December 03, 2010

A Minimalist Approach to Hair Care


Happy Friday!


I hope all of you have had an amazing week so far. So many of your amazing comments on my posts have been questions or compliments on my hair, so I thought I would devote a few posts to it. This first one will be about how I maintain my hair and I'll make another post on how I curl it.


My hair is extremely long. I haven't gotten it cut at an actual salon since about 3 years ago because I hate that they never listen to what I want. I remember coming home after one particularly awful haircut and I was literally bawling my eyes out. I went up to my dad and said, "Daddy, he made me look like a troll and my face looks HUGE." Even my father, who used to always tell me not to worry so much about appearances couldn't lie. It was pretty bad. 

My hair is naturally very thick and there is a lot of it.  The bottom layers are naturally wavy but the rest of my hair is mostly straight (it's straight but because there is so much of it, it's pretty puffy). 

I don't do much to maintain my hair. I wash it 4-5 times a week. I do not use conditioner. Some of you may think I'm crazy, but if I use conditioner, my hair won't do what I tell it to do. After using conditioner, I can't curl my hair for about 3-4 days because my hair will just uncurl and fall flat after an hour. I usually use Head & Shoulders Classic Clean shampoo. I have tried all sorts of SLS-free shampoos, but haven't  been able to find a good one that cleans my hair. I've also tried a few 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners, but those also don't work for me. I only apply shampoo to the scalp. 



I also rarely comb or brush my hair. Despite rarely using conditioner, it doesn't get tangled. I know some people will tell you brushing your hair distributes the natural oils and works to prevent your hair from getting dry, but so far nothing terrible has happened to my hair by not combing it. The only time I run a comb through it is when I trim my hair (once every two weeks). 

I curl my hair at least five times a week but my hair doesn't look damaged or brittle. This post is getting pretty long though so I'll talk more about this in my next hair post.

I guess when it comes to my hair, I take a pretty minimalist approach. I hadn't even realized that until I racked my brain trying to think of the products I use and the list contained a grand total of one product. I just find the less I do to it, the better it ends up looking.

As soon as I figure out the best way to show how I curl my hair, I'll post it!

Do you find the less you do to your hair, the better it looks? 

Or is it the opposite for you?


xx

Elise

14 comments:

Nadia said...

You have amazing hair, I can't believe you use so little. I find that if I don't use any conditioner my hair gets really dry. I also curl mine a lot, never have it straight unles I know i'll be going to the hairdressers soon and mine also gets flat again pretty easily... But the Head and Shoulders shampoo must be one of the best out there, love it xx

Unknown said...

I love you hair! Your so lucky to have such thick and long hair. I really want hair like yours and have been growing it for what feels like forever :( Oh and i totally agree with you about hairdressers,I've started cutting my own hair because i hate they way they cut it so short! Anyway, I don't know if you answer questions here but i was wondering, does your hair grow fast and is that why you trim it every two weeks? And does it keep your hair the same length if you do that or does it gradually get shorter? thanks.

Jewelrybead said...

Your hair looks super shiny, healthy, and fabulous! Wow, I can't believe that's all you do. I use moroccanoil, protein masks, etc, etc...I also highlight it every 8 weeks which I why I need all those things- LOL.

I can't say I have a minimalist approach to hair, but I agree with that for skincare- the less I do, the better.

binia said...

WOW, your hair is so beautiful and yet you do so little!

My hair is super long (down to my hips) but I do quite a bit to keep it in good condition.

I don't blowdry it, only occasionally curl it, use an SLS free shampoo (try FAThair volume, its brilliant) and a deep conditioner every time I wash. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week too because I can't be bothered to do it anymore (hello sexy shower cap).
I also use jojoba and sweet almond oil in my hair to keep it nice, and a deep conditioning treatment once a week.

Phew!

Donna said...

OMG your hair is sooo gorgeous!! i actaully thought you were wearing extensions!
head and shoulders didnt work for me :( it actually gave me MORE dandruff! my friend is a hair stylist and she says head and shoulders leave a wax layer on your scalp and if you scratch it, it will look like more dandruff :S
i guess everyone is different so glad it worked for you :) again.. im super jealous of your hair haha.

Angela Moscaritolo said...

Oh man. Your hair is just absolutely stunning. My hair is pretty long as well (a few inches shorter than yours) but it's naturally curly so I have to blowdry then curl to get a similar look. I usually curl it every day and only wash every other day or less to keep it from getting too damaged. I do get regular trims because I tend to get bad breakage. Anyway, my biggest gripe with my hair is that it's not thick enough. It's not super thin just normal but I wish it was THICK like yours.

Anonymous said...

Wow your hair is perfection for sure and the fact that you don't do much to it is even more amazing!

Barbra said...

Wow you do have amazing hair! My hair always gets tangled especially if I dont use conditioner :)

Elise said...

UrbanMermaid- To be honest, I can't believe I use so little either. I know you want to cut your hair but I actually LOVE your hair so much just the way it is! x

Rossaaay- Thank you! Having thick hair was such a curse until I started curling it. I know how you feel (about growing your hair). Trust me though, if you've been growing your hair for a while, you're going to wake up one morning and it will be LONG. It's weird, but it'll look like it has stayed the same length for a few months and then one day it'll look like it grew a few inches overnight. My hair grows pretty quickly. I think it may have something to do with what I eat since I eat pretty healthy. I don't find that trimming it helps to keep it in good condition (if I go a month and a half without trimming it, it won't look damaged...just extremely long). I only trim it because if it gets too long it just looks crazy. I really hope this has helped a bit. If not, I'm always willing to answer any other questions you have :) x

Jolene- Thanks lovey! haha I've never dyed or highlighted my hair so perhaps that's why I'm able to get away with doing practically nothing. Guess I'm lucky to have black hair...there isn't too much you can do with black hair! Your hair care routine must really be working because your hair always looks healthy and fabulous x

Binia- Thanks so much for the FAThair volume suggestion! I'll make sure I keep an eye out for it. hahah shower caps ARE sexy! x

Donna ♥ Baby- You know what? Now that you've told me about what your friend said, I'm skeptical about Head & Shoulders haha! I almost think I rely on H&S because I've used it so long. If I go a week without it my scalp gets itchy and I can't think straight. Thanks for passing that info along...I'm going to try using something else because I know H&S has SLS in it :( x

Pretty Lady- I would love to have naturally curly hair! I'm kind of jealous of you! I've always assumed girls with curly hair can just shower at night and wake up the next morning with perfect hair. Isn't that how it works?? hahah x

Tanisa O Rossi- aw you are so sweet! Trust me though, it looks so far from perfection after it has been air dried x

Barttart- Thank you! I've always wished I could use conditioner. Conditioners always smell soo good! Shampoo is so boring haha x

Unknown said...

Thanks for answering my questions and for giving me encouragement with hair-growing :)

Elise said...

Anytime! That's what I'm here for haha I'll be your personal cheerleader if you need me to be! x

Emily said...

I am horrendously jealous of your hair! I have long hair but its so thin I have to wear extensions! My hair can get very dry but I find that the simple remedies are the best and I just put some extra virgin olive oil on my ends and let it soak in for a few hours. xo

kristelsaskosky said...

Okay so your so damn pretty! And your hair is so pretty!

Elise said...

Emily - Don't be jealous haha I only ever take pictures of my hair of my good hair days. I should try the olive oil trick. I've also heard mayonnaise makes hair smooth and shiny but using mayonnaise in my hair doesn't sound all that appealing lol x

kristelsaskosky - Aw thank you!! x