So, you have decided to ditch the harsh chemicals and make the switch to clean ingredients for your best hair ever. You can do it, but results may not happen overnight, the transformation may take some time as you go through your hair detox.
Switching to plant-based haircare can require an adaptation faze, and during that time, your scalp and your hair may be a bit chaotic. The exciting news is once you have “detoxed” and adjusted, you will going achieve your best hair possible.
What can you expect when going “clean and green”?
During the detox phase, your scalp will instantly have to adapt to an environment where your scalp produced excess oil from being over cleansed from harsh surfactants (Sulphate) to one where the necessary amount is produced. Your hair and scalp will also be casting off the build-up of chemicals that have accumulated over time. While it sheds the chemicals, it is also starting to repair the damage done and as it grows it will become healthier, shiner and stronger. This is because your true hair is exposed as it is no longer heavily laden with insoluble silicones. The hair can now repair and nourish with a plethora of plant extracts, oils and butters.
There are a few stages that you may experience while your hair goes through a detox. You may not encounter all of them, or any, you may go through long transitions of each stage, it all depends on the condition of your hair that was underneath the build-up.
Dull, heavy, tangled hair can be one of the stages. It happens upon the release of chemicals, trapped toxins and plastics that were in your unnatural haircare system. It can take a while to break these down and rid them from your mane, and during this time is when they can cause these unwanted attributes to your hair, but stick at it because if you do go through this phase the end results are worth it.
Greasy hair from an oily scalp is one of the most common stages. When you washed your hair with harsh Sulphate, your scalp was beckoned to produce more oil to replace what you striped away. Your scalp and hair oils are your hair essential to beautiful hair, that is- hydrated, flexible, strong, moisturised and shiny. You now rely on your own oils to beautify your hair not the insoluble silicones from your old haircare.
Now you have stopped stripping your natural oils, your scalp can take a little bit to adapt but soon it will bounce back and start using these oils to naturally repair and protect.
Dry/ brittle ends and an open cuticle is what lays underneath the protective coating of silicone. These insoluble silicones served a purpose, they protected the hair shaft from the damage other chemical services you were doing to your hair.
But those same silicones also weigh down your hair and cause build up on your scalp leading to suffocation of the hair follicles which can lead to baldness that is a big reason why we need to step away from them in our haircare. As the only way to strip insoluble silicones is to use Sulphate, it’s a vicious cycle that is hard to step away from. You need to get rid of both in order to achieve results.
How to fast track your detox, resulting in beautiful hair?
If you can’t stand the detox stage your hair is going through, there are some things you can do to fast track your results.
First is using a pre treat
A pre treat is an easy way to quickly give your hair a helping hand in the right direction. It will nourish the hair with butters and oils and protect your cuticle from exposer to the water in your wash regime.
Shampoo is for your scalp use this time to massage it in to your scalp thoroughly giving the natural ingredients time to work, it is essential for the best results for your scalp. Double cleanse until your hair gets use to using your oils correctly.
Conditioner: apply on towel blotted hair preferably with a cotton t-shirt or similar so you don’t unnecessary rough the cuticle. If you apply on hair that is too wet it means your cortex can not absorb the nutrients from your haircare because your cuticle is swollen from the water.
LOC (Liquid, oil, crème) method is a sure fire to make sure your hair absorbs every nutrient from your styling routine. Liquid is more readily absorbed than oils or cremes applying these first means they can work correctly if you don’t, they will sit on the outside of your oils and cremes and dissipate and if you only use liquids you run of them dissipating due their naturally smaller molecule structure, so always LOC them in with oils and or crème no matter what your hair type.
Getting a haircut
A haircut will help to fast-track results by removing your dry brittle ends your haircare can focus on your healthy hair and it will prevent split ends breaking off and causing damage further up the hair shaft.
Feeding your hair with food
Food can help boost your hair from the inside out.
Find foods rich in Vitamin A to help with natural production of sebum to moisture the scalp and subsequently the hair.
Getting B- vitamins from your food can help with the growth of your hair as they create red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles.
Vitamin c is a powerful antioxidant that can protect against oxidative stress caused by free radicals your body also needs vitamin c to create a protein called collagen- an important part in the health of the hair.
Vitamin E in food is another vitamin that can help with oxidative stress.
Iron is an important part for hair growth and a deficiency can cause anemia and a major symptom is hair loss.
Getting Zinc from your foods is a safe way to help the tissue growth in hair and repair it.
Did you know the hair is almost entirely made up of protein? adding adequate amounts to your diet is extremely important in hair health and growth.
Getting these nutrients from your food is a safe way to boost these your levels, never take a supplement unless discussed with a health professional as an overdose of these can cause the same problems as a deficiency.
Switching your hair care routine to a natural one is not only better for you and your body but its also better for the planet. So make the switch to Clean haircare and a clear conscious for beautiful hair.
