Protecting your Hair During the Winter

As you know I have been under some stress because my hair has been breaking. I am happy to say that I have manage to get it under control and all is right with the world once again . Since I've been using the AOWC my hair has improved a great deal, so it will definitely become a staple in my regimen. However, I still need to figure out what went wrong with my hair; why did my hair take such a horrible turn.

When I first noticed my hair "trauma" I immediately went into recovery mode. I also took a peek at my previous blog entries to help me determine where I went wrong. True, I had been neglecting my hair big time over the last month or so, but my hair issues were more than simple neglect. I kid you not when I say my hair felt like brittle straw. It was crumpling and snapping at the slightest touch and it had nothing to do with protein overload because I hadn't touched protein in three weeks.

So what was it? Well after reviewing my blog I realized that last winter (oddly enough when I had the best progress on my journey) I had been super protective with my hair. For months I completely covered my ends, conditioned my hair like nobody's business and followed my regimen religiously. More importantly, I used products that were more appropriate for the colder months (e.g heavier oils, conditioners and creams).

Over the last six months I have tried several products in an effort to find the best products for my hair texture and needs. In the summer/fall I had finally found some great all natural products that made my hair feel amazing. Unfortunately, in all my excitement I failed to recognize that these products weren't the best options for the winter months. To make matters worse I have been wearing my hair "out" more often than I have in the past, exposing it to the harsh elements. None of this information should be a surprise to me. I mean we wear different clothes,change our skin care routines and products to manage the harsh elements, so why wouldn't I do the same for my hair? It is unfortunate that I had to learn the hard way that I was unintentionally undoing my progress, but I am learning, as I should be, and have since made changes to my daily routine and my product list. These changes over the colder months (November-March) include:

1. Increasing moisture and sealing routine to 2x/day using heavier creams and oils

2. Air dry, with no heat passes

3. Wear protective styles 99% of the time

4. Stretch relaxers to 10+ weeks

I' m hoping this will help.