Caring for Your Hair aka Teaching Tuesday on Wednesday! Lol

Now that the power is back on and the storms have passed, we are going to go back in time and get our our Teaching Tuesday post in. This week I want to address the proper way to care for your hair. 


Beautiful hair comes from healthy hair, and healthy hair comes from within. So the first, and most important step in hair care, is to have a healthy life style. Eat well, meaning healthily, drink plenty of water, get adequate sleep, exercise regularly and stay away from alcohol and smoking. The ill affects of not being healthy will definitely show in your hair. 


Another thing that will show in/on your hair, is the affects of the elements. Just like your skin, hair needs to be protected from harsh elements, mainly the sun. So wear your hat when out in the sun, or you can even use a protective sunscreen that is made especially for the hair. 


Really there are four steps which will lead you toward beautiful locks. First off, use a pre-shampoo treatment. This treatment should be geared toward conditioning your hair, or moisturizing and treating damaged hair. The next step is shampooing, which is necessary for removing dirt and oil residue. Then there is the rinse. This is key in removing the excess shampoo, as well as replenishing the hair with nutrients. Then there is the final step of conditioning. The conditioner will seal the moisture into the hair, as well as serve to protect it from the elements. 


You should apply your hair treatments just before getting into a warm tub. The scalp is more responsive to treatments when its pores are dilated and the skin is relaxed.  Then, on your final rinse, you should use cool water so that the pores will tighten and leave your hair shinier. 


Additionally, it is important to not stress out your hair too much. So it is better to use a wide-tooth comb instead of a brush, whose bristles will damage the hair and can easily break the shaft. Of course it is also a good idea to limit your use of gels and mouses, as they tend to build up on the  hair and scalp, and can even irritate the scalp. 


To help you along in obtaining healthy, beautiful locks of love, look for some hair care recipes this Friday and even some more, next Make it yourself Monday! Everything from the pre-shampoo conditioner to the after-shampoo rinse, you can easily make your own!