Welcome back! Last week, we talked about my sister’s Heart Attack. Thank you for all your kind words, support, and blog shares! We had over a thousand shares and that helps tremendously to get the word out. If you missed that blog and would like to catch up, click HERE.
This week will also be somewhat of a personal blog. Hair. My hair, your hair. Have you ever been to that point in life where you just gave up on having the hair of your youth? Yeah, me too. I used to have thick, curly, lovely hair, and then as I got older, life changed. It got dry, it lost its curl, and recently, my roommate pointed out “you have COVID hair”. Great.
He wasn’t wrong. My dry, stringy, frizzy hair had indeed grown longer, and I was starting to mimic Einstein…not a good look.
Note the picture. Super sad hair day…
I went to Dr. Google and found out that there are many, many reasons my hair might look the way it did. Thyroid issues, medications I was taking, chlorine, washing my hair too often, blow-drying my hair, hormone changes, using curling irons or straighteners, dying my hair, and more. I all but gave up. Nothing worked, and with each hairstylist, I became more convinced that my curls were gone forever.
Then, I met a stylist who would forever change how I looked at my hair. She didn’t cut it, curl it, or perm it. She washed it. And she showed me how to wash it. Suddenly, there they were! My curls were back! But how?
She looked at my hair, provided education about my particular hair type, and in the end, gave me the tools I needed to get where I wanted to be. Each person is different, and the next few paragraphs may or may not apply to you, but it’s fascinating information, either way.
Tana Britton, with Tin and Paisley Boutique in Aurora, Oregon, didn’t just give me my healthy hair back, she ultimately fed my mental health, giving me a boost in happiness and self-esteem.
Water, I was told, is key to healthy hair. Most of us get into the shower, wash our hair, add conditioner, rinse and then squeeze out the water before stepping out of the shower to grab a towel and continue the assault on our hair, rubbing it, squeezing it and ending with it in a turban style wrap. Our poor hair. Our poor scalp!
I had to completely relearn how to wash my hair. There were no products to put on it…no special oils, nope, just a good old fashioned hair washing.
Step one, was to wash my hair, paying special attention to the scalp. This is where the oils, the dirt, and the plugged pores reside. Scrub it gently, but scrub it well. Don’t use circular motions, but instead, start at the hairline above your forehead and scrub back and forth, moving toward the back of the head. Healthy hair starts here. Once you have scrubbed well then you rinse. Don’t scrub your ends. Just don’t.
Step two, take your conditioner and start applying right below the scalp line. Massage it in, literally taking it piece by piece, rubbing the conditioner into your hair really well, causing a little independent curl to form.
Step three is a little more challenging for folks with poor balance. Sit if you must, but flip your head upside down and let the hair hang. At this point, either turn your shower spray down, or shield your head with your hands from the pounding waters, and allow the hair to rinse and drip into the tub. Scrunch your hair with your hands, but don’t wring it.
Step four is still done upside down. Have a microfiber cloth ready and use it to scrunch your hair and remove excess moisture, but not all of the moisture. Do not use terrycloth. You can find microfiber cloths at the local dollar store.
Step out of the shower, towel off, and finish scrunching with the microfiber cloth.
It really is that easy. Before you dry your hair, it helps to grab chunks of hair and pin them so that there is air between your scalp and the blow dryer. This helps to “lift” your hair as it dries. It is recommended you air dry, or use a defuser on your hairdryer, scrunching your hair as you go. Rather than brushing, run your fingers through your hair instead.
I promise you, it may seem like a lot of work, but you only have to wash it every three to four days. You’re worth it.
When we look at our bodies holistically, mind-body-spirit, there are many ways to see what makes us whole.
The Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine express that:
- The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.
- The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
- Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
- Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.
If I’ve learned nothing else from the Osteopathic Doctors that I’ve come to know and love over the past several years working for the Foundation, I’ve learned that our bodies, minds, and spirit are one. Neglect one part of you, neglect all.
My stylist, Tana Britton, appears to agree. I asked her to weigh in on hair health, and she had this to say, “Understanding how to care for our hair goes hand in hand with caring for our bodies, beauty starts from the inside but when we look in the mirror and love what we see, it makes us feel good! This is why I take so much time to educate my clients so they have the tools to create a routine around their lifestyle. Your hair is your crown, and every crown should shine!“
She went on to say, “I do use products but it’s for moisture retention and definition. (Gel cast) And product ingredients make a huge difference as well. It’s important to know what we are putting on/in our bodies. Hair health=whole health“.
Just for today, do what makes your spirit shine, however that works for you. Paint a picture, take a walk in nature, meditate, pray…or wash your hair. And to answer the question posed in the title of this blog, “Hair Health: Does It Matter?” Yes. Yes, it does.
If you found this blog to be informative or just a relaxing way to waste time, please do me a favor and share it on your Facebook page? To share, just click on the Facebook icon located right below this paragraph. Much appreciated!
Tana put together a cheat sheet for her customers. You can print this off and keep it for reference:
Curls to Go
- Predetangle while the hair is dry (its weaker when it’s wet)
- Cleanse your scalp – scrub it in, scrub it out
- Condition – work section by section to detangle, massage in product and watch your curls
form! - Rinse with light water pressure. Be gentle to your hydrated curls, it’s ok to leave some
conditioner in - FLIP, COAT, SCRUNCH – Make sure to coat all the curls while they re dripping wet. This
creates your gel cast (moisture lock and definition) Scrunch and squeeze. - Use a microfiber towel (or tshirt) to scrunch out excess water
- Clip it, diffuse it, or let air dry (don’t mess with it when it’s wet, that creates frizz!)
- Break your cast. Work hands into roots and then scrunch ends to soften.
Remember….Water is everything, the way it looks wet is how it will look dry, and if you want it big you have to be ok with a little frizz
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