Hair Training: BEFORE and AFTER!

For the last 6 months I’ve been on a HAIR JOURNEY! I’ve never been afraid of making bold changes, but the coloring and constant change ups have taken a toll on the health of my hair. It’s a cycle, I’d decide to grow it out and without fail as soon as it got past my shoulders the damage became even more obvious. Like a daily spotlight on the split and broken ends I’d get frustrated, contemplate expensive extensions, or go down a rabbit hole of Instagram ads for every hair solution under the sun! Eventually I’d chicken out, attempt to cut off the damaged ends and start again. It’s a vicious cycle! But this time, I did my research, made a few simple changes and my hair has NEVER BEEN HEALTHIER!!!

When I started, I wanted to see if I could once and for all take care of my hair, grow it out and keep it healthy. I watched every YouTube video and tutorial I could find. Literally more hours than I care to admit ;) Somewhere along the way on this “hair journey” I came across @jasmineraehairco on Instagram and watched even more videos in her endless highlights on hair training and in the end implemented a few things consistently that I know have made all the difference! My hair today is the HEALTHIEST IT HAS EVER BEEN and it is longer and fuller than I can ever remember!!

So what did I learn in the school of Hair Training 101 ???

Here’s the skinny....

1. 1. Wash Less! I took Jasmine’s advice and each wash stretched my hair one extra day each time. The less you wash, the less oil that is produced. I now wash my hair once a week and it’s not greasy! When I wash l focus on cleaning the scalp more than the length of the hair like I did before. I love Living Proof Great Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner , if after the first shampoo it doesn’t feel clean it’s ok to wash again to cut through that dry shampoo and buildup. Even if you wash twice, you are still helping your hair because it’s only one styling. I’m also much more gently now after washing, carefully squeezing out the water with the towel instead of shaking and rubbing which irritates the follicle and causes breakage. I also try to wash my hair at night when possible so it can air dry saving a heat styling. Either way, I always put in a leave in conditioner and a heat protectant, brushing through gently starting at the ends and then carefully from root to end to finish.

1. 2. Take Care of your Scalp! A healthy scalp is a happy scalp and a happy scalp encourages more hair GROWTH! As we use products and dry shampoo daily that buildup is on your scalp and hair follicle. Besides washing well, I never thought to give attention to my scalp. Now every night with a big paddle brush I vigorously brush my scalp for a few minutes, making sure I get all areas of my head. It breaks up any residue and stimulates the area, in the end my my scalp feels so much healthier.

2. 3. Use Dry Shampoo! But not all dry shampoos are created equal! Try a few until you find one you love. I’m a huge fan of Living Proof, it’s more expensive but it doesn’t just absorb oil, it cleans the hair too. Kristen Ess Dry Shampoo is also a great budget friendly option.

3. 4. You can workout and NOT wash your hair! Your body needs the refresh, but your hair can still stretch those extra days between washes, even if you workout daily. My best advice, get your roots dry ASAP after you workout. Hit them with a quick blow dryer or roll down a window on the drive home from the gym. Once dry you can follow with dry shampoo, but getting those roots dry quickly will make a huge difference.

4. 5. Oil on the ends is GOOD! Often I would wash my hair not because it was greasy but because it looked dull and dry and frizzy and needed a refresh so I washed, dried and heat styled way too often. Instead, now I swear by Kerastase Oil it is a $40 investment, but it should last you months and months and in my opinion is worth EVERY PENNY! I use 1-2 pumps, rub between my hands and starting at the ends lightly run my hands over those dry ends. Then I use any excess and go through the rest of my hair finally smoothing out any flyaways at the roots. This literally revives my hair instantly!! I use the oil daily in between washes to give new life to my hair.

5. 6. Less is more with styling products. I rarely use hairspray anymore if I do it’s a flexible hold, nothing crunchy. The less build up of daily products the less washes, the less wash, the less styling, the less styling, the less damage. You get the idea! I was blown away how well my hair held the waves from this crimper over several days with little to no hairspray compared to what I used in the past. Instead I swear by a texture spray to define the curls or pieces and to add volume. I love the Living Proof Dry Volume Blast, it gives my hair great volume and texture without the crunch of hairspray. The Kristen Ess Working Texture Spray is also a great budget friendly option.

6. 7. Not all hair ties are created equal. When I workout or wear my hair up in a top knot or loose pony on top of my head to sleep .. I swear by THESE spiral hair ties. No kink in your hair even after a full day or night of use, which means more days of wear between washes, and less breakage means stronger longer hair! A little tip, soak these spirals in warm water if they get stretched out and they will bounce right back to their original shape!!

7. 8. Speaking of sleep, most experts recommend a silk pillowcase to reduce breakage and damage. These amazon pillowcasesare a top seller with tons of great reviews and super affordable. Also after you have brushed your scalp each night, if your hair is oily this is a great time for dry shampoo, it gives the product time to work while you sleep. And if your hair is long, a loose pony tail high on your head should be the most gentle on your hair.

I’m no expert, but these tips are what I have gathered from hours of YouTube and online research ;) For the last 6 months I’ve put them to the test and this is what has worked for me, I hope it’s helpful for you too!

What I know for sure, is my hair is the HEALTHIEST IT HAS EVER BEEN, the less fuss with my hair means less stress in the morning and more time for me! As a busy, working mom and business owner that’s PRICELESS!!