Cheryl Whitt
Lack of proper hair care may lead to problems such as hair loss, rough and dull hair, split ends, and breakage. There are also illnesses and treatments which cause hair loss that no product or treatment can prevent. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help prevent breakage, dry and dull hair, and if you have had hair loss due to illness, there are ways to help your hair grow back.
- Diet. One of the first steps in hair care is your diet. The two most important things in your diet are iron and protein. Hair cells are the fastest growing cells in the body and are also the first ones to be affected if you don't eat right. Hair is not required for our survival so with deficiencies, hair is the first to suffer. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet of proper food and consume excess water to prevent hair breakage. Lean proteins, fruits, raw vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon or flaxseed oil and dairy products will keep hair healthy. Click Here to view an excellent article by Queen C Hair on Vitamins and Nutrients with recipes.
- Green tea. Drink at least 24 oz. of green tea every day to help your scalp grow hair back. Green tea lowers the levels of dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, in your body. DHT is one on the main culprits to hair loss, so drinking tea can help your hair grow back in a natural way. Scientists have found that green tea contains the antioxidant “EGCG” (or epigallocatechin gallate) which can stimulate hair growth. In addition, by applying green tea directly on the scalp, it results in a significant elongation of the hair follicle. The anti-inflammatory properties in green tea could help stop hair loss and even promote the growth of new hair. That means that you can use it to cleanse your scalp and fight scalp infections that may weaken your hair roots. Remember a healthy scalp makes it more possible for hair to grow.
Try this scalp treatment: Wash hair as normal, and then message COOL, freshly brewed green tea into your scalp. Leave on for 10 minutes, rinse with cool water. Repeat 2 to 3 times a week for a couple of months. This rinse will stimulate your hair follicles and help prevent scalp problems like dandruff. Added bonus: Sprinkle the spent green tea leaves them around your plants and watch them bloom.
- Water. Drink plenty of it. If you are dehydrated, you don't have enough water in your body to keep it moisturized. If your body is not moisturized properly, it cannot get the nutrients it needs to grow hair back on your scalp. The Mayo Clinic says you should drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water every day.
Hate water? Slice or cube up some fresh organic fruit and drop it into your water for a little flavor and
color. Berries, mango, watermelon, pineapple, kiwi and orange are just a few of the colorful fruits which
make great additions to a glass of cool water.
There are also things you can do daily to improve the condition of your hair.
- Proper brushing of wet hair. Wet hair should be brushed with extreme care. Hair is fragile and prone to breakage when wet. Use a detangler brush and brush the hair starting at the ends and work your way up. Brush your hair as gently as possible. Our favorite detangler brush is the Queen C Detangler Brush. It has flex bristles that work through the texture differences in your hair making brushing easy and pain free, yet firm enough comb through knots. Click Here for more information.
- Hair trimming. Trim your hair every 6 to 8 weeks to get rid of split ends. Cut about 1/4 of an inch of your hair to avoid the split ends from moving up the hair shaft and eventually snapping completely off.
- Shampoo. Don't shampoo your hair every day. Every two to three days is best. If you shampoo your hair every day, you're removing the sebum and the oil glands compensate by producing more oil. Apply conditioner on the ends, trying to avoid the scalp. Rinse the conditioner with cold water as this helps to close the cuticle and seal in moisture from the conditioner — which helps your hair look shiny and healthy.
- Deep conditioner. Use a Deep conditioner twice a month. Even though you condition your hair after you shampoo, a deep conditioner does just that, it penetrates deep into the hair. We love the Beauty & Pin-ups Fearless Treatment Masque and we are also big fans of DIY Hair Masques. Click Here to view DIY Hair Masque recipes.
- Heat appliances. Do not over use hot appliances. Invest in good tools, even though they are pricier. In the long run they last longer and are definitely better on your hair. Make sure the appliances offer different heat settings and, in the case of flat irons, that they display the temperature. Hair dryers should have a diffuser to help distribute heat more evenly. When possible, it is best to let your hair dry naturally. Blow-drying can cause roughness, dryness, and loss of color. When using a straightening iron, curling iron, etc., make sure your hair is 100% dry. Putting these hot tools on even damp hair will cause extreme damage.
If you have fine and/or thin hair by nature or by illness, you can add some volume to your hair.
- Mousse for fine or thin hair. If you need a little uplifting help, message a small amount of mousse into your scalp when it’s still damp and let air dry or blow dry after.
- Roots. Dry your roots first, lifting your hair up or turning your head upside down. But turn your head back up before completely dry. If not, this will emphasize a bad growth pattern.
- Dry shampoo. Dry shampoo can be your best friend! It gives you a nice lift at the roots. My favorite Dry Shampoo is Stay Dirty by Beauty & Pin-Ups. This stuff is great for adding volume to your roots on day-old dirty hair, or even right after a blow-dry and style.
- Clip it in. If you never thought you could wear hair extensions, think again. Queen C Hair Extensions offers an exclusive clip in extension collection called the AIRess Collection. These exclusive clip ins are super lightweight and made especially for those with fine and/or thin hair. Made to lay flat against the head, they are hidden easily. The clips are silicone-infused with a silicone bar to prevent slipping. They're affordable and available at SURVIVORville 2017 and also online atQueenCHair.com.
Queen C Hair is a proud sponsor of the Women Survivors Alliance. A percentage of proceeds from sales of the AIRess Collection and AIRess Clip & Tie Ponytail Collection are given to WSA.
We are honored to be participating in the makeovers at SURVIVORville 2017. Hope to see you there!
Cheryl Whitt
Queen C, LLC
*This information is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes only.
All images courtesy of NOU contributor Cheryl Whitt.
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