Journey To Healthier Hair

After starting a plant-based lifestyle I became more self-aware of the things I not only consume but also put on my body and in my hair. When I was a child I was told I had a beautiful "melena" (meh-leh-nah) aka long hair. It was long and black but not the type of shade you can get off the shelves.

I didn't like anyone touching my hair and that even includes my mother. I would always put up a fight ( I was a rebel about almost everything) because I didn't like anyone pulling on it or trying to tame it. So my hair was rarely straightened and I didn't go to the hair salon often.

But then I went through my "know it all" teenage years and wanted to do all types of things to my hair. Dyed it, cut it, applied excess heat, etc. Applying heat to my hair became some sort of routine that throughout the years got out of hand. My hair became really damaged, and I no longer liked how my natural curls looked or even how my hair looked after being straightened.

After going vegan, I started reading about the harmful things I was doing to my hair. I was using shampoos and conditioners that contain harmful chemicals, I was applying excessive heat to my hair and was simply mistreating it.

I am not perfect and I like what I like. I dye my hair about 2 times per year to retouch the color. I blow out my hair rarely but I do it when I want to change my look and I do it for myself not to please anyone else's standards of beauty. 95% of the time my hair will be in a bun or naturally curly and it's ideal for me because I work out.

In December 2016 I decided to cut my hair to bring it back to health. Below are some pictures to give you a better idea of my journey.

Here are the top items/tips that helped me recover my hair back to health:

1. Cut off all the damaged hair & started trimming ends regularly - Nothing beats a fresh start

2. Stopped blow drying my own hair- I leave it to the pros

3. Stopped the excessive use of my flatiron & curling wand- Embraced my natural curls and adopted a wash & go routine

4. Started consuming Biotin- Promotes healthy hair, skin & nails ( I use an organic brand)

5. Started using organic shampoo & conditioner- conventional shampoos and conditioners contain parabens and sulfates that can be harmful. READ about what's in your shampoo

6. Use at-home hair remedies- when my hair is in need of moisture I'll apply organic unrefined coconut oil to my hair prior to washing it ( I usually leave it in for about 30mins)

7. Have patience- the damage done didn't happen overnight, be consistent and you'll see some great results

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