1.) De-stress
This first tip is probably the least time-taxing, and yet the hardest to fit into most people’s schedules. These are my tried and true methods for relaxation:
- Meditation: Just a simple 5-minute session can do wonders for the mind and soul. I lay on my yoga mat and listen to a guided or binaural sounds meditation while taking in a few deep breaths. Even though I can get away with doing it every other day, I still make the effort to meditate even when I don’t really “need” it.
- Ashwagandha: The ultimate de-stressor, this medicinal shrub has done a finer job at relaxing my over-active mind than my beloved lavender. It also has helped fight anxiety symptoms, lower blood pressure, and combat chronic stress. It comes in many forms: supplements, tea, powders, and extracts. My favorite way of intake is through Organic India’s, caffeine-free, Tulsi Ashwagandha tea in 8 oz of hot water. A few sips are all it takes for your stress to magically float away.
- Color: Coloring isn’t only for kids anymore. The pastime made a huge comeback a few years back and for a good reason: just a few minutes of coloring helps to relax your sympathetic nervous system. Along with helping calm a racing mind, it also serves as a great warm-up to my other creative outlets (e.g. piano and writing).
2.) Take Care of Your Body
As humans, we often look outside ourselves for positive change and fail to realize it’s an inside job. This goes for our hair goals as well. Deep conditioning treatments and oils can help immensely in generating healthy hair, but what ultimately matters the most—something I learned late—is that hair health is linked to what’s happening inside your body. If your nutrition is lacking in vitamins, or if you’re anemic, consider your hair lacking in what it needs to thrive.
Your body is the soil in which the roots (your hair) either thrive in or die in.
3.) Apply Conditioner to Mid-Lengths
I used to have oily roots in my early 20’s, mostly from over-conditioning at the roots. One important tip I learned from the curly-hair community is to apply conditioner starting from the mid-lengths instead of from the top down. Doing that will ensure fewer wash days and will keep your frazzled ends looking moisturized, hydrated, and shiny.
4.) Stop Putting Your Hair Up!
No matter how hard I try, I can’t go a few hours without grabbing a clip or scrunchie to secure my hair. It’s an ever-constant struggle trying to get out of this bad habit, mostly because my hair isn’t at my desired length yet, and I still have an awful, self-inflicted, layered cut that left my hair a discombobulated mess. My daily habit of wearing a ponytail has resulted in thinning mid-lengths and weak hair. Learn from my mistake and don’t slip down the rabbit hole of pulling out a scrunchie every time you don’t like how your hair looks.
5.) One word: Pineapple.
Forget what I said above. I’m an indecisive, curly-haired girl. There is one (and ONLY one) exception to rule #4: bedtime. Satin pillowcases are luxurious and all, but I can’t leave my hair loose all night or I’ll wake up with hair all over my face. Also, my hair tends to fall flat and lose its bounce with this method. So instead, I do the Pineapple technique. All I do is flip my head forward, upside down and gently pile my strands together with a scrunchie. When you lift your head, your curls will be piled on top and your head will resemble…you guessed it…a pineapple.
