All my life I have had long hair, I even came out of my mother's womb with a head full of thick hair, and to this day it is still thick. Oh, and really curly. But since high school I have used a lot of heat on my hair... Blow drying, straightening, curling, etc etc, which we all know is not at all good for the health of our locks. It really wasn't too damaged, until I got some foils that were a lot lighter than my naturally very dark dark dark brown hair. So in January, I got the chop. I'd always wondered what it would be like having short hair, and always tried doing faux bobs. But in January I had had enough. What do people say, "new year, new hair", "new hair, new year"? Well it definitely wasn't about becoming a better person or anything like that. I wanted a new style, and healthy hair.
So since getting it cut, I have decided to treat it like Kate Middleton (i.e., royalty). Here are the steps I have been taking to achieve the long healthy hair I want so so bad!
1. No heat! Probably the most important step. No matter how well you treat your hair, if you are going to put hot tools on it, your hair will damage. I have been air drying it, and I have straightened it less than a handful of times, but not for a few weeks. So many people had no idea that I had curly hair, one girl even asked me if I had gotten a perm! No perm here, all natural. I am going to use heat when I have a special event on though, because my curls can get out of hand. Of course I will be using heat protectant and oils (step 3).
2. Silica! This is a mineral that our body needs to keep our skin looking youthful and healthy, and our hair strong, shiny and long. I read somewhere that we have the most silica in our bodies when we are newborn babies, and as we grow older our levels plummet. That's why our skin wrinkles and hair fades. As soon as I read about silica, I was sold. I started taking these http://www.bloomshealth.com.au/products/super-colloidal-silica/ silica tablets twice a day for about a month, and now that they have ran out, I am taking hubner's silica gel.
But one of the best forms of silica is from Bamboo! It is 70% silica! I bought this tea from one of my favourite stores, T2, without trying it first. It was about $12, and I can tell it's going to last a really long time. Especially because you can reuse the tea leaves and they don't lose their flavour or health benefits. It isn't the best tasting tea, but I have gotten used to it. Drink up!
3. For shampoo I use Macadamia Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo. It is sulfate and paraben free, which are two common hair care ingredients which aren't good for your hair. For conditioner, I alternate between the Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Mask, which is also sulfate and paraben free, and the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. All of these products are so much cheaper to buy online than inshore (I don't think you can buy Aussie products in-store in Australia anyway). These three products are pretty good, but I am keen to try out new ones when they run out.
4. Oils! I luuurrveeee lathering up in oils that are good for my skin and hair. I am using almond oil on my hair and face, and it leaves both feeling really good. I will massage it into my scalp or lather it all over my hair the night before I wash it. There are lots of websites that contain info on almond oil (and probably better than mine!). The other oil is Argan oil. I put this in the ends of my hair almost everyday, wet or dry. It is supposed to nourish the hair. It definitely leaves my hair feeling very soft.
5. Before I wash my hair, I give my scalp a really good massage. This boosts blood flow and stimulates hair growth. Sometimes I do it with almond or argan oil, and other times without. I massage my scalp again when in the shower.
6. Things that I haven't tried yet... Trimming my own hair. I have seen a few girls on YouTube do this, instead of going to the hairdressers to get a trim every month or so. I'm not going to cut of inches, just trim the split ends with good quality scissors. I'll let you know how it goes.
Another things I want to try is coconut oil. Apparently it is really good for keeping your hair moisturised and full of shine.
The last things is drinking Fiji Water. I drink a lot of water, but it's usually Mt Franklin or tap water. Fiji Water is one of the most expensive bottles waters available, but it's full of minerals that our body (including hair and skin) needs to keep healthy. Next time I have the option to buy Fiji Water, I will be doing so!
Here is a before and after, taken just over a week from each other.
My hair in the top photo does look relatively healthy, but it was split ends galore. My goal is to get to that length again (and then longer), but with healthy, shiny locks.
I hope this helps anyone out there with the same hair mission as me! So lather up your hair in oil, brew some bamboo tea, sit back, relax and watch your hair grow. (Maybe not the last one, that could get a bit boring...)
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xxx
