Monday, August 23, 2010

Trends I'm Loving!

Jessica Alba- Cropped pants and flats, plaid
Rachel Bilson- Cropped tee, bell bottoms
Jessica Alba- Skinny belt, low heel sandals
Victoria Beckham- low heeled boots, leather
Katie Holmes- Bell bottoms, layering

Split ends and healthy hair. Part 2.



Now that I've talked about damaged hair and split ends, let's discuss what you can do about it! (If you missed Part 1, you can find it here). First of all, I recommend avoiding or limiting the hair-hazards listed in Part 1. Aside from this, there are a few things you can do to help repair and nourish your already-damaged hair.

As for split ends, unfortunately, the only way to get rid of them is to actually cut the ends off altogether. There are a lot of products out there that claim to repair the tip and heal the ends- this actually cannot be done. Certain conditioners can temporarily merge the splits together and create the look of healthy hair. Typically, this doesn't last longer than a few hours or a day at most.

Growing out your hair depends on regular trims to get rid of these dry and split ends. When a hair is split, it can continue to split all the way up the hair shaft and damage the length more than you'd like, if left unattended. NEVER pull apart your split ends! This just weakens the ends and thins them out... you'll never grow your hair out this way. In fact, you'll find your hair stays the same length, or gets shorter by doing so. The best thing for your hair is to trim them off, typically recommended for every 6 weeks or so. If getting your ends cut seems like the opposite thing you'd want to do to grow out your hair.. trust me, getting rid of splits will keep the hair strong enough to keep growing.

However! For events and nights out, you can temporarily repair the split ends before your next scheduled trim. Follow this routine to fake perfect, healthy hair:

-Shampoo your hair with a moisturizing shampoo

-Condition with a moisturizing conditioner, making sure to slather the ends where your hair is the driest.

-Rinse out with cool water, to close up the shafts and lock in the moisture. Makes hair extra shiny!

-Dry off hair a bit, and while it's still damp, add a leave-in conditioner. I especially love Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioner which I typically pick up at Walmart or Target. I have used this for years and do not work with or for the Garnier company, it's simply the best that I've tried thus far. Plus it makes your hair smell extra nice :)

-Detangle your hair with a comb- wide tooth is the best. (Never brush wet hair! This is very damaging).

-Add a few drops of shine serum and work into your hair, again focusing much of the serum onto the ends.

-Blow dry your hair on the coolest setting with a brush or paddle. Having it cooler will dry it slower than the hot air would, but is much healthier and less damaging. If you have a diffuser for your blow drier, use this as well.. it's extra protection from damage. If you don't have one, try to invest in one soon!

-Make sure that your ends are straight, as curls, spikes, frizz, and waves tend to make the splits more apparent. Using a flat iron, straighten all your hair, or just the last 1 1/2 inches of your hair.

-Set hair with a hair spray that has silk in its ingredients list.

-And voila! Your shiny, healthy looking hair is ready to impress.