Hair Care & Repair
As we're seasonally transitioning into colder months, not only our skin needs extra replenishment but so does our hair. Chlorine in pools, salt in the sea, and the sun all dry out the hair and cause breakage. Hair eventually weakens, both due to sun-exposed & under-nourished scalp as well as frazzled split ends. Below is a guide to nourish the hair from the scalp to the ends of each strand . . .
Treat the Scalp
It is believed in Ayurvedic Medicine that the root of hair health is at the roots or the scalp. I have an entire section of restoring hair health in my upcoming book The Thirlby, including an Ayurvedic hair mask recipe, which you can pre-order here or here! Once it's released in April 2018, it'll be in all bookstores nationwide.
Some of the few ways we can nourish the scalp beyond hair masks is internally. Optimal organ function is essential for hair growth and sustenance. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, hair growth and colour vibrance are controlled by the kidney meridian. He shou wu is an ancient remedy with numerous reports and clinical studies—such as this and this—that demonstrate its restorative properties, which include reversing hair loss. Daoist texts recorded it in 812 AD, following the story of a frail & sterile old man who awoke next to a long He Shou Wu (Fo Ti) vine. His regular supplementation of it is purported to have returned his fertility, vitality, and vibrance to his hair. Hence, the name of He Shou Wu or "Black-haired Mr. He." Even a growing number of people are experiencing greying hair at a younger age due to stress. The Kidney meridian is the primary regulator of stress response, so nourishing it with he shou wu to adapt to daily stresses will consequently support the tresses . . .
Another adaptogen supportive of hair health is pearl powder. The collagen in pearl powder contains Methionine, which is an essential amino acid that both conditions the hair and nails and maintains skin elasticity through aging. Sun Potion's feminine-focused new blend Yin Power not only contains pearl to nourish the hair but also he shou wu amongst others.
I realise that purchasing adaptogens for many is out-of-budget or something they're not yet comfortable incorporating into their diet, whether that is due to pregnancy or other various health factors. Fret not as there are many accessible, whole foods that you can incorporate into your daily diet to support healthy locks. Omega-3s are essential in recovering hair loss or damaged hair. It's highly concentrated in wild- & sustainably-caught seafood, such as salmon or sardines, as well as nuts & seeds, such as flax or walnuts.
If you're also experiencing flaking or dry scalp, include pumpkin seeds. Half a cup of it contains 19% of the daily requirement of zinc, which prevents scalp dryness.
If hair thinning is your concern, increase your vitamin C intake, either through vitamin C-rich foods; camu camu powder or in a blend; or my go-to of Liposomal Vitamin C, which is the most absorbable form.
Detoxify the Scalp
One of the many tips that my stylist back in Marfa, Ryann Bosetti, had told me in treating damaged hair was detoxifying the scalp. Our hair inevitably holds on not only to sebum and products but also excess environmental pollutants. In my case, it was the hairdryer desert air coupled with its dust. To remedy this, she recommends doing a clay mask on the scalp once a month. I prefer using this clay for its gentleness and moisturising properties, which I mix until creamy with raw apple cider vinegar for extra cleanliness.
P.S. — Ryann travels around Marfa, NYC, Portland, and LA for those looking for an impeccable haircut . . .
Trim Every Other Month
This is a given, but try to get a trim every other month. You can even do this on your own but do so only with proper hair scissors and not regular 'ol ones as those will break your ends and actually give you split ends . . .
Washing & Leave-in Treatments
Having naturally thin and wavy-curly hair, I have huffed & puffed over and experimented with too many products. You can hop on over to my SHOP section's hair category to peruse my forever go-tos, which include rubbing this oil when my hair has air-dried and brushing my hair with this kind of brush using the Morocco Method.
