Hydration + Restoration + Growth
My Hair Story:
I’ve always had extra fine hair but ‘a lot’ of it as my hairdressers would say. Up until about 4 years ago I personally thought it was fine but manageable. When I stopped taking birth control pills my entire hair game changed. I truly believe I lost 45 percent of my hair! My hormones changed and I feel like I lost my hair overnight. It become extremely fine and brittle. I struggled for the longest time trying to find things that would help it grow back and become less damaged.
Fast forward one year or so, I still struggled with having such fine hair that I decided to take a trip to Nashville and get natural beaded row sewn in hair extensions. This was the WORST decision I’ve ever made in my hair journey. Not saying it could be bad for everyone but I think my hair strands were so weak that they couldn’t hold the weight of the hair. I got my extensions moved up only one time before I realized my hair was coming out from the root. I’ve been on a journey to find the best products for my hair health along with the best foods/supplements to put in my body to receive the best results. The journey has taken time and effort but I’ve finally mastered what works best for me- I share below the routine I use!
Hydration
Moisturize Moisturize Moisturize! I couldn’t say this enough. Every time before I shampoo my hair I will do some sort of hydration treatment especially on my ends. I truly think this has been my life saver over everything else. I will switch between natural at home products and store bought products. (Everything is linked below). I really like to use just a regular heated coconut oil, olive oil or castor oil when I’m not using some of my favorite oils from Sephora. I like to apply the oil a little bit warm and leave it on to soak in the hair for 2 or 3 hours if possible.
After my hair is washed, I’ll let it air dry to about 95% dry. Then I’ll take a hair dryer and a round brush and style it however I like. If you’re not in a hurry, doing it this way will allow your hair a break from the hair dryer causing the least amount of damage as possible.
Once my hair is styled, I’ll apply a lightweight oil to the ends to help seal the moisture in for the rest of the week! (I love the Olaplex Bonding Oil for this step)
RESTORATION
Since I do bleach my hair and use a lot of heat, my ends tend to break fairly easy. I like to use Olaplex bond smoother to help protect my hair from further damage. This cream not only protects from further damage but also repairs at the same time all in one step. Oiling the hair before shampooing like I mentioned earlier also helps with restoring the hair, preventing breakage and giving it more shine.
To give my hair lots of extra length and volume I wear the Hidden Crown Halo Hair Extensions and LOVE the way they look. They blend seamlessly and are perfect for my fine hair! I take them out before bed and don’t notice any damage by wearing them. You can find another Extensions post here: https://whitney-lee.com/?p=485
GROWTH
I like to focus on growth to see if I can gain the thickness back that I once had. It takes time but I’ve noticed a huge difference just over the past year. I take collagen supplements, drink herbal teas and pay attention to my diet- making sure I get a good amount of proteins, fats and carbs. I also use a hair growth scalp serum between hair washes. I’ll put the serum on my scalp every morning when I wake up- It doesn’t leave my hair greasy at all. You can blow dry the roots just a bit if you want some volume after you apply the serum. I also like to add this serum when I do my conditioning/hydration treatment.
Taking Your Journey Seriously
If you’re ready to take your hair journey seriously, I’ve linked below everything I use that I love. All of these products/supplements have worked wonders for my hair. I say that to say- you MUST also take care of your body from the inside out. Stress & anxiety can play a big role in hair loss as can vitamin deficiencies. I’ve noticed that if I eat the right foods, go to the gym, pay attention to the health of my hair, take good care of it- all on a consistent basis- that’s when my hair game changed.