I have always had very thick, bouncy soft curls and within the last couple years I have noticed things changing and I don't know how to deal with it. Maybe I'm just noticing the fact that my body is actually aging and the reality of not staying young forever is finally setting in. Is this normal? Do most women just a couple short years away from 30 go through this? Am I over exaggerating; is it all in my head? What I am going through is very real, but I have to admit a lot of it is probably from not taking care of myself over the years as I should have; especially my hair. I have been coloring my hair since middle school, when my older sister was getting her foot in the door in the hair stylist world. I was someone she got to practice her skill on and I couldn't be more excited. I remember being in 7th grade and staying behind in one of the more known hair salons here in GA after hours and feeling extra special because well, what other 7th grader was able to receive that sort of treatment? I will hold that memory forever and cherish it.
With that being said, I started getting highlights at a very young age. As my sister's career developed, she became my hair dresser and I continued throughout my teens getting my hair done in a salon. Of course, about the time that I was responsible for paying my own way, I discovered the wonderful world of DIY hair color in a box and managed to keep up the fresh color all on my own. I was warned of the damage box color can do to your hair, but being young, I ignored all of the warnings. At the age of 21 I decided I needed a change and discovered how exciting red hair was and fell in love instantly. I am 27 years old now and I haven't looked back. I have learned that with harsh chemicals comes a great deal of responsibility of protecting your hair from the effects. Something I never took seriously enough until now. My hair feels brittle and it breaks at times resulting in more 'fly away' strands. My hair is dry and is beginning to look a little lifeless making bad hair days more frequent.
Through Pinterest there are countless posts about different DIY beauty hacks and some of them really do work. I have heard of using mayonnaise as a hair mask before, long before Pinterest ever existed but it brought the idea back into the limelight for me a few days ago. There are many different variations for this simple mask but even the simplest form of this, which is simply just mayonnaise, works great. The idea of slathering mayo on my head at first was enough to make me want to vomit, but if you get past the idea of it, it is really no big deal. I used mayo and added a little extra olive oil. I used about 4 good oversized scoops with about a tablespoon of the oil, but there is no real measurement for this remedy. It all depends on how long and thick your hair is, so use your best judgement.
Best trick to help this go as smoothly as possible: Wet your hair first! It doesn't have to be soaking wet, but pretty damp. I skipped this step and with as coarse as my hair is, it took some work to get all of my hair coated evenly. If you don't like the feel of gooeyness on your hands, I would suggest using gloves.
Here is a list of the different ingredient variations that can be used:
First and foremost. Mayonnaise. No explanation needed there...
For added benefit try adding a mixture of these items:
-Eggs:
Eggs are good for strengthening the hair and hair follicles meaning that they are ideal for damaged hair.
-Olive Oil:
Extra virgin olive oil is best and is a great natural moisturizer. Be careful not to use too much though, you might have a hard time rinsing it out if you use a lot of it.
-Honey:
Honey also is a great moisturizer, but be aware that it has a bleaching effect and can lighten the color of your hair. Only use as much as you think is necessary; you shouldn't need to add much.
-Avocado:
Rich in vitamins such as E & B and nutrients. Avocado is another one of nature's great moisturizers.
-Bananas:
Rich in vitamins and oils, especially for improving hair elasticity, which helps with precent split ends and breakage. Also I learned after doing a little research, bananas can be a great natural way of helping with dandruff.
After you have figured out your mixture, make sure to dampen your hair pretty well and coat your hair as you would with regular conditioner. I would say add a little extra than you would typically as this is a mask and you want to make sure that your hair is good and saturated. Follow with putting on a shower cap to trap in the heat and let sit anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on how damaged your hair is.
I found that after about 10 minutes or so the oils from the mixture started to drip down my neck. I would recomend keeping a towel nearby or wrapping the outline of your hair line with some sort of cotton strip or something of the like. I have only done this once and the dripping was a little much to deal with since I wasn't aware that would happen, but I have to say, the next day I felt like the life was brought back to my curls a little bit. From what I have read it is best to do this treatment about once a month depending on the damage level of your hair. I have not used the other ingredients I have listed above, but they are on the agenda for next time and I will be sure to post my results.
