I’ve had long hair for most of my life. Some people are short haired people. It’s easier to manage, they look super cute with a short, framed cut, they can pull it off.
I am not one of those people.
I cut my hair to shoulder length once and it honestly looked terrible. My face and shape is just not cut out for short hair. But one thing inevitably comes with growing your hair out and having long locks: dryness. Especially if you regularly use heating tools.
Last week I wrote about my greasy roots and dry ends. Once I got rid of the greasy roots, I was still left with damaged, brittle and split ends. Not cute. It got so bad, that my hair literally started breaking off. It’s true, one side of my head has shorter hair than the other. At one point, it the damage was so severe I could barely brush my hair without breaking it all off.
The trick to preventing damage and not doing any further damage to your hair is to not overdo the products you use and to use the correct products. This took a lot of trial and error on my part. Mostly error. But I eventually figured it out.
First things first.
Don’t over wash your hair. This prompts your scalp to produce more oil while the ends of your hair will continue to dry out and die. At most, I wash my hair twice a week. If it gets a bit greasy, instead of using an expensive (and toxic) dry shampoo, I use THIS to absorb oil. It works beautifully. And if you have dark hair, just add cocoa to it. No joke. As an added bonus, you’ll smell like chocolate and your hair won’t be greasy. Plus, it volumizes hair.
Hair Masks
I wash my hair twice a week. Thursdays and Sundays. The night before a wash, I always do a coconut oil hair mask. I concentrate it on the ends and don’t apply to the roots. I run it through my hair with a brush. Then I tie it up in an alligator clip (which doesn’t break the hair) so I don’t get coconut oil everywhere. I can’t recommend this enough. It works so well and helps reduce and prevent split ends too!
Next, you have to use the correct product for your hair. And it has to be non-toxic, because most hair products are.
I think I’ve tried every shampoo, conditioner and serum ever made. I’ve tried the expensive organic brands that cost $42 for a bottle of shampoo. I’ve tried the “all natural” brands that really aren’t natural at all. And then finally, I was introduced to a brand that really was all natural and non-toxic. And even more shocking, it worked. Like magic.
I had an Instagram friend start taking pictures of her hair and it looked amazing. She started with the no ‘poo method but it didn’t work out wonderfully for her (or me) and switched to a brand that was made entirely from natural products, most of which were plant based.
Enter: Morrocco Method
Morrocco Method is an amazing brand of all natural hair care that actually works. It doesn’t strip the scalp of its natural oils, it simply cleans the scalp and detoxifies the hair. It fortifies and strengthens hair and based on what you’d like to do with your hair (lengthen, strengthen, thicken, beautify) they recommend different products for you. I haven’t tried all of the products, but these are the ones I have tried, and they literally saved my hair. Which is good because I’m getting married in two months and really couldn’t afford to buy a weave because my hair was brittle, dry and breaking off.
I use the Sea Essence shampoo because it’s great for dry hair. It’s different than your typical shampoo, it doesn’t lather (no sulfates for that!) but it does cleanse and fortify. It works wonderfully and even though it’s a bit more expensive than your typical shampoo, you pay for what you get. Organic, high quality products that are great for your hair. And since you only have to use it once or twice a week, it will last for months.
The Euro Natural Conditioner and Moisturizer adds some serious moisture to your hair. It’s actually a deep conditioner and I do not recommend using it on your roots. It can transform even the driest hair (like mine) and make it look good.
So there you have it. How to save your hair and make it look really, really, ridiculously good looking.
