It's a Hair Health Guide, Honey!

Hi, my honeys! Recently, I have been getting a lot of questions about my hair! Is it real or "all mine"? Is brown my natural hair color? How did I make it grow so long? How do I style it? What products do I use? I decided to answer all of these questions for you and more today on the blog! Please note that I am NOT a professional hairstylist, and these tips and tricks are just things that have worked for me personally. Consult a professional for any questions you may have about maintaining your hair health. I hope these answers help you out, and if you have any more questions from me don't hesitate to ask!

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HAIR HEALTH Q & A

Q: Is your natural hair color dark brown?

A: Nope! LOL Oddly enough, I'm actually a natural blonde! My natural hair color, which hasn't been seen in quite some time is a dark, dirty blonde. It's very ashy with little to no warmth to it. I used to highlight my hair to make it blonder when I was younger, and I have tried every crazy hair color under the sun from navy blue to lavender to hot pink, but I have officially retired as a crazy hair color enthusiast and have decided to stick with this easy-to-maintain dark chocolate brown with some lighter balayage. Dark hair also tends to look shinier and hide damage, so me likey!

Q: Is that your real hair?

A: Feel free to tug on it, it's real. I do own clip in extensions that I will wear periodically for special occasions, but really that's more about adding a bit of volume than length.

Q: Speaking of extensions, is there a type or brand you prefer that won't break the bank?

A: Girl, I sooo got you on this one! I have never had permanent extensions put into my hair by a hairstylist, nothing glued in or hand tied extensions with the beads--none of it. Why? I love the flexibility of clip-in extensions. I love that I can brush through my hair, wash my hair how I want to, and use the clip-in extensions on occasion. BTW, there's nothing like unclipping my hair extensions after a day of wearing them--so freeing, like taking your bra off at night before bed LOL! My tried and true favorite clip-in hair extensions are from Cheeky Chica Hair! They're reasonably priced, and they give you different options including several lengths and different sized "wefts" as they call them to add thickness. I've been using them for years, and I typically can get a couple years of periodic use out of them before needing a new set. The best part is you can color, cut, and style these like normal hair because they're 100% human hair. I will take them to my hairstylist to color and cut if I change up my hair.

Q: I don't think I can afford a hairstylist to color my hair. Can I just use a box dye?

A: Ok, in fairness, I am not a professional hairstylist and I do understand people have limited budgets to spend on this kind of stuff, but box dye is a HARD NO from me. There are ways to extend the color of your hair and minimize the amount of trips to the hairstylist in a year, so I don't recommend you color your hair at home. They're pros for a reason, and my fear is always my hair health will suffer from lesser quality products, and that I'd end up with a different color than what I wanted because I don't understand how hair color depositing works. Your best bet is to meet with a trusted hairstylist in your area and explain your hair goals and budget to them. They will be able to offer you some great suggestions! I also have to say that if you're really strapped for cash, you don't have to go to the most luxury salon in town! I have friends that work in mall salons and more budget friendly salons that do a FABULOUS job. It's all about finding a hairstylist that is really passionate about what they do; you can even ask them if they participate in continuing education programs. I have a friend that works for a "budget haircut place" and he's constantly going to conventions and educational seminars to further his skills. Find someone that fits your budget, but knows what they are doing.

Q: How often do you go to the salon to maintain your hair color and cut?

A: I actually see my hairstylist every 8 weeks, which amounts to 6 times a year. I personally go to Keri at Charles Scott Salon and Spa at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio. I've been going there and to Keri for over 6 years now, and I have only positive things to say about Keri and my experiences at Charles Scott. If you're local to the Cleveland area, I highly recommend them to you for all your hair and spa services. I'll usually have two "major" hair change appointments throughout the year, which would include my usual one step touch up of my roots, have her add some fun highlights or something, and a cut. The rest of the appointments throughout the year are just for maintenance and include a trim and touching up my roots. Obviously, the longer you can go between appointments, the more money you'll save. If my roots are looking super obvious before my next appointment, I just get creative with my hairstyles and wear hats more often. I find that most people don't even notice my roots showing as much as I do!

Q: How did I get my hair to grow so long?

A: This is a process, but it can be achieved by anyone. First of all, make sure to get regular trims on your ends. Next, take a hair, skin, and nails vitamin to encourage hair growth from within. Talk to your health care professional before adding any supplements to your regimen if you could be pregnant or have any health conditions. Remember, what you put in your body directly affects your outward appearance, so try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet as well. Try to use good shampoos and conditioners on your hair--look for sulfate and paraben free formulas with lots of natural ingredients. Try to only style your hair with hot tools once a week or less. The less heat you apply to your hair, the less damage you will have. Try embracing your hair's natural curl, or braid your hair after washing for a wavy look. I typically only wash my hair once a week, and will use dry shampoo, ponytail and braid hairstyles, and hats to disguise dirty hair. Get creative, because I promise if you stop using hot tools so much on your hair, you will see your hair grow and its overall health improve.

Q: How do you style your hair?

A: Everyone's hair is different, but what works for me is allowing my hair to mostly air-dry after applying a volumizing mousse and de-frizzing oil, and then I will blow dry it when it is just barely damp. This minimizes the time my hair is exposed to heat. I will section off my hair and start with blow drying the bottom. I use the little hairstylist clips to keep the rest on top of my head while I work on each section. Once my hair is dry, I then use a large barrel curling iron to curl my hair for some volume. I like to use a 1 1/2 inch barrel on my long hair, and curl from the back to the front, curling the back sections toward my face and the front two sections away from my face. This will give you lots of body! I use big sections at first, and I will "touch up" with smaller sections on the top of my head and curl near the root of my hair. After I'm done styling, I add a very light layer of hairspray. You don't want to add too much if any at all on day one hair if you want your hair to look clean for several days. After day one, usually days two and three are just a quick teasing at the root for some body and maybe using my curling iron again on a couple wayward pieces. Day four through seven are dry shampoo and creative styling days to hide dirty hair. Try pull through braids (TUTORIAL HERE), top knots, cute hats--anything to avoid washing and styling your hair too often.

Q: How do you make your hair last for seven days without washing?

A: Full disclosure, I do not have very oily hair to begin with, so I am lucky in that way. However, I'm human and when my hair gets dirty, it starts to look dirty. That's just a fact. There are a few ways I combat this! Firstly, I use a scalp scrub before shampooing my hair. The scalp scrub is awesome especially during the extreme weather seasons to get dry skin off my scalp and remove any buildup. Then, I'll shampoo. I also only apply conditioner to the ends of my hair, leaving the roots out because I never seem to be able to get all the conditioner out of my roots, and my hair will start to look oily on day two. I use as little product as possible to style my hair on day one and two, avoiding overuse of hairspray to not add buildup to my hair. I also make sure to sleep on a clean pillowcase every night. I keep extra clean pillow cases on hand, so I can swap them out as often as possible. It also helps to put your hair up in a topknot or in a soft cotton cap while sleeping to keep your hair clean. Lastly, I get real creative when it comes to styling my hair like I mentioned above. Lots of braids, top knots, and hats!

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Thanks for reading my hair health Q & A, and I hope you found some of these tips helpful for you. You can find a list of all my favorite hair products and styling tools HERE. Some of them are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you purchase something. That helps me keep this blog up and running and provide you with consistent new content!