Do you like your hair?
Even though I receive a lot of compliments, I still complain about mine!
My strands are stick-straight, don’t hold a curl, and are nowhere near as thick as my sister’s hair.
Then again, her hair takes 45 minutes to blow dry, while I can do mine in 3 minutes flat. And regardless of how straight my hair is, it does have one thing going for it: shine! It also grows super-fast:
I credit my healthy, shiny hair to three things: shampoo, babying, and diet.
How to get Shiny, Healthy Hair
1. Use a high-quality shampoo. I can’t say enough good things about Desert Essence coconut shampoo and conditioner.
Initially, I bought this because—well, hello! It’s coconut! But it truly is the best shampoo I’ve ever used. Prior to trying this, I would buy the cheapest shampoo (of the brands that don’t engage in animal testing). I have “normal” hair (not too dry, not too oily), so I wasn’t picky about brands.
This shampoo normally sells for about $8, but I buy in bulk at a grocery store called Sprouts, when they have a 20%-off-all-vitamins sale. That helps. Plus, sometimes quality products are well-worth the extra cost.
2. Don’t over-process your hair.
I only wash my hair on days I run (4-5 days a week), and my hair-care routine is pretty minimal (basically because I am lazy and don’t want to spend the time with a curling iron or round brush!) After washing, I spray in a detangler. (Long hair can get knotty!) Then I comb the knots out, blow dry it for three minutes (or less), and I’m done.
In the past, I’ve done highlights a few times, and I’ve had three perms (only one of which actually worked; the other two fell out!). But the last time I did anything chemical-y to my hair was in high school. I like my natural color, so why dry it out by adding highlights? (I’m not ruling out another perm, though. Being a curly-top is fun!)
3. Make sure you’re getting enough healthy fats in your diet. Low-fat diets might be good for calorie control, but they wreak havoc on hair and skin! I prescribe large doses of the following:
Ok, maybe not large doses… but seriously, if your hair and skin are super-dry, consider adding healthy vegetable-based fats (nuts, nut butters, olive oil, coconut, etc.) to your diet. Even in the dead of winter, my skin is still soft.
Step Four: Embrace your hair, whether curly or straight! (I need to remember to take my own advice on this one. Do as I say, not as I do!)
Do you like your hair?
And what’s your hair-care routine?
P.S. Click the link for a picture of me with permed hair.
🙂
I love oiling my hair at least an hour before i wash it! Even better if i oil it the night before! I usually warm the oil in the microwave so it’s warm to touch and apply it liberally all over and give myself an awesome scalp massage! Olive oil is my favourite for conditioning these days but coconut is amazing for shine and growth! To wash it out I just shampoo the excess out and don’t add extra conditioner!
So… question.. because of health reasons.. I can no longer eat – nuts, seeds, berries.. and no fat… I have found that coconut oil does not bother me… but at this point I am not willing to do the seeds or nuts… so do you have any other suggestions for the chocolate cake???
I actually put olive oil in my hair or coconut if i have any 🙂 It might sound like it would get oily but it really doesn’t. I have thick curly hair and it used to be sooo dry and frizzy. For the past few months i only wash my hair with conditioner and after my shower i towel dry, and aply a quarter size amount of olive oil in the palm of my hand, kinda get it all over my hands and apply in my hair, then i put mousse. That’s it, and my hair has never felt or looked better in ….well never!
I am super low maintenance with my hair! I don’t even own a blow drier. I wash it 3 or 4 times a week, run a comb through it, and go. Sometimes I don’t even remember to brush it after it dries…
I know you love coconut everything– SO DO I. (This is putting it lightly.) So one day I decided, why not put it in my hair! Well it worked miracles. I loved the shine so I made a habit of it, and my ends are so much less dry! <– Do ittt everyone 🙂
I’m (very) late on that one!
The beginning of your post made me laugh because it’s the exact same situation with my sister and I: she as the volume and curls, I got the straight, fine, flat yet super shiny hair. Except that I can’t seem to grow it … until recently. I started using Lush solid shampoo bars and it’s grown 2 inches per month, and wash it only once a week, despite working out every day.
Hey Katie,
Where do you archive your personal-ish blogs? I just came across this blog post Three Steps to Healthier Hair and I really like it cause I have heard really good things about Desert Essence. And then reading this basically convinced me to try it. But I only even saw this post when I scrolled to the bottom of your mini chocolate chip muffins post and it was next to the “you might also like:…” I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of your posts that wasn’t solely based around a recipe. Do you keep them somewhere secret on your blog? lol
You and your sister both have BEAUTIFUL hair!