Busy Mom Hair Regimen

I'm the first person to admit. My hair regimen is not perfect. Far from it. But I have to do what works for me and my lifestyle. Even if it is not the most optimal routine. It works for me. And as you can see, my hair is pretty healthy. And my sanity is intact. Here are my tips for maintaining healthy hair, while juggling a busy life:

• K.I.S.S.  - No really. Keep it simple.  The more you complicate things, the more time it takes. Above are pictures on the day of my youngest daughter's baptism. In the past, I would still be fighting with my hair the day of the event. I would try to have freshly washed hair. Or try to do a roller set  -- and it wouldn't dry. This time around, I twisted my hair a few days prior. I wore twists all week that were very easy to maintain.When my husband asked with a scowl, "How long is your hair going to take?". I smiled and said, "All I have to do is untwist!"  It took 10 minutes. Tops.
• Don't let your hair get tangled. The biggest time warp for natural hair is detangling. For me, wash and go's are an absolute no-no. I'm being more adamant about not letting my hair shrink (and tangle),because the long detanglng sessions are just not worth it.  For the remainder of winter, I'm doing the twists  - twistout -updo rotation.  Boring, but it works.
• Trim your ends. I know. There is a lot of debate on this. Some people say every 8 weeks, some say twice a year, others say not at all.  I say... whenever they need to be trimmed. How do I know? I see split ends and/or knots. Or my hair gets tangled at the ends. (Of course, if you don't want to trim often then take extra care of your ends.) But for me, fresh ends cut down on my styling time. And since I don't have lofty hair length goals, I pull out the scissor without giving it a second thought. #dontjudgeme
• Find a wash regimen that works for you, your hair's needs, and your lifestyle. Some swear by co-washing, while others swear by shampoo or even clay washes. Some wash every week, while others wash every two weeks. Do what works for you!  I wash every other week. I co-wash and/or ACV rinse as needed in-between. If I don't see product buildup, I'm not washing my hair just because someone TOLD me I'm supposed to. It saves me from a major headache.  Because I don't wash as often, I'm weary of using products that cause a lot of buildup.  Listen to your hair and figure out a wash routine that works for you.
• Come up with your own tricks! It's easy to get caught up on what the web gurus or hairdressers say, but take the time to become the expert on YOUR hair. You are the person who takes care of your hair on a daily basis. Take the time to learn your hair. You'd be surprised by how much you already know.

What are your tips and tricks to save time on your hair?

Vintage Post: Wash & No-Go

BEFORE

 Why is my hair all over the place? Because I was picking at my scalp, of course. It is a bad habit I picked up from my relaxed days when chemical burns were the norm.  Don't judge me.

THE DILEMMA

Have you heard about the Cantu Shea Butter warning? The one that states that you you should avoid putting the product on your scalp.  Well if you do some further research, you will learn that this rule applies to all leave-in conditioners.  This is particularly important if you have a sensitive scalp like mine.  Thanks to my hard-headedness, I ravaged my scalp.  Imagine how sore and itchy your scalp feels after a chemical burn.  Yup, that was me.  It wasn't pretty.

Hair. Resilient. Scalp. Super-sensitive.  (I bet you thought my hair catastrophe would be fried hair.  Bwahaha.)

When I first BC'd, my go to (modified) wash and go routine was to put Cantu Shea Butter on a dried-up twist-out (approximately 3 days old). The next day did I wash it out? No.  Or, the next day? Of course, not.  So by the the third day, As  you can imagine, my hair itched horribly.  The itch-factor coupled with the strong smell forced me to switch to Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

With a new product, I continued the same habits.  (I didn't feel like re-twisting my hair mid-week and needed an easy solution. I'm stubborn. Don't judge me.)  At first, my scalp was ok.  Eventually, the itching ensued. But worst.  By the time I straightened my hair in late February, my scalp was ready for a break.

THE TREATMENT...

 I clarified my hair and applied jojoba oil and castor oil to the scalp, which provided some relief. But I still found myself picking at my scalp and my scalp flaking horribly.  This weekend, I finally decided to do a Bentonite Clay treatment.  Ultimate relief.  Ahhhh! My scalp no longer feels sore and raw. 

LESSON LEARNED

Will I stop using Shea Moisture? No.  It works great for wet twist-outs.  Will I stop putting almost half the jar on my head for a wash and go? Yes. I've learned my lesson.  My scalp doesn't like build-up. I get it.  I'll stop being lazy. I'll do my hair mid-week.  I also will not be one of those people who leaves 90% of conditioner in their hair.  I will stick to leave-ins since they are not as heavy and are designed to be left in the hair.

AFTER

My luscious curls are ready for their close-up.

Has anyone had a similar experience due to misuse of products?  Any suggestions for someone with a sensitive scalp?

Vintage Post: Hair Reversion

My hair after my co-wash and before bentonite clay. I co-washed, because bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar clarify the hair.In my third installment, check out the before and after.  (Make note of my different curl textures and shrinkage.)

It's no secret. I straighten my hair.  I'm aware of the dangers, but hair is an accessory to me. I take caution and I don't overdo it.  I've been checking out a lot of YouTube videos about straightening hair, heat damage, and I realized that there are quite a few things I'm doing right:

• At night, I use coconut oil to do pin curls or wrap my hair. Coconut oil lays the cuticles down and results in a nice, smooth finish.  (Much better option than running the flat iron through your hair again. I only do that in emergency situations.)
• I pre-poo with coconut oil -- either overnight or 20-30 minutes prior to shampooing hair.  Last week, I also put some castor oil on my scalp.  Castor oil promotes healthy hair growth, but it is a heavy oil so DON'T rub through your hair.
• I deep condition my hair.  Based upon some videos I've watched, moisture is key to silky, bouncy hair...without the temptation to put too much heat on your hair.
• I don't put heat on my hair that is over 350 degrees.  Otherwise, you may end up with heat damage or alter your curl pattern.  (When I accidentally ran the flat iron through a small section at 400 degrees, I defintely changed the curl pattern. I've been nursing.  I plan on growing it out and cutting it off. LESSON LEARNED.)
• I revert my hair by running water on hair and rubbing my scalp in circles.  My curls revert in this step alone. If any curls look different,  I focus on those areas during the shampoo and condition process
• I clarify my hair after a week of straight hair. I use a lot of cones in my hair, while it is straight.  I make sure I get them out of my hair.
• I exercise caution.  Whether you use heat, color, or relaxer...exercise caution.

Here are some helpful videos I found:





And this video...

I personally don't follow any instructionals to the letter. I incorporate elements that work for me. 

Does anyone else have any tips, suggestions, or cautions?