Give Me Head with Hair – Long Beautiful Hair

 

People get real comfortable with their features.  Nobody gets comfortable with their hair.  Hair trauma.  It’s the universal thing.    

                                                                       ~Jamie Lee Curtis

 

Labor Day.  Wow, how does it get here so fast each year? And why does it trigger such melancholy for so many? It is always an end but yet a beginning. I remember me and my best beach pal Linda, trying to squeeze the very last drop of summer out, despite the chill often in the air.  Trying for a last glimpse of the boys of that summer, while applying some QT and hoping against hope there would be enough sun to activate the “Sun In” we had just spritzed in our hair.  

So, looking outside at the gloom, saddened by the passing of yet another summer,  I decided to color my hair, brighten it up like I did back in the day.  As I surveyed myself in the mirror, something  suddenly triggered more melancholy than the passing of summer, it was more about the passing of my youthful hairline, and hair.  I always had a high 4head, but as of late, it seems to be more of a 5head (possibly a 6!).  Why is it that Christie Brinkley or Cheryl Tiegs don’t have that? Why does it seem everyone has more hair than me?  

I went for a walk to think about it. Hair envy, does it ever go away? Or does it grow worse as we get older?  I mean just like we were the generation of mini skirts and hippie clothes, we were also the generation of a hair revolution.  We made it ok for everyone to have long hair. When I think back on the flowing locks of my youth, and I really mean everyone’s, no wonder we had hair envy.  It was symbol of who we were, a generation of change.  Our boyfriends often had longer hair than us, and  us girls, we were

straightening already stick straight hair, putting Sun In on, trying to give it that California kissed look (but for some it turned their hair pure orange).  Did I mention straighten? In an era before straighteners and blow driers we resorted to empty beer cans and actually ironing our hair, to give us the longest smoothest manes possible.  Forget that many of us did not have thick locks like the models we mimicked. And the girls of color, lord they must have been so thankful when the natural look came, I can’t even imagine their torment prior to it.  We did what we had to, it didn’t matter, the hair of my generation was literally our crowning glory and readily identified us.

Totally lost in thought over all of this, I suddenly realized that when the wind blew now, it only revealed the lack of crowning glory I once, maybe almost, had.  This was more melancholy than was necessary and made me realize I am likely not alone in this, so I was curious about why, for most of us, our hair gets thin AF when we age.  So what happens, what causes it and why doesn’t it happen to all of us? Ummm, don’t think I haven’t noticed those who had great thick manes in youth seem to retain them…. You know who you are, but for the rest of us, it appears as though being a woman and getting older is the main cause (there are some more serious and  hereditary factors for some as well. I am sticking with basics).  Hair scarcity becomes more apparent leading up to and after menopause. And if that sad fact isn’t enough, and it sure ought to be, our hair also gets old – just on its own it gets finer.  What that the…!? Or should I say – now what? Well lucky for us, while working on that skin and body care blog I stumbled on a little help for our hair.  

** Note: Let me take a breath here, to say, I am not, for this blog, talking about you heroines of cancer survival out there who lost your hair from radiation and/or chemo. I am in no way trying to ignore that, but that is a blog for another day.  With that said, for those of you who had it all grow back, I am sure you will want to take extra good care of that new hair.. so do stick with me.  

First Things First

First of all we need to just suck it up and know, it’s gonna happen to most of us, this hair thinning/loss thing, and that while the grass appears greener on that broads head over there, maybe she just has been taking care of herself and her hair. So, lets stop with the envy and focus on what we have left up there.  There are some things we can do to slow it down and maybe make it just a little better.  Lets start with the grass is greenest if you just water it – so –   taking care of it from the inside out. Remember though, we are all different; small changes can help hair growth; all of this is a natural process; and nothing is gonna make it 100% of what it once was. 

Stay Calm And Get Your Food And Drink On 

With that said, let’s start on the inside.  Know that everything from skin symptoms to hair loss is intertwined with one’s general health.  So, since hair is a non essential organ made up of a protein called keratin, let’s start by checking on your protein intake. Make sure you are getting enough protein. This broad, as many of you know, is a protein and veggie girl.  But, that thinning thing and hair fall out continued.  I needed more.  I started with collagen hydrolysate powder; it is a great and easily digestible form of protein I use in my shakes.  Bone broth is also a great form of this type of collagen, if you are a soup lover it’s the easiest and tastiest way to get in your daily dose of collagen protein.    However, for me, It took a vitamin supplement (which I was really switching to for my nails, but the hair got a great benefit, even my stylist comments on the change).  Oddly enough I started with a prenatal vitamin for about month, then switched to Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Women.  The results have been noticeable in my hair and nails.  So try it.  It’s easier than cooking bone broth.  Oh, and I hope this goes without saying, because at the end of the day it’s the answer to most woes, but … hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I had no clue that dehydration immediately halts hair growth and promotes loss with brittle, dry follicles. Drink at least two liters of water a day to reach your minimum. Carry your favorite water bottle  to make the task a little easier. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am totally the worst at this, but if it helps me keep my hair…I am all in. 

Massage

Remember  the Skin Deep blog?  Well your scalp  is the skin under your hair, with tons of tiny blood vessels that doesn’t get much love, light or air. Massaging it brings blood to the surface of our skin and makes our head tingle. Your scalp doesn’t get much air-time so, just give your scalp a little love with your fingertips for under a minute to get circulation going.  I do it when shampooing, it cleans your scalp AND boost circulation. You’ll be surprised you hadn’t thought to do this one sooner. You know how relaxed you get at the stylist when they shampoo you… well.. get to massaging in between.

Detox and Cleanse

While we are talking water, shampooing and such, let’s touch on product.  Sorry Broads,  there is no magic pill, no magic product to make the hair woes go away.  And if a product says they will, well know this, it just ain’t so!  They are likely selling you something not good for your hair.  But, you can look to make sure you are using shampoos, conditioners and products listing only a few ingredients.  We certainly take the time to make sure we are using purer laundry and dish soaps so as not to irritate our skins.  But, do you look at what’s in your bath and skin care products..? In talking with my stylist, Sonya*, she walked me through some products and then gave me this tip – an app that makes it easy to check out your products Think Dirty   One of the brands that gets high marks, and we link to below,  is Kavella and I am thrilled that they will be part of the giveaway in this post, so keep reading to find how you might win.

Clean Out The Cabinet

So what should be in your shampoos and conditioner’s? I can’t tell you that but, I will tell you what shouldn’t be – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) is surfactant found in many cleaning products and insecticides.  So hunny if you can clean your house, laundry, car and kill bugs with it, you want to toss that crap out now (well if you don’t want to be wasteful, go ahead and clean the place with it)! Seriously, would you use Tide to wash your hair!?  I am sure there are other things that shouldn’t be in them, but,  let’s just start there.  So look for limited ingredients in your hair products.  Clean, sustainable products.  Remember less, in this case is more .  I remember being so upset, thinking we were so poor, because my mom had me using equal parts apple cider vinegar and water, in a cool rinse after my shampoo, instead of using Hair So New or Tame like all the other girls. Well guess what?  Apparently, it’s cleansing, alkalizing, balancing, and good for dry scalp. It promotes shine, and a clarified scalp makes way for happier hair growth.  Gonna give Diane some props here, even though it was more likely because we were poor.  If you decide to try this, you can always add a tad of an essential oil for scent, but it should rinse away with no odor and leave your hair in beautiful shape. 

Dry, Dry, Drier

So now we have washed our hair. Did you know your wet hair is at risk?  I am going to give you some basic “don’ts”   here, which you should remember from your teenage years.  After showering, careful how you treat your wet hair! Sopping wet hair is incredibly susceptible to damage, and brushing it right away or scrubbing it with a rough terry cloth towel is what causes breakage and frizz, basically tearing  it and pulling some out. Break the habit and use a microfiber turban/towel like  the  Aquis Turban to dry your hair quickly but, also gently.  I was very skeptical that this could make any difference, but since getting mine, I have noticed a few things.  If I wrap my hair in it while soaking wet, and just leave it while I do makeup and  get ready; when I take it out it is noticeably dryer, still damp but dryer (after 15 or 20 minutes).  This has a domino effect.  With my hair damp, I can blow dry it on a cooler lighter setting, and it actually styles a bit better! I put much less stress on it with the styling brush, and very little heat.  Now mind you, I do not have a voluminous head of hair, remember why you are reading this.. thinning and hair loss.  Anyway, I was really surprised that this  little thing made such a huge difference.  Less time, heat and brushing So using this towel before you blow-dry will minimize the damage. I love the results from it so much that I am giving one of these babies away along with some Kavella product,  so keep reading. 

Be kind to Your Hair

Lastly – styling can be a big factor contributing to our broken hair.   That messy topknot  or hair clip may look cool and seem easy, but it could be placing too much stress on your strands. Avoid hairstyles that place traction on the hair and hair follicles. Try avoiding heavy styling creams and serums, as they can add unnecessary weight to the hair, leaving a coating that inhibits moisture.   Also,  please see your stylist every six weeks or so, to get that hair trimmed up, it makes a big difference.    

If You Do Nothing, Nothing Will Get Better

So there we have it.  No magic pills or potions to make you grow hair like a Tressy Doll. But as you read, there are some things you can do, to maybe slow it down a bit and even reduce the amount that falls out, just by taking good care of yourself and your mane.  For this broad, the vitamins really made a difference, followed by a good style every six weeks, changing shampoos and lastly that new drying turban.  How do I know? I no longer have a brush so thick with hair, you could knit a scarf, people no longer pick hair off me in that polite way they do, when I run my hands through my hair, I don’t come away with handfuls and I don’t find hairs in my black Aquis Turban!  But, I can only speak for me.

Labor day, is long gone,  but a memory.    As for me, no Sun In or QT, hell – I didn’t even color my hair. I am happy to report however, that my hair envy lessened a bit,  but I am still looking for those boys of summer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ready to win an Aquis Hair Turban along with some Kavella hair products? It’s easy.  Be sure you already subscribe and follow us on FB and/or Instagram.  Then tag 2 friends with this post on Facebook or Instagram  Leave a note in the comments section that you did. Leave a comment below that you did.  Enter as many times as you like.  I will let you know via email if you won. 

 

 

 *  If in Chicago, and need of some hair tlc, my wonderful stylist who does not only me, but both my daughters is Sonya Zabaznova.  She is at the Fixx Hair Studio 952 W Newport. 773.857.3525   Fix Hair Chicago

** Disclaimer.  I am in no way an expert on hair, or it’s loss despite the fact I won an honorable mention on the subject at my 4th grade Science Fair.  This is based on my purely on my personal experiences and use of products, each person may react differently. I had no adverse reaction to any product listed, that may not be true for you. I have no affiliation with any production listed or receive any compensation of any kind from any companies.  If you a e experiencing severe hair loss please seek out advise a health care professional immediately.