A Hairy Adventure - Part 2

From my friend and Senses and Style blogger, Teresa is back with part 2 of her Hairy Adventure ;). I find her recommendations on hair treatments and style very helpful. But you don't have to take my word for it, looking at her photo, she has amazing looking black hair! :)

It’s a lengthy process to see the benefits of improving your diet to be healthier and have healthier locks. But think of it as a long term investment. So along with eating my way to better tresses, I went through a variety of products and treatments:

Working on the outside…

1) Cut and trim – one of the very first things I did was go to a salon and get a cut. You don’t have to break the bank and find a fancy salon but at go to a good one to get regular trims. You’ll help your hair maintain a healthy look by trimming away the split ends.

If you have thick hair, make sure your stylist does not use a razor on it. Even though a razor would give it a more textured look, if you do not style it properly at home you’ll have fly-aways and frizziness.

2) Vary your shampoo – I have three shampoos in the shower. Every 1-2 weeks I would switch it up. If you use one shampoo for a long time, your hair will get use to it and it’ll lose its effectiveness. If that is too much trouble, just buy a different shampoo every time you finish a bottle.

3) Types of shampoo – Do buy shampoos for the type of treatment you need. For me, I sought out volumizing ones. I recommend checking out different types of stores aside from the London Drugs and Shopper’s Drug Marts. You can find organic and mineral rich shampoos at grocery stores like Whole Foods and Choices Markets, health stores, and salons.
I found the mecca of hair products at this little spot at Yaohan Centre in Richmond. It stocks all kinds of specialty, salon, and high end hair goods in bulk sizes and sold at very affordable prices.

Here are the shampoos that I’ve tried and found effective:

Commercial (found at any drug store)

i) Pantene Provene – This economical shampoo line is well known and leaves the hair shiny and moisturized

ii) Marc Anthony – The original formula was more effective but I still use it if I want to give my hair extra moisture

High-end (found on Sephora.com or at Beauty Mark in Yaletown)

i) Ojon – I immediately noticed a difference to my hair texture after a few use. I rarely buy it because it is on the expensive side ($22 for a bottle). But if you can afford it, I highly recommend using it

ii) Phyto Phytosylic – This botanical based line is well known for creating excellent hair products. I’ve just started using it and so far so good but I do find it dries my hair

Specialty (found at health and organic food stores, or at Yaohan ;-)

i) Murad – The shampoo is more focused on scalp treatment. It helps clean your scalp from build up and residual left by hair products. If you don’t clean your scalp properly, it furthers hair loss

ii) Mill Creek Biotene – This is an extensive Biotin treatment for thicker and fuller hair. I felt this was a bit drying so do use conditioner afterwards

iii) Spinach based shampoo – Can't recall the name of the shampoo but I found this miracle in a bottle at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa in Whistler. And it’s pretty much the only location that carries it as it’s specially imported from Asia. Out of all the shampoos I’ve mentioned, at $7/bottle, it is THE most effective one. I lend it to a friend and after one use she even said she noticed a difference to her very long tresses.

4) Masks and treatments:

No matter what kind of hair you have, we all go through the obstacle course of hairsprays, mousse, curling, and/or straightening. This causes a lot of damage, so like your beautiful face, you should undertake regular masks and deep conditioner treatments for thorough cleansing, enrichment, and restoration.

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment – This is on the pricey side of $25 for a 1.35 oz jar but it goes a long way. I bought one of the brand’s super valued gift set which includes shampoo, conditioner, thickening spray, and the treatment..at a runaway deal of $33! I had mine’s for over 6 months as you really need to use it once every week or so. It’s a highly concentrated treatment of the Ojon oil which is rich in Omega 3-6-9. The instructions says to leave it on for 20 minutes but if you have very dry damaged hair you can leave it on overnight. It’ll leave your hair strong, soft, and silky

Fekkai Protein Rx Reparative Treatment Mask – Thank goodness I had an Aveda gift certificate to spend on this. It has the high end price of $60 for 12 oz. This is the ideal mask for brittle hair weakened by colouring and heat styling. This is a life-saver as I tend to put my hair up in a ponytail which causes breakage.

Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Replenishing Mask –
This economical but effective mask definitely left my hair feeling soft, silk, and manageable. But it didn’t have the volumizing aspect I was looking for.So time to style that coif, here are some quick tips I learned from various stylists:

1) Pat your hair dry – instead of rubbing your hair furiously with the towel, try to pat it and squeeze it dry

2) Blow-dry with your fingers – as wet hair is the most fragile, using a brush while drying would break the hair. Best use the brush when your hair is nearly all dry

3) Change up your part – if you part your hair the same way it’ll ‘wear’ down the roots which leads to hair loss

4) Use a boar bristles brush – the bristles leaves your hair shiny and makes styling easier

And there it is…my lengthy trials and tribulations for restoring my bed head. It does take time and patience but it’s worth it when you finally get flip your hair over the shoulder like a Pantene Provene commercial.

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Contributing writer & friend Teresa Lee