Dos and Don'ts of Healthy Hair

I love my hair. I do my best to keep it healthy, soft, and pretty! Honestly, keeping my hair healthy isn't that hard, especially after developing these habits. Having soft and healthy hair makes me feel confident and really great about my days (is that cheesy? cuz it's true). I've been really proud of my hair. Even before I chopped it all off, it was pretty healthy and easy to work with. These five habits are easy ways to keep and maintain healthy hair - you can start today!

Don't brush wet hair  ||  Brushing wet hair can be one of the worst things you can do to it! Hair is extra elastic when wet, so brushing can cause it to stretch, break, and come frizzy. Yuck! Instead, let your hair air dry for as long as possible, then gently comb through, starting at the ends.

Do brush your hair before you shower  ||  Ever since I started brushing my hair when it's dry before I shower, my hair has become so much more manageable! It makes washing, conditioning, and combing (see above) so much easier and causes less breakage.

Do use hair masks every once in awhile  ||  DIY hair masks are an easy way to quench dry hair. My favorite and easiest mask is is coconut oil. Put a little bit (a little goes a long way!) of coconut oil all through your hair. The trick to not having oily hair after is simple: shampoo your hair before you get it wet!

Don't shampoo your hair every single day  || Washing your hair every day is another terrible thing you can do to your locks. Shampoo dries out hair like crazy, drying out all of your hair's natural oils! Skip a day or two between washes (or more, if you can!). Your hair might get really oily really fast, but after a couple of weeks of skipping days, your scalp will regulate it's oil production. Drying out your hair causes your scalp to overcompensate oil production, which is why it gets oiler, faster!

Don't condition your roots  ||  Conditioning your roots builds up unwanted oils on your scalp, causing hair to get greasy much faster. Instead, condition locks below the your chin and let sit for a couple of minutes. I like to brush my teeth in the shower while my conditioner does its magic!

Do use leave in conditioner  ||  Leave in conditioner is my best friend. It adds a softness to hair that lasts all day, helps with frizziness, and prevents knotting! I put mine it when it's still damp and long before I comb it. It really makes a difference!

What do you do to keep healthy, manageable hair?

Cheers!

Friday Fives: Hair Inspiration Edition

After yesterday's post, I'm sensing a hair trend here... Recently I've been lacking inspiration for my hair. Mine is naturally pin straight, so all I do is wash, apply product, comb, and I'm out the door! Cutting my hair has also been on my mind lately. I'm considering chopping it off to an inch or so below my shoulders... Ideas?! I fear I'll regret it if I do, but hey, hair grows back. Here are some of my favorite (messy) hair inspiration photos I collected from Pinterest!

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Where do you get our hair inspiration?

Cheers!

Soft Locks Tips + Favorite Products!

When it comes to hair, I don't believe in keeping secrets. The tips to beautiful, soft, and healthy hair are meant to be shared! Taking care of your hair to keep it looking fantastic, and more importantly keep it healthy, can be hard for some people. How often should you wash your hair? How should you wash your hair? Where do you condition? Can I deep condition too often? There are a lot of questions solely on washing! My hair is pretty healthy, especially for it's length (I measured the other day - 23 inches!) so I'm here today sharing my favorite tips to maintain a healthy head of hair, including my favorite hair products!

Tips

1. Wash your hair - but not everyday. It's a common mistake many girls make! Of course, there are exceptions. Girls who participate in sports on a daily basis, especially swim, probably need to wash their hair each day. But for other girls, washing your hair everyday can be really dangerous. Shampoo has a bad habit of stripping the hair follicles of all the natural oils essential for healthy hair growth. Shampoo every other day! This might be hard at first - your hair might feel greasy the next day, but after two or so weeks of washing every other day, your hair will no longer be greasy! The grease is your body's way of overcompensating for the shampoo stripping your natural oils. Just through your hair up in a bun and call it good!

2. Condition only the bottom of your hair, starting from your chin and below (for long hair). Conditioning your scalp can cause your hair to get too greasy too fast! Allow the conditioner to treat your hair for 3-4 minutes, depending on the conditioner you use! I brush my teeth in the shower and shave my legs while the conditioner is treating my hair to pass the time.

3. What about deep conditioner? Deep conditioner should only be used 1-2 times a week. DIY deep conditioners can be great, too, but make sure to be careful when using olive oil on your hair. A little goes a very long way. Keep your deep conditioner in your hair for a longer time than you would your regular conditioner - this way you can ensure your dry ends are being treated by the product! I've heard great things about the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque, though I haven't tried it yet.

4. Leave in conditioner (how many times can I say 'conditioner' in one post?) works wonders as well. Spray or rub it in damp, towel dried hair, then use a comb to distribute the product evenly through your hair. Using a comb is so important! Brushes, unless meant for wet hair, can pull on hair, which is very elastic when wet, causing it to break. This contributes to the little frizzy hairs on top of your head!

5. Use heat protectant! This is very important when it comes to protecting hair. Before you blow dry, straighten, curl, or apply any other heat, make sure you have evenly, and lightly, coated your hair with heat protectant. It really makes it difference in preventing split ends, static, and dry hair!

6. Drink lots of water. This tip is told in every advice post ever, but it's true! Water is vital in maintaining overall health, including skin, hair, and nails. Try drinking around 8 glasses of water each day. When this becomes a habit, your hair will definitely be thankful.

Favorite Products

TRESemmé Heat Tamer  ||  organix moroccan argan oil renewing treatment  ||  Herbal essences Morocan My Shine shampoo + conditioner  ||  organix teatree mint shampoo  ||  organix coconut milk anti-breakage serum  ||  it's a 10 miracle leave-in product  ||  GHD Detangling bomb

Cheers!