Assess Your Hair Life Style

We had quite a chat on Transitioning at my club meeting, ‘Wild Haired Mavens’. Transitioning is the most important hair stage to master. People normally think of transitions as the time period dedicated to transitioning from permanent/relaxed/keratin to a natural non-processed texture. Let’s broaden that definition to include, all changes that affect the hair, puberty, menopause, aging, pregnancy, stress, weight gain/loss, exercise, health, medication, and seasonal. It is easy to see we are in constant transition, whether it be a change in age, hair texture, length, thickness, thinning, weight, or the basic seasons of the year Everything that we eat, or drink effects the hair we grow at that time. Additionally, stress can have a large impact on hair; large amounts of stress can cause hair to fall out.  Seeing your hair fall out in clumps is stressful.  Exercise can affect the hair on our head. Even the weather outside has its part to play in our hair.  The most important part of a hair regime is taking proper care of hair in transition.

Firstly, the minute a person wants to improve their hair, we think of cutting off the old hair. Commonly referred to as the big chop.  We just want a new start with better hair. Has it occurred to anyone that the hair care patterns that lead to the current hair choice still exist? Therefore cutting off that ‘bad’ hair, prior to developing a new hair care strategy might be counter-productive. Each day I hear from someone who cut off all their hair thinking they would have short healthy hair, only to have short, brittle hair.  This is one of the main reason I would like for us to broaden the definition of transition.  Take a look at what is going on, before you chop. Recognize that each hair length comes with a new and different set of obligations.  Take responsibility for the current state of your hair by accessing it.  Write down your diet, exercise, vitamins’, current hair care, note any stressor such as a new job, baby, newlywed, downsizing, new products, moving, age, season.  The first step to improving the condition of the hair should be finding out how to care for your hair not cutting it off.

There is a lot to discover by assessing the hair life style.

Take this brief hair life style quiz.

Do I wrap my fragile hair in a satin scarf every night?

Do I drink water?

Do I exercise?

Do I moisturize my hair daily?

Do I yank my hair with combs, brushes, and my hands?

Do I use choppy motions when combing my hair? Am I a nervous person? Do I eat a balanced diet?

Do I massage my scalp?

If the vast majority of answers to the question above are no, spend a few months improving your life style before doing anything drastic. The results and benefits of improving your lifestyle will make everything easier.