Hair Care

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

About five years ago I cut my hair off to my jawline (you have to try it once..), immediately I wanted it back. I get asked all the time if I wear extensions & how I got my hair to grow back so fast, but honestly it's taken this long! I get my hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks :) I used to ask for a "germ-sized trim" when I was still trying to grow it out haha!!

Not only has it taken years, but I've done some damage along the way. I've tried to lighten my hair multiple times & damaged it, which probably slowed growth. But here are some things I think have helped my hair grow and stay healthy recently:

First, Brazillian Blowout! I have only had two in my life so far. The first one I got a few years ago, & I just got one again last month. I would highly recommend getting one! For me, they help to straighten my curls a bit, make my hair shiny, soft, healthy, protected, & lock in color. The biggest thing I noticed it that my hair isn't frizzy! 

I got my last Brazilian Blowout at Jagged Edge Salon. The whole process took about two hours (on my ridiculous amount of hair). 

My sister gets her Brazilian Blowouts from Maleri Miller Parker & both do a great job, we had the same results :) 

My hair is so much easier to do now, & when I straighten it the style lasts longer. If you're trying to grow out your hair or repair some damage I would suggest finding a salon near you that does Brazilian Blowouts. They last up to 12 weeks. The picture above was taken right after getting a blowout.

Shampoo & Conditioner:

Because my hair is so long, it gets dry pretty easy at the ends. I only wash my hair twice a week, sometimes three if it gets oily. 

I change shampoo & conditioner all the time, but since my hair has been red I started using Bain de Terre Color-Protecting shampoo & conditioner.
I also use Joico Color Infuse Red products to keep my red color vibrant between appointments. I use the color infuse once a week (*The color of my hair is Joico 5XR).
Since my Baine de Terre products are almost gone I purchased the Redken Color Extend Magnetics shampoo and conditioner at Ulta, I'll let you know if I like it!

Deep Conditioning: 

I've used Coconut Oil for a long time now on my hair. I just melt it in the sink and apply to dry hair. If you can apply heat or leave it over night that's the best. Remember to look for unrefined, organic coconut oil.

I realize that drugstore products are not the best for your hair, but I actually really like the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Strength Reconstructing Butter with phyto-keratin complex. 

I just recently bought the Not Your Mother's Intensive Hair Unit Renewal Treatment and I really like it! Plus it smells good. It has carrot root extract to help repair damaged hair. 

I alternate using one of these once a week. 

Smooth & Shine:

In the past I've used the Brazilian Blowout product until I ran out. I've been using the Rusk Shine Enhancing Lusterizer for a while now. It helps with shine, strengthening with proteins, and protective UVB inhibitors. 

I have recently been using Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream (Ulta in-stores). This helps to de-frizz, straighten, and shine hair. I put these on towel-dried hair. 

Oils & Protectant: 

OGX Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum is awesome! It smells so good too. I use this every single day on the ends of my hair to smooth. This helps repair, resurface, and mend split ends with coconut oil and silk proteins. 

Moroccon Oil Treatment is more expensive, so I use this just a few times a week, and always after I wash my hair. This also helps restore hair, smooth, and shine.

To protect my hair from heat I use Kevin Murphy Damage Manager. This protects hair up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit.

Red Hair Maintenance: 

Besides the Joico Color Infuse products, I have been desperate for a root cover recently. I found this Beyond the Zone Colour Mousse in racy red at Sally's Beauty Supply and it seems to work pretty good, but it did not last 2-3 shampoos on my hair. I applied to dry roots, brushed it in, then blow-dried to seal the color in.

Dry Shampoo: 

Because I only wash my hair two times a week, sometimes the roots can get oily while the ends are dry. Rather than having to wash my hair and go through that whole process I use a dry shampoo. There are tons of great dry shampoos out there, and I really like this one by Tresemmé and the Not Your Mother's brand.

Vitamins:

I know this seems random, but what you put in your body has an effect on your hair. Of course you should eat healthy, but I also recommend vitamins. I take like, 50 vitamins every day haha (exaggeration, slightly)! Of the ones I take I think these have an effect on my hair. 

Melaleuca Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral for women. I noticed this has Biotin in it, which can help with brittle nails and hair growth. I take this every day. 

Cod Liver Oil has Vitamin A which can help with new cell growth and health especially for the eyes and skin. But there are many other benefits to this vitamin, read here. It really doesn't say anything about hair, but I have been taking this for about a year now, so maybe it has played a role in the health of my hair. 

Omega-3 Krill Oil has many amazing benefits as well, especially for heart health. I'm also not sure this played a direct role in my hair health, but it's worth a try :) 

Keratin: 

Lastly, I want to mention something I think had a huge effect on my hair. I don't currently have this product because too much keratin can actually damage your hair (said the lady at Ulta). But this is the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin!! When I tried to lighten my hair last summer, I had just got my hair to the length I wanted it to be and then lost about two/three inches to damage from the highlights. This seriously was a miracle on my hair, well this & dying it darker. I went through two bottles of this ;) Highly recommend!

Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed and maybe learned something! I'm definitely not a hair expert, but I've pretty much had long, curly, thick hair my whole life! It's a love/hate relationship.. :) Follow Pretty & Put Together on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and like us on Facebook to stay updated on the latest posts! 

Coconut Oil for Your Skin

Need a luxurious skin remedy that won't put a hole in your wallet?  

This has lasted me so long because while I do use it on my hair, I use it mostly for my skin. This works its magic on sunburns, rashes, dry and sensitive skin, and even oily skin like mine. The big misconception for people with oily skin is that you should strip the oils, but this will irritate your skin and cause it to produce more oil. I use this on my skin every night in the winter and in the summer when I feel my skin needs some love. I got this at Walgreens for $10 in the vitamin isle (not the cooking isle). It is available on Amazon for $12.38 and free shipping!

What you need to look for and why: Organic, extra virgin, all natural, and unrefined is best for skin and hair, it's coconut oil in its pure form and it will have the actual delicious smell of coconuts (It's personal preference really, if you don't like the smell or feel you'd rather have refined then you can usually find refined in the cooking section)! There are no chunky bits in this Spectrum brand. It is so smooth and melts at above 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. To heat it up in the cold months of winter I just fill up my sink with hot water and let this tub sit in there for a few minutes. I prefer not to microwave because I would always be reheating and reheating this tub and stripping it of some of its nutrients. This stuff melts very fast!

First of all, you want to be very careful when using tubs to wash your hands before dipping into the tub. You don't want this to become a pool of germs that end up causing negative effects on your skin. Or, you can simply apply it with a cotton pad or Q tip for spot treating. On nights like tonight I was feeling generous and dipped one side of the cotton pad in and dabbed all over my face (a little goes a long way). Do not dip the same Q tip or cotton pad back into the tub either!

I have never had a problem using this around my eye area but avoid the area if it makes you nervous. I do apply moisturizer and let it dry before applying this, but you can use this alone as a moisturizer if you like.

At first you may feel like your skin is way too wet but you will wake up and, because coconut oil is so amazing and natural, your skin drinks it right up. For spot treatments on acne that is in the healing process, I dip the Q tip into the tub and just apply to that single area. I have noticed my skin healing much faster when using this and also helping with redness and irritation. It is so gentle and soothing. Sometimes I even apply this to my body's dry areas like the elbows, feet, cuticles, anywhere!

So find your favorite use or do them all! Whether it's for cooking, skin, hair, bath (or my upcoming post.. as eyelash and eyebrow serum), you need this in your life!

Let us know if & how you use coconut oil! Enjoy!