Thursday, March 29, 2012

Damage Control

I knew when I decided to go ombre with my hair, that I was going to be damaging my locks. To achieve an ombre with my black hair, we had to completely strip the years of black dye from my strands. To do this, we had to process my hair with bleach; which ultimately fried my hair. I had a lot of breakage, and my hair was so brittle.
My hair stylist prepped me for this and recommended a recovery routine ... lots of moisturization, color-safe shampoo and conditioner, and a full blow-out treatment after every wash. I left the salon with a $24, 4-oz bottle of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In plus Keratin. Of course, Pureology was her shampoo and conditioner line of choice, but I went to Rite-Aid from the salon and picked up a trusty bottle of L'Oreal's EverStrong Shampoo and Organix TeaTree Mint Conditioner.
The shampoo and conditioner smell amazing!! I love that minty smell and shower steam combination! The shampoo is so thick and creamy, and it lathers really well. The conditioner is super silky ... I apply mostly to the bottom half of my hair where the most damage is, and I leave it in for several minutes.
After rinsing and towel-drying, I spray the leave-in treatment throughout all my hair and massage it in. At this point, my nappy ends are a tangled mess. I use a really wide-toothed comb to work out the tangles, then I blow dry until my hair is completely dry.
I then use my Hana Pro Flat Iron I got from Misikko, and iron out section-by-section until all my strands are nice and smooth. This routine usually takes about 20-30 minutes from the time I step out of the shower to finish. I wash my hair every 2-3 days, and this process lasts me through between washings.Was going ombre worth all the time and damage? Absolutely! I am loving my new look, and my hair feels normal when it is all blown out. I am not sure if the situation is the same for someone going darker in hair color, but if you do decide to go with this style, be prepared for the aftermath and upkeep. Shiny ... smooth ... silky soft ... the Keratin leave-in treatment is definitely worth the $24! I have 1/4 of my bottle left and have used it every 2-3 days since bleaching my hair (on February 2nd). The bottle promises to replace lost protein, protect and maintain natural keratin in hair, protect against heat, restore hydration balance, strengthen hair structure, add shine, and seal hair cuticles. I don't think my hair would be this manageable or any healthier without using this product. I definitely recommend for all hair types - dyed or natural!
And as the haircut countdown ticks down (my birthday, 4/25), I am still unsettled about chopping my locks. Hubby is against it, so that doesn't help either. We will see if I can hold to it, or chicken out for the 5th year in a row. Ha!
What hair products do you recommend and use every day?

3 comments:

sprinkles said...

I've been using Biolage shampoo and conditioner. (Not sure if I spelled that shampoo name correctly.)

TLF said...

That's why I never color my hair.. I'd freak out if it turned into that! I wouldn't have the time to do all that washing and conditioning all the time.. I'd end up getting irritated and cutting it off! haha!!

Anonymous said...

I love Biolage and Redken products. I'm dying to cut mine off again.

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