If you’re anything like me, then it means you are addicted to your hair straightening tools. I’ve always had frizzy hair, it’s medium thickness and shoulder length.
Remember Monica’s hair in “Friends” Barbados episode? That’s how I feel most days. If I leave it to dry naturally I look like I’ve endured an electric shock – so I avoid the “natural” look as much as possible.
The problem is about 12 months ago I noticed the damage that my straightening products were doing to my hair. Years of straightening my hair had definitely started to take their toll and needless to say, I wasn’t ready to give up my beloved hair straighteners and nor was I ready to go au naturel with my hair (and scare everyone away!) so I decided to introduce a new regimen to my hair straightening.
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Hair Mantra for Straightening Addict:
Let’s call it a hair mantra because it’s what I live by now and I have to say I’m reaping the benefits a year later with softer, shinier and healthier hair.
End The Split Ends
The first thing I did was to visit my hairdresser and have a good haircut. The ends of my hair were very dry from continuous hair straightening and they were splitting which in turn was causing breakage. I took the plunge and had a good 4 cm cut off and while my hair was shorter, it automatically felt healthier and when it was blow dried straight had a fantastic blunt appearance – no different lengths.
My hairdresser advised me to buy a very good quality high protein nourishing shampoo and conditioner and to use a weekly hair treatment. I also bought an anti-snap styling spray to protect my hair from heat and stop it from breaking off.
A whole new generation of straightening products
Next I invested in two different straightening products and ditched my old faithful straighteners. I did this because technology has moved on dramatically and I felt I needed to look for styling tools with protective layers so as not to burn hair or burn areas of my hair. I bought a heated straightening hair brush and a new pair of tourmaline straighteners. The heated hair brush has ceramic coated bristles which heat up and glide through hair, straightening in one pass.
When washing my hair I use my shampoo, conditioner and treatment. I always massage my scalp to stimulate blood circulation which is good for helping hair to grow healthily. Before I style, I towel dry my hair and apply the heat protecting and anti-snap styling spray.
I then rough dry my hair on a low heat with a hairdryer so as not to add even more stress on my hair. Once my hair is dry I section it out and clip each section securely. Then I straighten each section starting from the back.
When my hair is fully straightened I always add a little Argan oil onto the palms of my hands and smooth it through – this helps my hair in two ways, firstly it smooths and shines and secondly it adds more hydration.
Superfoods for super hair
Finally – I take a good quality hair, skin and nails multivitamin every day to stimulate hair follicles and keep my hair nourished and looking good. I also try to include lots of salmon, green veggies and greek yogurt in my diet, as they are excellent sources of vitamins and protein that help hair grow faster and healthier.
If you try all of the above and give yourself a timescale of 3 to 6 months you will notice your hair looking far healthier than ever before.
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