Imagine being in a line up with your fellow curly-girl friends who are auditioning for a Tresemme commercial. They mysterious voice tells you turn left, and then right, in order to have an accurate profile of your hair. That same voice then requests that you step forward and list all the things you do to your hair, in order to weed out the best answers for the commercial. He asks you, “Do you put conditioner on before your oil or after?” What do you say? Do you give the same response your loc’ed friend gives? How do you know what’s the right answer?
That’s just it! There isn’t a “right answer” when it comes to hair, however there are some DO’s and Don’t’s that you may want to follow in order to optimize the health of your hair.
Do…
Make sure you deep condition at least twice a month. Each day out hair loses vast amounts o moisture because of the reaction it has with the air. Deep conditioning at least once a week, or once every other week at minimum helps to restore our hair’ elasticity and strength.
Don’t…
Overly saturate your hair in conditioner everyday. Depending on the make up of your hair, over saturation can break the protein bonds that your hair holds and can lead to broken hair structures. Protein in our hair produces keratin which aids in hair growth and strength. Overdoing it in the conditioning department is a no go!
Do…
Be sure to clarify your hair at least once a week. I may get some backlash for this, but before you send in the troops, let’s take in the facts. If your hair isn’t in a protective style, chances are you are applying products like moisturizers or gels to style your hair. Overtime those products promote product buildup. For my avid co-washers, this may not seem like a problem, but trust me, down the road your hair will lose its shine and will become limp. Clarifying your hair gives your hair a fresh stat. That doesn’t mean you have to use harsh chemicals, but try switching over to a clarifying conditioner, or a sulfate-free shampoo to ensure you are rinsing away those products from your strands.
Don’t…
Overly use products that contain sulfates. Though it may be hard to find products that don’t have sulfates when you want a good shampoo, it is possible! Look for products that contain sodium cocoyl isethionate or cocamidopropyl betaine, which are less harsh on your strands.
Do…
Know your hair’s porosity. Knowing your hair’s porosity is one of the major players in the world of hair. There are sites like http://www.porosity411.com/, where you can learn more about porosity and take tests to figure out where you fall. Being aware of your hair’s porosity allows you to create a regimen that works for you. Certain products that we use doesn’t always react the same in low porosity hair as it would in high porosity hair. Having this knowledge may even permit you to reduce some of your regimen steps!
Don’t…
Assume your hair regimen will be the same as a fellow person’s. Yea, you and ‘becky with the good hair’ may have the same porosity levels, but that doesn’t guarantee that her regimen will mirror yours. You may have a different reaction to her Deva Curl Low Poo because you may have a protein sensitivity or even a sensitivity to other ingredients.
So now that you’ve just gained some knowledge, picture yourself back in that line up and it’s your turn to speak. You’re not nervous anymore because you know that your healthy hair regimen is perfect just for you!
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