A Healthy Head of Hair!

        This blog is for the girls! Ladies ladies ladies ... your hair says a lot about you and your hygiene! So why not keep your hair looking clean and healthy? Don't know how to start? Well, let me help you because I've recently become obsessed with hair care.

        First let me tell you my storyt. Like I said in the above paragraph, I have become an expert on hair and hair care. This is because last winter I cut off ten inches of my hair. I donated the ten inches to Locks of Love. They make wigs for people who are sick and do not have any more hair. I felt since I had enough hair, I could do my part and help someone who wanted to look beautiful again. But in the past months, I have grown to miss my long hair fiercely and I have been trying whatever I can to grow my hair out the fastest I can. Thus my journey began ......
        Its so sad when I see girls with long hair but its dead, dull, and dry. Sometimes the hair looks so dry that if I grasped it, it would all flake off! EEK! This could be because of over-excessive use of hair dyes, hair straighteners, curling irons, hair dryers, and alcohol based shampoos and conditioners. Hair dye destroys your hairs' nutrients and oils. Instead of feeding your hair crucial nutriments, you're providing hair drying toxins. Over use of hair dyes could lead to dryness and hair loss. So save your money and your hair, DO NOT USE HAIR DYES ALL THE TIME. Alcohol based hair products do the same damage as hair dyes.
        Hair straighteners and curling irons are also a big NO. I have not touched one of these for the past 3 months and I know my hair thanks me for it. These hair tools burn your hair. Its a wonder how some girls' hair hasn't started a forest fire its so dry! The use of any heating wand or straightener drys up all your hairs moister and shine. If all your hairs' moister and oil is dried up, the result will be a dry scalp, very slow hair growth, and split ends. In plain language, your hair will look lifeless and barren. On a side note, split ends make your hair look unhealthy and dead. Split ends are a girls' worst enemy, so don't use anything that will split your hair! Simple as that. But if you cant go a day without curling or straightening your hair, then at least be considerate and use heat protectant! 

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        Even if you're not clasping your hair between two hot metal shafts like a curling iron or straightener, a hair dryer can cause the same results. Hair dryers and hair are mortal foes! The heat of a dryer splits the ends of the hair to a great extent. If there is constant use of hair dryers and continual exposure of split ends, your hair will proceed to split up the whole strand of hair. The longer the split is, the more hair you will have to cut off when you go to the salon, and the shorter your hair will be. Now, I don't think any girl would want that. But - if like straighteners and curling irons - you cannot go a day without using blow drying - though it is not highly recommended - set the dryer on the lowest heat and keep it 4 to 5 inches away from your hair.
        Aside from all the damage you could unintentionally cause your hair, I want to give you some tips on how you can help keep your hair and scalp healthy, strong, and grow fast:

1. Do not wash your hair every day! If you wash your hair every day, you are washing away all the oils your hair needs to hydrate itself. Your best bet would be to wash your hair every other day. Or even better, two days with unwashed hair! Starting from Friday morning to Sunday night, I do not wash my hair; an extended weekend almost. I know that some girls' hair are oilier than others, but if it is, then you will have to buy special shampoo and conditioner that will help control the excessive oil. If you hate the feeling of oily hair, oh well! You have to deal with it to have beautiful hair! 
2. Massage and stimulate your scalp. When its finally time to wash your hair, do not scrub it! Scrubbing your scalp does nothing for your hair follicles. When I wash my hair, I use the bottom portion of my palm to massage my scalp and wash away the shampoo and conditioner. By using this method of washing your hair, you thus open the follicles and they are able to breath. When you scrub your head, you aren't stimulating and opening your follicles. The results will be a faster grow growth cycle for your hair! 
3. Brush your hair! The next best thing you can do for your hair is to brush it. The recommended amount of brushing a day is twice. By brushing your hair, you evenly distribute the oils on the top of your scalp. It wont look so oily on the top of your head if you brush :P! Like massaging your head in the shower, brushing opens the hair follicles and lets your scalp breath. Breathing thus leads to faster hair growth. *A boar bristle brush is the best for this* 
4. Make hair masks! Instead of making face masks at slumber parties, why not make hair masks? Ingredients for hair masks can range from essential oils like castor oil, olive oil, and coconut oil to ordinary foods like avocado, egg whites, and honey. Most hair mask usage is only once a week. Using hair masks can restore vital nutrients to your hair and scalp leaving it healthy, soft, and shiny. Hair masks can also repair split ends. But the best remedy for split ends is just to trim them off. Hair masks are also known to help hair grow faster. I'm proud to say that I use hair masks!
5. Limit your use of any hair tools that heat up. Let your hair air dry as often as you can! Other than that, this tip is self-explanatory :P
6.  Try to buy organic shampoos and conditioners. Most likely organic products will have a greater amount of nutrients in the ingredients that your hair desperately needs. Commercial hair products have an unnatural amount of alcohol in it. Organix hair products are probably the best out there right now. 
7. Do not tie your up too tight! If you tie up your hair a lot of work or you just don't like your hair in your face, don't tie your hair band too tight. Your scalp and hair will not be able to breath because of the inflexibility you put upon your head. Loose it up a little so your hair has more room to move around and breath. 
8. Biotin Deficient? Biotin is a colorless crystalline vitamin of the vitamin B complex, essential for the activity of many enzyme systems. Biotin is a necessity for hair growth. Many people are Biotin deficient and they don't know it. This vitamin will help your hair grow faster, stronger, and thicker. Its also great for nails and skin! (: 

Your hair is a part of you, so why not take care of it the way you do your body? Keeping it healthy will lead to faster hair growth and a stronger head of hair. Help yourself help your hair! Also, you might have heard a myth that cutting your ends will help your hair grow faster. FALSE! The only thing you are doing is cutting off the hair that you were growing for the past 6 to 8 weeks. It would be good to go a few months without getting a trim. But remember to keep split ends to a minimum! A VERY low minimum. Now ladies, haven't we all dreamed of having Disney Princess hair? I sure as hell have! 

P.S. Feel free to ask any questions about hair in the comments! I will be pleased to answer them! * I have left out some of my hair tricks and tips out of this blog *