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June 27, 2010

How to Achieve Luxurious hair

I'll be the first to admit that my own hair is not perfect. Albeit, even if I might wish for naturally fuller or curly locks as opposed to my fine, silky straight hair, I do try to make the best of what I've got. It occurred to me to write about this subject when I noticed my mother-in-law "towel-drying" her hair. Actually, it was more like she was rubbing the crap out of it...so aggressively it was like she was sanding wood or something. I cringed just thinking about the damage she was causing to her hair...the breakage, split ends and not to mention the frizzy aftermath it entailed. She's not the only person I've seen guilty of this crime against hair though. And these are the same friends and family members that complain about having unruly and unmanageable hair. Now I now not everyone's hair is the same, but there are a few simple and universal tips that can help anyone attain tresses that are soft, shiny, touchable and tamed.


1. After washing your hair, gently squeeze out any excess water with a soft towel. Don't rub your head like your grating cheese, especially not with an abrasive towel because this will only increase frizz. On the other hand, smoothing the hair downward along the shaft will help keep the cuticle laying flat.

2. Use a WIDE-toothed comb to detangle wet hair to prevent breakage. Only use a brush when your hair is dry.

3. Don't over-shampoo your hair. The cleansing ingredients in shampoos will strip your hair of its natural oils, dry it out and make it unmanageable. Whether you shampoo every other day, every two days, three days or every week is up to you and how dirty your hair gets. The same tip goes for other clarifying rinses and products.

4. Avoid excessive sun, chlorine and salt water (during the summer).




5. Concentrate conditioner on the ends of your hair. Your roots produce natural oils that soften and keep your hair healthy anyway...the ends of your hair however are usually the most damaged and need the most attention when it comes to conditioning.

6. Don't sleep in tight buns or ponytails if you have long hair. Instead, opt for a loose braid. Also, the best material for you to rest your pretty little locks on is satin.

7. Trim your hair every six to eight weeks. Some stylists will tell you to come in every four weeks, but that's because they want to get paid. But you really only need clean up about every 2 months to maintain healthy looking hair.

8. You scalp needs stimulation for your hair to grow faster. Gently massage your scalp for 2-3 minutes when you shampoo to increase circulation.

9. Rinse product out with cold water. This is the best way to achieve ultra shiny and tame hair since it seals the cuticle. Hot water causes the cuticle to open up, resulting in frizz.

10. This might be hard for some, but try to avoid over-processing and over-exposing your hair to heat. Your hair might be looking fierce immediately after blow-drying and straightening but, it's going to be damaged in the long-run. If you do insist on blow drying or ironing your hair everyday, use a heat-protecting spray first! Morever, try to invest in ceramic and ionic hot tools. Ceramic plates prevent overheating and seal the cuticle while ionic products use negative ions to help break up water molecules faster and with less damage done.

There are many more tips in my aresenal that I'd like to share but we'll save them for anther post!

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