Product Selection
I'm not an expert on knowing what works best for certain hair types or even my hair, but there are simple guidelines which can be followed to steer you towards the perfect products for your hair.
Choose what works for YOUR hair: this is the most important. Just because someone you know or someone you've seen uses a particular product it doesn't mean this will be right for you. I know someone who uses shower gel (yup SHOWER GEL) to wash his hair, no conditioner and somehow its amazingly soft!? Should I start doing this? Simply, no. Without trying it I know my dry hair needs a moisturising shampoo and conditioner. By all means read reviews and take recommendations from others if you're having trouble choosing a product but focus on what your hair needs. Match your hair needs with what a product claims it will do.
Listen to your hair: I read this phrase a lot on black hair care forums and it makes sense. Even if you've been using the same product for a long time be sure to monitor how your hair responds, perhaps even noting this down. Did it make it dry or hard? Was it too oily? Did it cause any damage/breakage? Was this a usual or unusual reaction to something you have been using for a while? Often products work well at times and not at others. Hair needs change so you constantly have to assess what these are. For example, as a rule of thumb I tend to avoid heavy protein treatments as my hair is always crunchy and hard after using them but there may be a point in the future when my hair will need them. Listening to your hair and knowing what it needs can prevent breakage.
Pay attention to the ingredients: there are some ingredients in hair care products that are avoided by those who want to attain healthier hair. Generally these are mineral oil, petrolatum, alcohol (some alcohols are not damaging to the hair), colourants, cones etc. Many women opt for higher quality or more natural products depending on their personal hair needs. I do avoid some ingredients but mostly because my hair was so damaged before I started taking care of it. Personally I believe the more natural the ingredients the better, especially as I do the worst damage to my hair by chemically straightening it. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to buy products that contain mostly natural ingredients which can often retail from £10 upwards for a modest sized bottle (depending on what you're buying of course). Again I'd say do what works for your hair. One ingredient avoided by someone with healthy hair might actually work really well on your own hair. It's all down to trial and error which I've done a lot of!
To learn more about Lesley...visit her blog here!
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