My Hair Diaries - May 2012

that's without flash in normal tube light at night

Products Used

I have already talked about my hair treatment. And, I have since then received many queries regarding how well did it go and if its worth the expense. To answer that question, I need opinions of people I can rely on and I don't generally discuss such things with anyone else so you guys will have to wait till I go to Delhi next week :) I shall publish the results ASAP.

My Opinions on the Treatment

• I think I can definitely see some improvement. And, I have not even used the treatment as I was supposed to (oiling and washing hair on alternate days). That's way too much work. But, I shall confirm about the results in detail only after next week.

Now, there are some cons which I would better specify in case you decide to go for the treatment. 

• The oil has something sticky in it. If I keep the oil overnight, my clothes and the pillow get stained badly and they get really sticky which doesn't ever happen with any other oil. My mom said that it might have gond or edible gum resin in it. That makes it impossible for me to keep the oil more than 2-3 hours in my hair. Well, in a sense, its good as well but it, like, takes me around an hour for application of oil according to the instructions I shared here. So, it feels pretty bad to wash off the entire oil within another hour :( But, otherwise, keeping the oil overnight in this heat is not exactly feasible enough either so its fine!!!

Btw, I did check up on edible gum resin and found out that it is healthy for hair growth and also adds body to the hair. 

• The vinegar used in the ginger tonic is probably not that great an idea coz they ask you to apply half a cup of oil and then follow it with ginger tonic but I don't apply that much of oil so the vinegar can dry out the scalp as well. But, again, vinegar is amazing for dandruff so probably not that bad an idea if you strictly don't keep it above half hour. 

• I like the shampoo and conditioner. They both are chemicals free and the weird thing is that I have a hunch that probably the shampoo has gelatin in it. Because, I dilute my shampoos with water (its become a habit now) and whenever excess of shampoo is left, I leave it in the container only and in some hours, I find that shampoo dries off completely, somewhat like a gel or powdery. It smells nice as well. 

• The conditioner is amazing. It is not heavy and spreads easily on my hair and doesn't have any smell in particular but I would definitely like to know what it is made up of. I think it does have some hibiscus as it does lather a bit just like hibiscus lathers. But, I am in no way saying that my hunches are correct. 

• The hair mask is good but since, its made up of grains, its a pain to wash off if it dries off completely. 

• The only issue I have with the whole product range thing is that they do not have entire hair mask (the above hair mask is only for scalp). Because, it is very important to have a deep conditioning treatment for hair even if one does oil the hair very regularly. That's why, I am thinking of going for Biotique musk root again as it is entirely herbal and suited me perfectly. 

I shall be continuing this treatment till I am back from Delhi and then, I shall start on the part two of the treatment which I had discussed here. I shall follow the same routine with the normal hair products and see if they give me the same results. I guess I might keep the shampoo same as I don't have any other shampoo in my target (organic surge is pretty expensive otherwise I do have it in my list, lets hope I get it soon). And, instead of the ginger hair tonic, I shall be using my DIY Aloevera Gel I had shared little while back.

My Hair Texture

Leaving all the above pros and cons, I would like to say that my hair texture has improved a lot!! As you can see in the pics, my hair is amazingly soft and shiny. But, yes, my hair does get weighed down in a day which is pretty bad. But, I guess, I do use more conditioner. And, I am not even using any leave-in right now since the time I started the treatment and my hair doesn't get dry or rough any time. So, overall, I am happy with the treatment :) But, again, I would reiterate that whether its worth the cost or not, I shall confirm only after next week.

Related Posts:
My Hair Dairies - April 2012
My Hair Diaries - March 2012
My Hair Diaries - February 2012
My Hair Diaries - January 2012

How to start caring for your hair? {Hair Care}

[Source:happynews.com]

Ok, weird title!!! I know. Actually, what happened was that I had ignored my hair for too long and got horrible case of split ends because of which I was so angry that I chopped off a good length of my hair and now, my hair is back to the shoulder level. Now, I am trying to improve my hair health and grow them out.

So, I thought I would revisit the basics. So, in one way, you can say that this post is for my benefit instead of yours :P I shall try to include as many things as possible in this. And, I do get a lot of queries regarding hair care and hair loss so guess, next time, I can simply point to this link :D Ok, let's get started.

Moisturise the hair regularly

As I talked about in my hair diaries, I got cocoa butter for myself last month. I wanted to use it to as a hair mask because last year, the Lush Caca Noir really softened my hair a lot. And, I'm making it a point to not skip on the conditioner ever. 

Get a good hydrating conditioner as well which doesn't weigh the hair down. Ok, I can't recommend anything because I am on the search still but I remember that Biotique Watercress did very well for me so I might just get that.

Weekly hair conditioning is very important but don't forget to do the lighter conditioning every time you wash your hair.

Use good comb

I can't stress this enough coz I know how much the condition of my hair has improved since I switched to the TBS Wooden Comb. It really keeps my hair happy. Or, get any wide-toothed comb for yourself.

Scalp Care

Yes, very important. Try to massage the scalp everyday. That helps with hair growth and is relaxing as well. Also, if you feel your hair is not behaving, I would suggest to go for a hair wash immediately. Don't forget to get a gentle shampoo as it will keep your scalp in a good condition. 

Use satin pillow covers

The cotton ones suck all the moisture from hair and also increase the static in your hair so get the satin pillow covers or silk is even better!!! Make sure that you change the pillow covers regularly too to keep away the bacteria and the oils on the pillow cover from the face.

Oil lightly before washing

Even if you are not big on oiling your hair and I can understand that in summers but it helps a lot. So, to make a compromise, try coating your hair lightly with oil just half hour  to an hour before washing your hair. That really helps. 

These are some of the tips I am following regularly. And, next time, I shall talk about few remedies which were helpful in my hair growth.

Conditioner making your hair straight? {Hair Care}

PS:This post is for curly and wavy haired gals!!!

[Source:your-hairstyles.com]

A little while back I had read some post or probably it was a product review of a conditioner saying that it made the blogger's hair straight. That got me thinking a little about the conditioner. Well, that can be a good thing if you are looking for hair straightening but let me clear it out for you that your conditioner is weighing your hair down.

What does a conditioner do?

A conditioner is supposed to undo the harsh effects of the shampoo over the hair. It helps to hydrate, condition and moisturize the hair and keep it soft and shiny. Read more about how conditioner helps avoid split ends.

Conditioner straightens the Hair?

No, a conditioner can never straighten the hair. If you are looking to straighten your hair naturally, you can try using henna or fuller's earth (multani mitti). Or, you can also go for rebonding or permanent hair straightening which actually damages the hair in a lot of cases.

Anyways, speaking about the conditioner, it can be either of two things:

• you are using excess of conditioner
• you are using the wrong type of conditioner

Excess of Conditioner?

Next time you are in the shower, try reducing the amount of conditioner you are using. Actually, it is true that we tend to over-use the products which can lead to product build-up too.

Are you using the right Conditioner?
Sometimes, we tend to pick up products based on whims instead of finding out if they are really suitable for our hair type. For example, you may pick up a protein based conditioner thinking your hair is dry but your hair needs nothing more than hydration. Such wrong choices can also lead to conditioner not functioning properly or as desired. That's why it is very essential to find out about your hair type and texture before you go to buy products.

And, also, if you are using the right products for your hair, be sure that they will define your curls and make them stand out. What do you say?

Breaking out on Hairline or Chin or Back {Skin Care}

If you are unexpectedly breaking out on hair line or chin area or even on your back, it is time to reassess your hair care products The conditioner is more often, than not, the culprit. So, try changing your hair products and see if the breakouts stop. And, always make sure that your hair is tied and away from your face because it can lead to breakouts on the face because of the natural oils and other products like conditioners and leave-in serums and other styling products of the hair.