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My hair has been on a journey for the last few years! Or if I’m being honest, for a couple of decades. I’ve never really been precious about my hair in the past. When I was a teenager, I started at a new high school and decided to chop off my long hair into a pixie cut to set myself apart. I didn’t even warn my family, I just went to my friend who was a hairdresser and chopped it all off! It was liberating and exciting, and I ended up booking so many acting a modeling jobs primarily because I looked so different from the other girls my age with the new haircut! It was also exhilarating to do something unexpected, even for myself. I had that hair for four full years, and then slowly started growing it back out again. For the next decade, I dyed my hair every color under the sun: auburn, dark brown, bronde, and then REALLY blonde. It mostly was for acting jobs, but if somebody suggested a hair change, I never thought twice about it. My hair quality suffered in the process but I was too young at irreverent at the time to really understand the long-term affects on my hair.
Then, when I was pregnant with Major, I decided to cut my hair off into the “Lob” that was popular in 2015. Oh boy did I regret it. All of a sudden, for the first time in my life, I felt like my hair didn’t match my personality at all. It was hard to style, and it really affected my confidence. I immediately began to grow it out, but postpartum hair loss, mixed with damage from being blonde for so long, reduced my confidence even further. By the time I was postpartum with Mateo, I had bald spots at both of my temples, and the condition of my hair wasn’t great…despite trying hard to reverse that. I knew I needed to really address the condition of my hair. I even tried getting extensions for a period of time, but all that did was remind me more of what I wanted but didn’t have. My goal: less sparse spots in my hair, regrowth, length, and healthier overall.
in this picture
That’s when I decided to really attack the issue from all angles and get serious! I dyed my hair back to an auburn color (which means no bleach processes, just a single process all over) about 18 months ago, and decided to really give hair health a go. What has resulted is my absolute healthiest hair ever. As I grow my hair out longer and longer for my wedding (I plan to do an old Hollywood hairstyle on myself, which can be found HERE), I’ve been getting lots of comments from sweet readers and followers telling me how healthy my hair looks! It feels like such a victory to me because it has NOT always looked this way.
I decided to put together a little post detailing all my changes and routines. I think you probably could get away with not doing ALL of this, but I’m not a scientist nor a hairdresser, and I don’t know exactly which of these things helped the most– so I figured it best to lay it all out there! If you want to follow along in its entirety please do! As you know, I’m a busy Mom with three kids so it’s not like this routine takes a ton of time. As always, let me know if you have any other questions or if I can clarify any of it for you! I’m happy to answer below in the comments, or you can always reach out to me on a feed post. (Please direct your questions to comments in a public forum, not DM, as I don’t always get to see those messages)
Without further ado, all my tips and tricks for getting my healthiest hair ever!
LESS WASHING
By far one of the best tips I have for healthy hair is to stop washing it so much! No matter how moisturizing your shampoo is, washing your hair strips it. Now I only wash my hair twice a week. In between, I use dry shampoo and will slick back my hair on the last day before wash day. If I sweat, I will use dry shampoo and a hair dryer to soak up the sweat/oil. I use a shower cap to keep my hair dry when I shower but don’t wash! If I REALLY need to rinse my hair, I just rinse with water, don’t shampoo, and apply conditioner to my mid-lengths and ends. Rinse out, and air dry!
Color Extend Magnetics Sulfate-Free Shampoo
$26
This is the shampoo/conditioner I’ve been using lately for regular wash days. It’s great for my color-treated hair (bottle redheads know how much color can fade otherwise!)
Hair Wax Stick
$7.99
If you’re looking for the best stick for that slicked-back look, I love this one! It’s inexpensive, too.
KEEPING IT VIBRANT WITH AT-HOME TREATMENTS
Another huge level-up for me has been using at-home glosses, color depositing masks, and deep conditioners to keep my hair looking salon-level glossy. About every 10 days, I’ll do a gloss or color depositing mask. If you have colored hair, this is the best tip! If you don’t, even a clear gloss can really up the ante in terms of shiny hair. Definitely try it!
PRO TIP: After rinsing out the treatment, lock in shine by blasting the hair with cold water for 1 minute. This seals the shaft and makes your locks extra glossy.
Glossy Glaze
$29
This is the gloss I swear by! I alternate using the Clear and the Copper tones. The brand has the best selection of red/auburn glosses for those of you redheads on a similar anti-fade journey.
dpHUE Gloss
$38
If I feel like I need a mask AND brightened color, I LOVE this product. Make sure to wear disposable gloves when you put this on in the shower so you don’t stain your hands!
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Treatment
$12.45
If you’re looking for an easy mask that’s all-natural, I love this one. And I use it on Marlowe, too!
HEALTHY SCALP = HEALTHY HAIR
A huge game changer for me in the past year has been realizing that the healthier my scalp is, the healthier my hair will be. I make sure to treat my scalp once a week, and I’ve found products that I LOVE. I even make Ian do this with me, and he loves it! I’m linking some different options of things I’ve tried and loved for scalp care. Everything I’m putting below is an excellent product, just depends on your personal preference (the ACV smell was a little much for me, so now I prefer the Anablue)
ACV Exfoliating Scalp Detox
$35
I started my scalp health journey with this scalp detox treatment once a week. I’d leave it on for 15 minutes before showering and shampoo/conditioning, and I could really tell that it clarified my hair strands and scalp.
Apple Cider Vinegar Scalp Scrub With Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
$42
I also loved this scalp scrub. I found this to be more challenging the longer my hair got, but for shorter hair this is incredible. Ian loves this, too! I would scrub first, rinse, then shampoo, and condition as usual.
Treatment Oil
$42
I use this oil treatment once a week now and I’m obsessed. I put it on my scalp on my “slicked back” day, brush through to the ends, and then wrap it in a bun. I even work out in this sometimes. I try to wear it as long as possible before I shower, even up to the whole day sometimes!
Scalp Cleanser
$25
After using the oil treatment, I’ll use this scalp detox in the shower. It kind of operates like a scrub/shampoo. You can use this as a shampoo, or if you’re like me I will shampoo as usual after this treatment to make sure all the product buildup is out of my hair from the last few days.
Scalp Massager
$18
This head massager/scrub brush is a gentle yet invigorating way to stimulate the scalp and help shampoo penetrate more deeply. Since I only shampoo twice a week, I make sure to really make those times count!
PROTECT WHILE STYLING
This is a no-brainer, but if you use heat on your hair to style, you have to be doing it in the most thoughtful way possible! Heat protectant in the hair is a must, but so is choosing more gentle tools, with better technology. Ian gifted me a Dyson Air Wrap for Christmas and my hair has never been happier. Way less damage and I have to style it less often, too! Here are my fave products for styling.
UNbrush Wet & Dry Vented Detangling Hair Brush
$18
Brush through damp hair with this brush! It detangles but doesn’t pull out strands of hair.
Airwrap Multi-Styler - Complete Long
$599.99
The Dyson is pricey, but a game-changer. 10/10 for me! I debated one for YEARS, and wish I had gotten one sooner.
Virtue Labs Frizz Block Smoothing Spray
$46
After towel-drying my hair, I spray this heat protectant all over my hair before styling.
Virtue Labs Healing Oil
$45
I also take a few drops of this oil and work it into the bottom 1/3 of my hair while it’s still damp. This helps seal in the ends and create shine.
Harry Josh Pro Tools 3-in-1 Ceramic Curling Iron 1.25 Inch
$185
If you must use a curling iron, use one with ion technology and ceramic! I have had this one for years, it’s incredible.
PROTECT AT NIGHT
No matter what, I always protect my hair at night while sleeping. This means silk scrunchies, silk/satin pillowcases, and if I’m doing heatless curls, a silk bonnet! It may seem like overkill but I noticed a huge difference in my hair when I started doing this.
Midnight Scrunchies
$39
On a normal night, if I already have a fresh blowout, I will twist my hair up into a bun on top of my head and put it in one of these silk scrunchies at night. I wake up with hair that looks styled and smooth!
Satin Sleep XL Adjustable Bonnet
$22
To preserve the smoothness of a blowout, or to help with heatless curls, this silk bonnet is a must.
Heatless Hair Curler in Satin
$16
Curl your hair without heat, by using this set! I have a tutorial for heatless curls that you can check out if you need help.
Satin Pillowcase Standard Set of 2
$7.19
I have some silk pillowcases by Slip, and I also have these from Amazon. They’re less expensive (and not as great as silk) but they get the job done!
SUPPLEMENTS WORK!
I’ve done partnerships with both Nutrafol and Vegamour, and the truth is that they both work! I continued both for about a year and saw great results. When I was basically bald in the front part of my head I am sure that they helped grow that back. I ended up using both at once (I figured why not), but I’m sure you can use just one for great results. Another tip is to get your Iron levels checked if you’re noticing excessive shedding. My naturopath told me that low iron levels can definitely make hair shed, and this is an easy fix!
Hair Growth Nutraceutical
$79
This is the supplement I took! There is a postnatal version that I WISH I had started taking right after Mateo was born. Alerting all expectant Mamas to order now!
GRO Biotin Gummies
$36
I loved these gummies, and they were such an easy thing to keep by the bed and pop at night.
GRO Hair Serum
$64
I used this scalp treatment for a year, and saw lots of regrowth! It’s easy to use and doesn’t make your hair greasy. I used it every day for the first few months, then every other day, or 3-4 times a week.
Photographs by Julia Dags | Copyright © 2024 Happily Eva After, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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The post for my post-partum self that I didn’t know I needed!!😭 such well detailed tips, tytyty 💖
Your hair looks beautiful! That’s the longest I’ve seen it 🙂 Have a great weekend!
nice blog thanks for sharing.