There is a common thread that binds women from growing their hair healthier and longer. That thread is dependence on hair products and impatience. It's necessary to readjust your thinking to avoid the merry-go-round of failure.
To first understand why hair products do not deliver, you first need to know the truth about what hair and hair products can and can't do. There are literally thousands of hair product companies, each one with a story. Some want you to believe that "organic" or "natural" hair products will solve your problem. Your hair could care less whether the product has chemicals or natural ingredients. Hair is dead! Hair is a fiber to which products can not bond (especially hair conditioners). Unless chemicals are used to adhere proteins, oils, or any type of natural ingredient, water is the only compound that affects the strength of your hair. Hair hydration is essential but for your hair to remain hydrated it needs a non permeable sealant on the hair to lock in the essential moisture content and proteins that usually only stay in your hair for 2 to 3 hours.
As mentioned prior, proteins and other "protective" compounds for your hair such as butters, oils, waxes, heavy conditioners and more are all water soluble, which makes the bonding process undependable. What does this mean in terms of strengthening hair? Any compound added to your hair after shampoo and conditioning will only last a few hours once your hair has been exposed to climate changes. In other words your hair looks great when you finish styling but falls apart by the end of the day. Your hair becomes vulnerable and adding more products after days without shampooing creates build up on the scalp and hair. This can retard hair growth and can cause possible thinning of your hair.
So what's the answer to growing hair without damage?
1) Shampoo and condition your hair at least 2 to 3 days per week. Sulfate free shampoos are gentle but usually do no cleanse the hair and scalp as well as sulfate based shampoos. One thing that you must know, sulfate free is not really sulfate free, its sulfate "lite". It's the same as putting lite salt on your food instead of regular salt. It takes more to get the taste just like sulfate free doesn't completely cleanse. Always condition after shampooing.
2) After conditioning, apply a non-water based product that resists excess moisture while sealing in essential moisture. To find a waterproof product for hair simply Google "waterproof your hair". This will protect your hair from blow drying, flat ironing or any other device used to style your hair.
3) Sleep with a satin pillow case. I do not suggest the normal thick, hot and slippery pillows cases. There are great new satin fibers that work better. Silk pillow cases breakdown after a few washings. The fiber is expensive and becomes rough eventually. Friction caused by pillow cases, excessive brushing, wind and highly chlorinated water are the biggest causes of hair breakage. Between using a great satin pillow case and a waterproof product, your hairs will glide with each other instead of creating resistance.
4) Brush your tangles out when your hair is towel blotted and only after applying a waterproof hair product. Everything that you have read about brushing hair when dry instead of wet is not true. Your hair has less elasticity and give when dry snapping the hair shaft before it has a chance to stretch a little. Whether the cuticle layer is open or closed it still forms an added barrier for damage and the waterproof sealant makes the cuticle sleek and tight.
5) Have your ends dry trimmed at least every 2 months. I suggest having your hair flat ironed prior to cutting so your stylist can identify what really needs to come off. Remember, it's better to have hair a little shorter and healthy hair rather than long and tattered. Eventually your hair will reach the desired length because it's stronger.
6) If you flat iron or curling iron your hair, be sure to use a waterproof product as suggested prior. This product allows you to go slower over each section without damage. Thermal controllers are all water soluble and after the first pass with a flat iron burns off leaving your hair vulnerable to heat damage if you need to go over that section more than once. Waterproof products penetrate deeper with heat and offer protection that water based products can not. If you go over your hair more than one pass with a flat iron, you are causing breakage, again, unless you use a waterproof product.
To first understand why hair products do not deliver, you first need to know the truth about what hair and hair products can and can't do. There are literally thousands of hair product companies, each one with a story. Some want you to believe that "organic" or "natural" hair products will solve your problem. Your hair could care less whether the product has chemicals or natural ingredients. Hair is dead! Hair is a fiber to which products can not bond (especially hair conditioners). Unless chemicals are used to adhere proteins, oils, or any type of natural ingredient, water is the only compound that affects the strength of your hair. Hair hydration is essential but for your hair to remain hydrated it needs a non permeable sealant on the hair to lock in the essential moisture content and proteins that usually only stay in your hair for 2 to 3 hours.
As mentioned prior, proteins and other "protective" compounds for your hair such as butters, oils, waxes, heavy conditioners and more are all water soluble, which makes the bonding process undependable. What does this mean in terms of strengthening hair? Any compound added to your hair after shampoo and conditioning will only last a few hours once your hair has been exposed to climate changes. In other words your hair looks great when you finish styling but falls apart by the end of the day. Your hair becomes vulnerable and adding more products after days without shampooing creates build up on the scalp and hair. This can retard hair growth and can cause possible thinning of your hair.
So what's the answer to growing hair without damage?
1) Shampoo and condition your hair at least 2 to 3 days per week. Sulfate free shampoos are gentle but usually do no cleanse the hair and scalp as well as sulfate based shampoos. One thing that you must know, sulfate free is not really sulfate free, its sulfate "lite". It's the same as putting lite salt on your food instead of regular salt. It takes more to get the taste just like sulfate free doesn't completely cleanse. Always condition after shampooing.
2) After conditioning, apply a non-water based product that resists excess moisture while sealing in essential moisture. To find a waterproof product for hair simply Google "waterproof your hair". This will protect your hair from blow drying, flat ironing or any other device used to style your hair.
3) Sleep with a satin pillow case. I do not suggest the normal thick, hot and slippery pillows cases. There are great new satin fibers that work better. Silk pillow cases breakdown after a few washings. The fiber is expensive and becomes rough eventually. Friction caused by pillow cases, excessive brushing, wind and highly chlorinated water are the biggest causes of hair breakage. Between using a great satin pillow case and a waterproof product, your hairs will glide with each other instead of creating resistance.
4) Brush your tangles out when your hair is towel blotted and only after applying a waterproof hair product. Everything that you have read about brushing hair when dry instead of wet is not true. Your hair has less elasticity and give when dry snapping the hair shaft before it has a chance to stretch a little. Whether the cuticle layer is open or closed it still forms an added barrier for damage and the waterproof sealant makes the cuticle sleek and tight.
5) Have your ends dry trimmed at least every 2 months. I suggest having your hair flat ironed prior to cutting so your stylist can identify what really needs to come off. Remember, it's better to have hair a little shorter and healthy hair rather than long and tattered. Eventually your hair will reach the desired length because it's stronger.
6) If you flat iron or curling iron your hair, be sure to use a waterproof product as suggested prior. This product allows you to go slower over each section without damage. Thermal controllers are all water soluble and after the first pass with a flat iron burns off leaving your hair vulnerable to heat damage if you need to go over that section more than once. Waterproof products penetrate deeper with heat and offer protection that water based products can not. If you go over your hair more than one pass with a flat iron, you are causing breakage, again, unless you use a waterproof product.
