Haircair Tips: The Extended Release

So we are squarely tucked into the winter season right now and you find the chill in the air is chapping a bit more than your lips but don't know what to do about it? Today I'll give you a few tips and tricks to help keep your hair healthy, shiny and happy this winter.

The Prequel: A Warning
Damaged hair is damaged hair so treat yours gently and with love. Damage can occur from a number of things but the most common two offenders are consistent
intense heat without protection, chemical processes such as lighteners, relaxers and perms and color high in metallic salts found in box hair color and "fashion" colors like Splat! and Manic Panic. The thing all of them have in common? They pry open the cuticle layer of the hair shaft and it is unable to close after it's been altered.

The lowdown on hair anatomy (a sidebar)

Your hair is made of keratin, a hardened protein in overlapping scales called a cuticle layer. Color pigmentation, texture and the coding for a few other things are primarily stored in the nougat-y center. When the cuticle layer is left open and damaged (as seen above) it leads to split ends, brittle, dry and frizzy hair.

Next up... Hydration. Nutrition. Rest. You'd be amazed how much these things not only affect your mood but your skin and hair as well. Your body is a lot like a car and to keep it running at optimum capacity you need to do regular maintenance: oil change, tire rotation, etc. Your body is no different when you don't change the oil in your car you can destroy the engine... similarly if you don't hydrate how do you suppose your body will be able to produce the proper quantities of natural hair happy oils?

 That mom-like lecture out of the way let's move on.

Part One: The Shower
Shampoo and conditioner play a significant part in you overall hair health if you use them correctly. Let's kick off this section of with some fun 'Didya know's?'
Didya know:

• You don't have to shampoo your hair everyday, every other day or even once a week?

Everyone's hair texture and sebaceous glands (they produce/ secrete the oils at your scalp) are different some people get oily quicker and others could go a week or more and be fine. Shampooing your hair more often than needed is not only a waste of money it slowly strips color out and depletes precious moisture from the internal structure of your hair.

*Remember keep the focus of your shampoo at the scalp since that is where excess oils and product build up are the most prevalent.

• Many people believe they have dandruff when in all actuality it is dried conditioner they see flaking onto their clothing.

Since your scalp produces the oils obviously the longer your hair the less nutrients get to your ends which is where your conditioner should focus.

• Shampoo and can be an evil nemesis to fashion colors and red based hair color?

The number of times you shampoo and what is in your shampoo will be the number one cause of fading hair color. Always, always use a professional sulfate free, color safe shampoo.

• Hot water is like a hot triple chocolate chip molten lava cake for your hair. 

Just because it feels (or tastes) great doesn't mean it's good for your hair. Just like one bite will make you gain like 10 lbs on your hips hot water takes it's toll as well. Remember the scales I mentioned earlier? They react similar to your pores: hot water opens them, cold water closes them.

*By rinsing with cooler water you help close up the cuticle layer of your hair which helps prevent color fading, moisture loss, frizziness and more!

• There's a conspiracy here!

Hair care products commonly available at drug stores are heavily diluted with sulfates, alcohols and foam building agents which strip color, moisture, and damage hair. Conversely professional products are (yes, more expensive) but are much more concentrated (so a little goes MUCH further) and contain far less damaging ingredients.

*Think about it: if you were say L'Oreal (who makes a professional color/ product line and make $3.99 box color and drugstore shampoo and conditioner) wouldn't quantity of sales for your lower priced items be important for your profit margin? One way they do this is by diluting their shampoos with sulfates which will slowly remove color from your hair leading you to color it more often. Sneaky big corporations. Wicked, tricksy, false! They tried to steal our precious... well precious hair color anyways.

 Part Two: Haircare & Maintenence  

Ok, you finish your shampooing your scalp, conditioning your ends with professional products and rinsing with cold water now what?

A few good rules:

Get a deep conditioning treatment.
If you can't afford one at a salon call around to your local cosmetology schools ours was just $10! Trust my this is a great sigh of relief for your hair after being exposed to the harsh cold, dry air of the winter regardless of your hair's typical condition.   A deep conditioning treatment is like stuffing a suitcase full of clothes and then sitting on the lid haha. It will raise the cuticle layer, shove in essential oils and minerals and then help layer your cuticle layer back down flat. This will help decrease frizz, help deter split ends from heat styling and weather damage and make your hair happy, healthy and smooth!

Always use a heat protectant before styling
There is no limit to the varying forms of heat protectant in the market today. Some (like Redken's pillow proof) are a lightweight spray that even speeds up blow dry time, others (like Kenra Straigtening Gelee) are in gel form. These as self titled protect your hair from damage that may be incurred from thermal styling.

As a quick temperature guide:

Keep your blow dryer at least 3-6" away from your hair to prevent blasting open your cuticle layer and "baking" your hair.

If you have:                                                          Keep your flat iron:
Fine, ultra lifted or damaged hair                        Below 320 degrees
Medium or lightened/ color treated                     Below 390
Thick, Tightly Curled or Virgin hair                     Below "turkey fryer" haha, I mean 450

Keep up w/ Your Trims
Winter is an icy tundra that chaps lips and busts hair. Split ends are more than a valley girls
nightmare. They are a sure-fire sign of damage and make your hair frizz, break and tangle.

*Fun fact: These is no cure for split ends other than to cut them off. Split ends are like ivy... they will continue up the hair shaft wreaking havoc and causing frizziness in its wake. So regular trims prevents the undead from rising and eating your brains... kinda.

Part Three: Read the Label you Must
With it being just after the New Year many of you, I'm sure, are trying to eat healthier which causes you to look at the label to make an educated decision on whether or not to purchase/ consume that product. You should do likewise with your hair products. For instance, some dry shampoos contain ingredients like butane, isobutane, propane, and alcohol denat (a chemically altered ethenol). After reading that list on a can I just bought all I thought was this can is literally a bomb. Not something I want in my hair personally.  

I won't say stay away from all alcohols. They are a necessary ingredient but they shouldn't be in the top 4 ingredients... especially in the winter the drying effect they have can be particularly damaging. 

Likewise, not all oils are made the same. Often the first ingredient in drugstore oil/oil therapy products is nothing more than cheap mineral oil. The healthy oils they tout are generally way down at the bottom of the list. When buying oil for your hair make sure oil is present by about the 4th ingredient.

Ending Credits:
Your hair is the Rebel Alliance, nay Luke Skywalker. Fighting against the expansive and more powerful Imperial Fleet out to destroy the integrity of your hair. Though you're tempted by inexpensive products, and easy access colors you must resist the urge to go to the dark side. The fate of your healthy hair depends on it! I will be your Yoda and guide you on your path I will. As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to let me know in the comment section below!