my brain. Plus, there's no pressure to research or shop for products, which saves me both time and money.
I do believe that as we get older, natural beauty can appear more youthful, which is why my makeup and hair routines are so simple. I may change my mind in the future, but for now it’s all about that fresh faced look!
LMW
When it comes to makeup, it’s easier to create waste than you might think.