Hello, you all. It’s been a hot minute since I posted on the blog. The number of draft posts continues to increase. With the plan of doing nothing this weekend, I thought why not complete the post answering the most asked question on my Instagram comments and direct messages. Any guesses?
The question is what my haircare routine is or how I keep my hair so healthy.
I’m genetically blessed–thanks, dad–with thick and plenty hair [tmi alert], not only on my head. In school, I was always that girl who everybody joked had a lion’s mane or bird’s nest on her head. I’m not kidding when I say that sometimes the weight of my hair gave me a headache.
Then came my late teens when I got typhoid twice; and if you know anything about typhoid, it causes insane amounts of hair fall. I also battled with tuberculosis, which entailed taking incredibly harsh medicine for a year. Both these conditions made me loose a lot of hair, and ever since, my hair fall has only gotten worse, more so after the move to the Netherlands. I’ll not bore you with the details of my thinning hair though, but I’ll say that if it weren’t for an abundant head of hair inherited from my dad, I’d be bald by now.
So, it’s now established that my hair is in fact not healthy considering years of hair fall that I’ve not been able to stop from any number of doctor visits, oils, vitamins or diet changes. Disclaimer: I don’t need advice on how to prevent hair fall because after years of dealing with it, I’ve accepted it as part of life. And thanks to dad, it’d at least be another decade before I worry about going bald.
That is my dad on the left, at 57 years old, with a glorious head of hair.
Nonetheless, I will walk you through my not so fancy, simple haircare routine. FYI, I’ve very dry, fizzy and wavy hair. It has never been bleached, colored or permed. I don’t get any salon treatments besides a haircut one to three times a year. In the picture above with my parents, I don’t have my hair styled so you can see what it looks like naturally.
Routine
Wash
Because my hair is so dry and brittle, I wash it twice a week with a shampoo and follow with a hair mask. I find hair masks work better to moisturize my hair compared to conditioners. In the summer or when I’m working out regularly, I’d wash my hair three times a week, but never more.
Styling
After the wash, I disperse a pump or two of Moroccan Oil in the hair and let it air dry.
When my hair is about 80 percent dry, I use a round brush and hairdryer to completely dry the hair and flip ends for a polished look. I could never film a blowdrying tutorial because everyone’s hair is different and what works for me might not work for you. Like everything else, practice makes perfect. So just get on with it. I found this detailed tutorial on YouTube very helpful when I started.
Maintenance
On the daily, I use a simple wooden wide-toothed comb to detangle my hair.
Occasionally, I use a dry shampoo to give my hair some volume and lift. I find that the scalp build-up from dry shampoo causes more hair fall so I use it rarely and sparingly. For best results, I spray the dry shampoo in the roots in one to two inch sections, let it sit for 30 seconds, then massage it in with my finger tips. I follow with combing my hair and voila!
Treatments
I don’t get any salon treatments done, but do try to give myself a warm coconut oil head massage one to two times a month. Depending on how my hair and scalp feel at the time of the treatment, I either put in a few drops of peppermint essential oil (takes away itch) or put a few drops of lemon juice (adds shine) to the coconut oil. When I’ve covered my hair from root to end in the oil, I braid it and either leave it overnight or at least for half a day before washing.
Supplements
I’ve taken biotin before but didn’t notice any results. I know some people swear by it for hair growth, so do give it a try. At this point in my life, I don’t care enough to try supplements and remember to be regular with them. So, I don’t bother with it but if that changes and I find something useful, promise I’ll share.
Favorite Products
I’m not loyal to many hair products. All the ones I’m currently using are linked within this post. Among those, my longtime favorites have to be:
I’ve been using this one for years on damp hair and to moisturize ends in winter. It adds moisture to my dry hair, without adding grease, and makes it easy to comb and style. One full-sized bottle lasts me over two years.
I’ve used and broken so many hairbrushes, including the famous Mason Pearson that I may have sold my kidney to purchase, but nothing compares to the simplicity of this comb. It doesn’t tug on my hair, decreases breakage, and detangles beautifully without fuss.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
Much like other products, I’ve gone through a gazillion different dry shampoo bottles. This is the only one I’ve re-purchased and will continue to re-purchase. It doesn’t leave a white cast or too much build-up, disperses beautifully, smells great, and gives my hair lift and volume like no other dry shampoo ever did. I don’t use it often but every time I do, I feel like it’s worth its weight in gold.
I’d not dare use it on my face because coconut oil is comedogenic, but on my hair it’s magically moisturizing. I notice a visible different in the hydration and bounce of my hair after an overnight coconut oil treatment.
I know this isn’t a fix-all-your-hair-problems routine. Like with all my other content, I’ve kept it honest and candid.
If you’re experiencing any hair problems that seem to persist for too long, I’d strongly advise seeing a doctor. I too saw multiple doctors and had many a blood tests done for my hair fall, but we couldn’t nail down a reason. At least this way, I’ve the assurance that my hair fall isn’t due to some major health problem. And as I said at the beginning of this post, I’ve accepted that hair fall as part of life and don’t need advice on fixing it.
If you’ve any questions about what I’ve shared, I’m all ears. Have a great week ahead!
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