Red Raider Runway

 

My extremely long hair became one of my most defining features. When straightened it went past my elbows, and when curled it was so voluminous. 

But, as much as I loved it, after a while I started getting bored with it. I had had it the same length for years and even though I said I would cut it, I never did. Even small trims had me crying for those two inches back, so I realized my hair had become some sort of security blanket. In high school I had no problems with chopping it off whenever, but now I couldn't even fathom the thought. I didn't like that I had become so dependent on my hair as such a crucial part of my identity, so I vowed to change it up somehow. I talked about going ombre for so long, the trend had died out by the time I finally went through with it, but I didn't care - I was glad I finally pushed myself out of my comfort zone. Not only did I color my hair, but I chopped a good few inches off too.

 

Because I hadn't done much to my hair before, it picked up the color right away. When I got out of the hair salon my sister told me, "Do you know how many girls would kill for that color on the first try?"

But as good as it looked, it didn't feel so good. My hair felt so dry and damaged, and for the first few showers, it was so stringy and spongy, I was so afraid pulling on my hair too hard would make it fall apart. I worried that I had just made the biggest mistake ever, and it was too late to take it back.

So I quickly sprung into action, googling products and home remedies that would help me make my hair healthy again without having to sacrifice another six inches. I'll admit, aside from heat protectant, hair maintenance was not high on my list of priorities so I knew nothing about these basic products, until now. having long hair required so little maintenance aside from trimming split ends so this was all new to me.

The first step in getting some moisture back into my hair was leave-in conditioner.

  

Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Leave-In Conditioner | Infusium23 Moisture Replenisher Leave-In Treatment

 I had never used leave in conditioner before, but once I started using it I definitely noticed a difference in my hair right away. I bought the Garnier Whole Blends leave-in conditioner from the store at first, but then I remembered my mom had given me a leave-in treatment a month before I dyed my hair. She works in the IT department of a cosmetics store so she got me some of the products they have, and this Infusium23 was essentially the same thing.

After alternating between both products, I personally prefer the spray leave-in treatment my mom got me. It's lighter on my hair. Sometimes I feel like the leave-in conditioner weighs my wet hair down a little more no matter how small the dollop in my hands is. The conditioner also seems to clump my hair together in strings so when it dries, my hair is dried in crispy strings. So the spray treatment does a better job of spreading its product in my hair without clumping and it does make my hair feel more relaxed. It also smells better too.

The next product is for when my hair finally dry.

Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Restorative Styling Oil

The lady who did my hair gave me this styling oil for free and I legitimately think it was because she knew she damaged my hair so this was her way of trying to make it up to me. (She also offered me two free deep-conditions afterward, which further cements my suspicion that she knew she messed up). I used to be so against styling oils because I felt like it would make my hair feel greasier sooner, but this restorative oil works wonders for the ends of my hair because the ends are what need the most moisture.  I don't use this oil every day because I'm stingy and don't want to run out and have to go buy another one right away, but I definitely make sure to use it when I don't straighten or curl my hair so it doesn't look so dry or frizzy.

L'Oreal Frizz Vanisher Cream

I've had this frizz control cream since before I dyed my hair, but when I first used it I hated it because I felt like it was too greasy, but I just had portion control problems. Once I learned to use smaller amounts, it worked a lot better. This is meant to be used on your hair before you blow dry it so it'll dry with a lot less frizz. I never used it before when I had my long hair but I do use it when I'm straightening my ombre hair because it makes me feel like it minimizes the frizz in my damaged hair. Maybe it's just psychological and it doesn't actually minimize the frizz but my hair does feel smoother when I use it so I keep using it.

Paul Mitchell Heat Seal

As I said before, heat protectant was really the only hair product that I used regularly before dying my hair, and nothing has changed now. I always alternate and try different brands' heat protectants, and there hasn't been a heat protectant that I haven't liked. I've tried Tresemme's (my personal fave), It's a 10, Herbal Essences, Paul Mitchell, and Not Your Mother's. I used to focus on the top of my head to make sure the "healthier" hair stayed protected and to prevent frizz, but now I focus my attention on the lower half as usual because those are the driest and I'm not trying to cause more damage to it. Whenever I forget to use heat protectant, I get terrified that my hair will break off like this girl's did.

However, the number one product that has helped my hair get healthier is actually not a hair product at all. It is extra virgin olive oil. Every hair stylist I've been to used to always say that putting olive oil in my hair would make it shinier and healthier and now I absolutely SWEAR BY IT. 

Before I take a shower, I will put olive oil in my hair and let it soak up in a bun for a few hours while I go about my business, doing my homework, washing the dishes, etc. Once I feel that my hair has absorbed the moisture enough, I rinse it off in the shower. At first, your hair feels really coarse from all the oil in it, but don't fret - as soon as I wash my hair with (color protecting) shampoo, it immediately feels soft and refreshed. And by the time I get to the conditioner, my hair feels softer than ever and it no longer feels stringy or spongy like it first did when I dyed it.

The only thing I would advise if you use olive oil in your hair and you shed a lot (like I do) is to unclog your drain frequently and as soon as possible, otherwise the hair that gets caught in there has olive oil buildup which will make your tub flood sooner and the oil can also start to smell. So just make sure you pick your hair out more frequently than you normally would to avoid that mess!

All the products in the world have not been as effective as olive oil has been on my hair. I can see actual tangible results from the oil. Some people like to use coconut oil as well, but olive oil is way cheaper and still achieves the same great results. The drier problem areas of my hair have gotten significantly smaller and way less damaged because when I'm treating my hair with the oil, I focus on those areas closely and overall my hair feels so much healthier the more I use it.

Overall, despite the extra time, effort, and money required to upkeep my hair, I'm still really happy that I finally tried something new. One of the things I hate most is wondering "what if" or "if only" so I decided to stop wondering what it would be like to do something new to my hair and try ombre hair. I'm still learning how to care for my hair as I go, but this post and these products were focused mainly on how to repair damaged hair and add moisture into it again, not necessarily about color maintenance. Maybe once I get my hair back to 100% health and learn to maintain it more, I will feel brave enough to do something bolder, like dye it a pastel color which has always been a dream of mine. But for now I'm happy with my ombre hair - I just want it to get long again because the length is something I do miss.