10 November 2012

Hair Tips

If you're anything like me, you have really thick, wavy, nearly unmanageable hair. Don't get me wrong, I love my hair (thanks, mom, dad). Everyone wants shiny, soft, smooth hair, so here's what I do to maintain my hair. Oh, and all the credit goes to my mom, who taught me this stuff, because her hair is even thicker and softer and shinier than mine.

Many people wash their hair everyday. I don't. I do it once a week, usually Saturday. It's not necessary  for me to wash it everyday because I wear it in a ponytail all the time. Many of my friends balk at this, but then again, they wear their hair down all the time, so it needs washing more often. Plus, my hair would get super rough if I washed it everyday. Anyways, to each his own.

Washing Hair:

  • The night before I shampoo my hair, I cover it (rub it into my scalp, too) in oil and lay a towel over my pillow. Keep this in overnight, it's like a pre-condition. There are several oils that work. I use an Indian oil called "Bhringraj Tel", but you can use any of these oils:
        • Coconut oil
        • Almond oil
        • Olive oil
        • Avocado oil
        • Any other kind of oil that comes from veggies/fruits
  • While shampooing, I take a small mug and put in a small dollop of shampoo. Then I fill up the mug halfway with water and mix it up with my fingers. I'm diluting the shampoo. This way the shampoo spreads and cleans all my hair and isn't too much. I use anti-dandruff shampoo, but any shampoo is ok as long as it's diluted. Then wash it off nicely.
  • ALWAYS USE COLD (AS COLD AS YOU CAN TOLERATE) WATER WHILE WASHING YOUR HAIR! Hot water breaks bonds. Cold water keeps the shine in and helps with frizz control.
  • I use Kirkland Conditioner, it smells neutral and it's really awesome. Generally I squirt liberal amounts of conditioner onto my palm and spread it all over my hair. Then I use a wide tooth comb to carefully spread the conditioner to all parts. Then I use one of those clips (I call 'em crocodile clips) to keep my conditioned hair on top of my head. That's when I wash the rest of myself/brush my teeth or whatever. Anything to keep you occupied for five minutes. Then I let it down and wash it all off. 
Drying Hair:
  • I DON'T use a towel to rub the water off. I let my hair loose and tame it with a wide tooth comb. In all honesty, it's best to let it dry before combing it at all, but you can't really walk around the house with hair that poofs up and curls like mine.
  • Once it's dry, you can brush it.
Smoothing Hair:
  • For smooth hair, you can either braid it or twist it up into a bun. Or two. I prefer to twist it because braiding makes it all curly. Me want wavy! No curly!
  • Leave the bun in for as long as possible (this is why I do this whole thing over the weekend).
  • Take down. Ta da! Smooth, beautiful hair!
  • If it's still frizzy, you can use a mild oil to tame it. It won't make your hair stringy. I use Keo Karpin. But usually I don't put oil in my hair.
Happy hair!

2 comments:

  1. you can also soak up henna powder with home made curd with a bit of fenugreek seed powder and apply liberally over the hair........let dry then wash off...gives it a natural shine...but you have to really clean the bath tub after this!!!

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