I've always had a love hate/relationship with my hair- more so hate until I could learn how to control it. At the age of 13 my straight hair became curly... and I mean SUPER curly and unruly. Since then, it's been a battle with humidity, styling products and torching my hair. I know a lot of you out there can relate- let's face it... humidity does nothing for ANY of us!
I've put together some tricks of the trade plus my own life savers for having lush hair. It's not something all of us are born with but we can sure make it seem that way.
1. Picking a stylist who has your best interest: This is the most important piece of advice I can give you. For example: you have very fragile, thin dark hair and you want platinum- a GOOD stylist will do a consultation and be completely honest with you and tell you why you should or shouldn't do this process- no matter the price tag. Otherwise...you might be VERY disappointed after. My stylist, Melissa is incredible and I chose her for her book of business, reputation and her honesty with me- I know that she has my best interest at hand. Do your research!
2. Avoid shampooing your hair every day: This one was difficult for me because I felt like my hair would become fairly oily overnight. I'm usually an every other day girl or I try to do every 3 days if I can. I've learned to embrace the top knot and I found a great dry shampoo that didn't give me the "icky" feel. Try to use sulfate-free shampoo- sulfates can dry out your hair which could lead to breakage.
3. Try different techniques for thickening your hair: I know this one is typically a major issue for women because a lot of us aren't born with super thick strands and it can be frustrating to work with. I have thick hair but my hair strands are fine- which doesn't work in my favor always. A few tricks I learned to fake it: Use products that help with volume and try to blow it out with a round brush. Use hot rollers or a large curling iron after blow drying (do not straighten prior) - this gives the illusion to lush thick hair. Last but not least my easiest go to: hair extensions...you can have these applied at a salon who specializes in them or you can buy the clip-ins. This adds instant volume and length and you can wear your hair- up down, topknot, braids- lots of versatility with this one.
4. Hair conscious diet: You are what eat- so make sure you're eating the right foods to help promote healthy hair. You should be eating foods with protein, vitamin C, Omega -3 fatty acids and zinc. This would include foods like almonds, blueberries, eggs, broccoli and salmon. There are hair vitamins also listed but I wouldn't just leave it at Biotin. I've listed the vitamin I use below and it can be found at Sephora.
5. Olaplex- the holy grail: One of the biggest changes in my hair has been the consistent use of Olaplex. My stylist introduced this product to me and it's been the ultimate game changer is the quality of my hair. Ask your stylist about Olaplex treatments and try to have them done every time you're in for your hair appointment. Olaplex helps combat damage done to hair and replenishes the protein structures and bonds giving your hair instant life again. They do sell Olaplex at Sephora but no.3 isn't the professional grade- however, I do recommend buying it and using it weekly to help maintain your hairs appearance.
6. Don't forget these hair care basics: use leave in conditioners, I use mine every time I wash my hair. I also apply product to help combat the damage from heat styling. My biggest tip is skip the hair tie- don't sleep in them... I made this mistake for so long and it caused severe breakage in my hair- even using the ones that claim to be breakage free- I typically wear a bobby pin, or you can try a loose braid. Satin pillow cases also help to prevent damage to your hair while sleeping. Try to limit your heat use- heat is the root of all evil but it's essential. Trying heat free hairstyle can save your strands tremendously!
You can shop my entire outfit and haircare products below.
You can shop my entire outfit and haircare products below.
