a millen-gordon guide to… nourishing your hair back to good health
Though I’m sure that not everyone feels this way, personally, the relationship I have with my hair is heavily intertwined with my confidence. When my hair looks and feels healthy, I feel like I can take on the world. When my hair looks and feels damaged, my confidence is too.
For that reason, owing to a particularly bad experience a few years back, I’ve spent the past few years trialling as many hair products and tools as I can, with one mission in mind:
Nourish my hair back to good health.
Now I don’t want to blow my own trumpet (who am I kidding, toot away Lydia!) but I feel like I might have finally got there.
With that in mind, I’ve shared my top tips below. Please bear in mind that this has been a process – please refer to this guide if you’re just starting out – but there’s no denying that the products below have worked wonders for my hair in recent months…
Step One – The Holistic Bit
Before I start breaking down tools and products, there’s no point investing in the best hairdryer on the market if you’re not looking after your insides too. In the same way that we all know now that our diet and wellbeing affects our skin, our diet and wellbeing affects our hair too. With that in mind, I’ve taken Hairburst vitamins daily for well over a year now to ensure that my hair gets all of the essential vitamins and minerals that it needs. Not only does your hair feel noticeably healthier after a few weeks of consistent use but the impact it has on hair loss is noticeable almost immediately.
Step Two – The Hair Oil
The night before hair wash day, I saturate my hair with R B Organics hair oil, pop it in a bun and sleep with it in. Not only does it give your hair enough time to soak up all of the goodness but it smells divine so feels like a little pocket of luxury before bed.
Step Three – The Shampoo
When I wake up, I jump straight in the shower and wash the oil out using Aveeno’s Skin Relief Soothing Shampoo. I only discovered this because it was stocked on Ocado (I’d run out of shampoo so added it to my weekly shop!) and oh my goodness, it has changed the game! My scalp feels nourished and it cleans your hair without stripping away the goodness.
Step Four – The Leave-In Conditioner
Once I’m out of the shower, I use a tiny scoop of the Kérastase Resistance Therapiste Masque which works like a leave-in conditioner. I used to scoop giant handfuls of it out but now I use it sparingly on the ends of my hair and work my way up to the roots if needed. It replenishes the protein in your hair and as the product description says, has been made with ‘extremely damaged and over-processed hair in mind.’
Step Five – The Brush
My feelings about investing in a good brush echo those that I mentioned in step one. There’s no point in investing in all the above if you have a brush that serves to damage that work. With this in mind, the Wet Brush Pro is the only brush that I use now. I’m not sure how it does it but it’s so gentle on the hair whilst navigating even the most stubborn of knots with ease. You can thank me later on this one – you won’t regret it!
Step Six – The Split End Savior
Next up, it’s Bonacure’s Peptide Repair Rescue – Again, designed with severely damaged hair in mind. I use a small amount of this on the very ends of my hair to seal each strand and keep split ends at bay.
Step Seven – The Heat Protection
Before drying, I spray Beauty Pie’s Super Healthy Hair Heat Protecting Spray all over. Not only does it smell glorious (hello cocounts!), it feels weightless and does the job of protecting your hair from oncoming heat wonderfully too.
Step Eight – The Hairdryer
In my opinion, I’d always opt to spend money on a good hairdryer over a good curling tong because well-designed hair dryers keep frizz at bay (and you don’t have to spend a lot to get a half decent tong these days!) I use GHD’s Helios Hair Dryer on a day-to-day basis because it helps to add the all-important volume that I’m seeking, without leaving me looking like Hagrid dragged through a bush! I don’t have any secret drying technique I’m afraid – just throw your head upside down and go for it, if you ask me!
Step Nine – The Tong
Finally, I use this thick barrelled curling tong (that I found on Amazon for £25!) to get big, beautiful waves that stay. The trick is to keep the temperature setting moderate – I tend to use 185 degrees FYI – and curl small chunks of hair at a time. You don’t have to hold your hair on the heat for long. Simply wrap each section around the barrel, hold for a few seconds and release!
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And voila! Nourished hair that makes me feel like me again!
Whilst this all might sound like a lot of work (it’s because it is!) I’m a big believer in consistency paying off. For that reason, for me personally, it’s time and money well spent. With that said, if you’re currently feeling like your confidence has been shattered because of hair damage, please hang in there and trust that with the right products (and a bit of TLC) it is possible to and will recover in time.
Lydia x
