Once upon a time, there was a young woman who would dry, straighten and style her hair every day. Two years on, this same woman woke up to find biscuit in her ponytail.
Well, in my case it was anyway. Leaving the house with luscious-looking locks is a near impossible these days, simply because scrunching my mane into a bun is easy, simple and just as affective… kind of.
However, after a flick through Instagram and assessing my own dry, mangled ends, I have suddenly felt a twang of envy for anyone with free-flowing locks, and I’m finding it a little hard to swallow.
I’m not usually a jealous person, but I can’t help but feel a little bit green when I see someone with their hair out, curled or straightened to perfection.
As a mum, it’s not a priority, but maybe there are ways to get the hair I desire, without having to spend an hour in the bathroom.
After a bit of research and some trialling of my own, I have come up with these top five hair care tips, for every mum to follow.
No more frizzy buns for me, today I am wearing my hair out!
1. Washing
Your hair contains natural oils, which condition and protect your ends without any need for product. If you wash your hair more than three times a week, you run the risk of destroying these oils and drying out your hair. So no matter how much you hate that vegemite stuck in ends of your hair, deal with it for a day and your hair will repay you later!
Also, try and avoid having a hot shower, not only are they bad for your skin, they can also dry out your hair.
2. Adopt the 20-cent piece rule
There is a technique that should be adopted when shampooing your hair, which is often overlooked when you have a toddler screaming at you from behind the shower screen! However, adopting the 20-cent piece rule will not only save you money on shampoo, it will ultimately help the health of your hair too.
Hair experts also recommend only using shampoo on the roots of your hair, not on the ends. The shampoo will rinse down in the shower, cleaning the ends without the need to scrub.
3. Avoid the roots and concentrate on the ends
A good conditioner makes for a smart investment, because not only will it help your hair health, you only have to use a small amount to get maxmimum results.
When applying the conditioner, try to avoid the roots because that can cause your scalp to get greasy faster. Simply massage the product into your hair and ends. This will stimulate the follicles and to ensure the product spreads evenly.
Once you are satisfied, and relaxed, rinse out thoroughly.
4. Comb wet hair, don’t brush it
When your hair is soaking wet, it is weaker, fragile and more susceptible to breakage. Experts recommend using a comb to tackle the knots to avoid breaking the hair follicle and causing spilt-ends. Also, brushing from the roots can cause damage so always brush from the bottom and work up.
Another tip is to never rough-dry hair with a towel, and instead gently press the water out.
5. Swing and dry
You need a bit of movement for the ideal blow-dry, so get ready to swing your hair around as you go!
Start by flipping your head upside down, and shake your hair around while you blow-dry – the more you move, the more volume you’ll get. Once it’s about 80 percent dry, flip back up and blow-dry hair in sections to smooth, focusing on polished ends.
The last three inches are key: move your brush and dryer right down to the very end of the strands and take your time. It will make all the difference.
So there you have it, the top five tips for amazing mum-friendly hair care!