My damaged hair experience and tips on how I have always been keeping my hair soft and nourished.
My damaged hair experience.
I have always had fine, straight hair that is very soft. Since it gets greasy easily, I rarely put any products in my hair. My hair is so fine and flat that there is nothing I can do to change it, such as perming or styling it with chemicals. Over time, I learned to accept my hair for what it was and stopped wishing for something different.
Recently, I had the chance to visit Phuket. One night as I wandered along Bang Tao Beach, I came across some Thai ladies there were braiding tourists' hair and having fun. Out of curiosity, decided to join in on their adventure by getting my own hair braided too! It took 5 women an hour to braid my mid-length hair - but it was definitely worth it in the end.
My cousin was excited to see my new hair when I returned to Singapore, and she convinced me to keep the curls from the braids by putting her perming solutions in my hair. After much persuasion, I finally caved and let her put the solutions on my hair. About 30 minutes later, I washed away the 2 solutions and slowly removed the braids. It was a very painful process that took me about 2 hours. By the end of it, half of my hair felt like it had fallen out!
The next day, I was horrified to see my once-healthy hair replaced by a dry, brittle mess. Desperate to salvage my locks, I scoured the internet for different hair products like deep conditioners, masks, and oils.
I stopped blow-drying my hair as the heat would only damage it further. I switched from shampooing every day to every other day, to avoid drying out my hair even more. I started deep conditioning my hair once every other week to restore the moisture and nourishment that was lost from the perming solutions.
I went to a specialist hair salon at Ion, Orchard but was advised to continue to deep condition my hair for a few more weeks before my hair would benefit from any hair treatment. Thankfully I am not too worried or broken by this unfortunate experience. I can grow my hair out again. I am sure after months of religiously sticking to this routine, my hair will look better and healthier than before!
I definitely learned some lessons from this experience.
No matter how tempted you are to try out something new, always look into the aftercare first and think twice before acting. The beauty industry is a huge one and there are plenty of options for us to explore. But at the end of the day, it is still our responsibility to ensure that we know what we are getting ourselves into before making any decisions.
Lastly, be kind to your hair, always give it the nourishment and love it needs. Hair is like a plant, you must take care of it in order for it to grow strong and beautiful! As long as we understand our haircare routine and stick to them, healthy hair will follow
I hope my story will inspire others to make better and wiser decisions when it comes to hair care. Let's all take care of our hair!
Thank you for reading my story. Hopefully, this serves as a reminder to think twice before making any decisions regarding your hair, and always be kind and gentle to our locks!
Some tips on how I have always kept my hair soft and nourished:
- Using a silk pillowcase helps to reduce split ends and breakage, as it is less abrasive than cotton. You can get silk pillowcase from here.
- I make sure I condition my hair every time I shampoo it.
- Avoid heat.
- I make sure I'm eating a healthy diet with lots of greens. Green vegetables are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which help keep your hair hydrated and nourished.
- Apply oils to your hair if you have dry or frizzy hair.
- Oils like jojoba, coconut, or almond are great for hydrating the scalp and strands. (I only apply hair oils after I went for a swim or when my hair feels particularly dry).
- Washing my hair with cold or lukewarm water helps to maintain the natural oils on my scalp, making it softer and more nourished.
- Comb my hair gently.
