Top 10 Ways to Care for Your Hair
Suburban Magazine, August 2016 Issue
by MariLynne Cosmillo
1.) Get a professional blowout—trust an expert. Not only do the pros know which products are best for your hair, they also know how to properly style with hot tools to safely get you that style you've been looking for without creating heat damage. And since blowouts have lasting power, thanks to the hard work of sectioning and smoothing your hair, you can squeeze out a few extra days before putting any heat to it again.
2.) Protection is key—use a heat protector with vitamins and proteins. Whether you are a product junkie or prefer a wash-and-go regime, you should give your hair daily TLC.
3.) Give it a break—use a dry shampoo. Washing hair everyday will dry it out and can make your sebaceous glands over active, making your hair feel dirty more quickly. Give your hair an extra day (or more) of not washing by using a dry shampoo at your root. Simply massage in to absorb excess oils and lift your roots for a lighter, more voluminous second day style.
4.) Use a shower cap—prevent frizz and keep your scalp dry from humidity. The ultimate culprit of a blowout is moisture. Always use a tightly fitted shower cap to protect your style and scalp from humidity when showering.
5.) At home remedies—An at home mask is just the same as one at the salon if you're using the same professional product. Create a weekly regime with a mask; try a damage control conditioner with organic Shea butter. Apply to wet, clean hair at the beginning of your shower, clip up and don’t rinse until you're ready to hop out. A cool rinse will seal in the nutrients and leave your hair extra smooth.
6.) Forget the flat iron—waves of all kinds, including curling iron designed and natural, are in style. Take advantage of the trend and ditch the flat iron, which can cause more stress and damage to your hair.
7.) Pony up only 2 times a week—did you know over-knotting your hair can cause breakage? Avoid by limiting your pony tail time and use fabric elastic instead of rubber based.
8.) Restore with keratin—believe it or not, too much protein can have an adverse effect. Maintain healthy, strong hair with a once a month keratin treatment. An extra 15 minutes at the salon will go a long way to healing color and heat damaged hair and can prevent unnecessary hair cuts down the line.
9.) Brush before you wash—stimulate the scalp to increase blood circulation and encourage hair growth by brushing before you wash. Beware that brushing distributes the oils on your scalp throughout your hair, so if you're a morning washer, brush your hair before bed so your locks get extra TLC over night and a clean start in the morning.
10.) Color less, cover more—stretch out your root touch-ups by using an instant grey coverage product. Just spray it directly onto visible roots to quickly conceal any greys and you can put off that color appointment for another day.
MariLynne Cosmillo is a hair stylist and the Director of Education & Operations for the Cherry Blow Dry Bar Franchise.
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