I am often greeted by compliments on my coif – shoutout to my dope stylist, thanks Crystal! In the midst of these praises for my crown always lies the question…
photos by: rsee
How do you keep your hair so healthy as a blonde?!
My answer? I leave it alone. Truly. What I have learned over the years of having natural hair that is for me it is best to let my tresses be. Trust me, over the course of the past six years I have come to learn what my hair needs to thrive. I used to suffer horribly from “hand in hair” syndrome and self-proclaimed “hair-oxeia” but I have since overcome my struggle. This was not without trial and error though. So let me encourage all of you newbies and even you “I’ve been on the natural train for a while,” girls that we all must walk our own journeys.
When I began getting to know my hair – it wasn’t pretty. I’ve gone through all kinds of transitions – short, long and lackluster, growing out perms, and breakage. But what I did gather along the way, is that sometimes we fall into the trap of over loving our hair. You know what I mean, apply every deep condition treatment we’ve seen on youtube, purchasing all the holy grail products we see someone else’s filled to the brim cabinet; all the while forgetting a simple rule – to each his her own. So while I will line out some of my useful tips here remember they are NOT fool proof and they may not work for you. But as with any journey, it never hurts to try something new.
Keep your hair moisturized!:
Diddy said it best “moisturize your sexy,” and when it comes to color treated hair this is an important key. Your strands can be more prone to breakage because they have been chemically treated so be sure to apply moisture often. It is important to note; for some moisture is oil based and for others it is water based. Personally my hair CRAVES water like the desert does rain so I tend to saturate with water every 2 days. Color dries out your hair naturally to counteract this keep it hydrated!
Test products ALONE:
Hair products are like ingredients for food – all things are not meant to go together. You cannot get a full grasp of how a product works on your hair if you consistently use them in tandem with one another. If you changed your shampoo don’t combine it with a new conditioner at the same time. Opting for a new styling aid? Then stop use on another product so you can truly see how your strands are reacting. Too much mixing can effect your color because you’ll need to wash it out should your hair not like it.
Protective styling is our friend:
I know, I know – who wants to walk around with their ‘fro caged in? But the constant manipulation of your hair will cause it to be weakened. It just is what it is. Ask ladies who rock weaves, more often than not they’ve got a glorious wrap happening underneath. Why? because they’re not touching it. Now I’m not saying wear a style that limits you but scale back on picking and diffusing your hair daily, it takes a toll. I’m good for leaving my hair in large twists pinned back or wearing a flat twist crown it’s helpful. Because color can make your hair sensitive it’s best to not over style it – give it a chance to be left alone.
Those a three quick tips on how’ve I maintained my blonde hair for nearly a year now, while experiencing growth and health at the same damn time *dances* Don’t believe the hype that color will break your hair off or cause it to fall out. With proper care you can experiment with various hues and still enjoy a head of healthy hair!
More questions? Ask me in the comments I’ll do my best to answer!
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