Perfect, Youthful Hair

 

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Have you ever wondered why kids have perfect hair? When they first wake up, after it dries from the pool, after running around for hours.... perfect quaffs all around.
There are several factors contributing to this unfair anomaly. Probably the most important one being that their hair is "new" and undamaged. It hasn't been exposed to years of daily hair dryers and straightening wands or dehydrating shampoos. It's basically soft silky baby hair. It also hasn't been exposed to the hormonal oily mess of puberty. As we try to mitigate the awkward years with shampoo for oily hair or excessive oils for dry hair, we do even more damage than just letting hair run it's course.
 

Kids also just don't care about what their hair looks like and that inadvertent confidence might add even more style to the hair-do.

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So what can you do to have perfect, effortless hair? Chances are you have years of damage to reverse. Fear now! It's totally possible. Before you jump into the no-poo method of hair hygiene or pull a Britney Spears to just start fresh... Let's think about baby steps.
1. Buy some organic shampoo an conditioner. There are lots if wonderful, expensive brands out there, but as a newbie id recommend trying Whole Food's brand first. 

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It's affordable and leaves out parabens and sulfates... the latter of which is very harsh and drying.

2. Don't wash your hair everyday. Allow your scalp to rebound and reconnect with it's natural oils. At first it might freak out. Prepare the hair-ties and headbands for some challenging hair days. But it also might not freak out. In no time you will have literally trained your hair to only need a washing 2-3 times per week. My hair actually looks better the longer I go without washing it. It holds style and volume mush better. There is definitely a breaking point though!
3. Ditch the products and heat. I know this is impossible sometimes. I don't expect you to show up for a job interview looking like a caveman or frizzball. Personally, I make it a point to not use a hairdryer in the summer. It’s much easier to get away with untamed hair during beach season. If you are hesitant, perhaps start with your weekend hair. Eventually you will find something that works from you. Experiment with clips and pins to find your groove.  If you MUST use heat on your hair, try to do so when your hair is dry. Also try to coat your locks with a layer of light oil or serum. This acts as a protective layer between the hair and direct heat.

4. Use an oil based hair mask weekly. Try cold pressed coconut oil or avocado oil for great results. Leave it in overnight and wash out in the morning. Within a few application your hair will be as soft and silky as it was when you were a little kid.

5. Use a wooden toothed brush. This will break your hear far  less than a plastic or metal brush. The wood also absorbs your hair's natural oils and redistributes them evenly throughout your hair when  brushing. This gives a similar effect to argon oil on the hair. 

 

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6. Finally, confidence is KEY. If you’re comfortable with your curls or frizz or slicked back hair, you might start a trend. Embrace the cowlicks and kinks and make them work for you. My hair will never be stick straight and it will always look like I was electrified it the humidity is above 1%. When my hair starts getting big I like to lean into it and make it even bigger. Like a statement piece. When my hair is limp and boring, I experiment with classy low buns, bright lipstick and fun headbands. Always remain confident in how you look and everything else will fall into place

 

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Jen can do it, and so can you.