6. The Flexi-8, hair sticks and forks
Are you wearing your hair in protective hairstyles yet? These are braids, buns and rolls that you can wear safely without damaging your hair.
The problem, however, is: What are you going to fix them with? Because sliding pins and most clips damage your hair. That’s where the Flexi-8 comes in. This is an 8-shaped clip – and a very nice piece of jewellery – that you can use to secure your hair in a hair-friendly way.
Other hair-friendly hair accessories to secure your hairstyles with are hair sticks and hair forks. These too come in all kinds of beautiful variations. Also recommended: elastic bands without metal such as a scrunchie or ‘telephone cable’ elastic band.
7. Hairdressing scissors
Because hairdressers are notorious for often cutting off more than the people who want their hair to grow for a long time, it can be nice to take matters into their own hands – or in that case, the scissors. Are you afraid to cut your hair? You don’t have to. There are many easy ways to find out online how to cut long hair yourself. And if I can do it with my two shaking left hands, then you should be able to do it too.
When you cut your hair, a good pair of sharp scissors is a must-have. Avoid the kitchen scissors and go for a hairdresser’s scissors, like the fairly cheap Jaguar Pre-Style Relax scissors.
8. Conditioner/hair mask
A good conditioner or hair mask is worth its weight in gold. The longer your hair grows, the more most of us notice that our hair needs extra care and hydration. A conditioner and/or hair mask can help.
For the best effect, leave your mask or conditioner in for extra long time. Cover your hair with cling film and a towel to create warmth, so it draws better into your hair.
9. Cuticle Sealer/Archangel flush
I’m regularly asked how to make sure my hair shines like this. The answer to that consists of 2 parts: 1. Healthy fine, straight hair is naturally shinier. 2. I pay a lot of attention to the acidity of my hair.
The latter is important because with good acidity (pH of 4.5-5.5) your hair cuticles will lie more flat. This creates a smooth surface that reflects light = shine. Maintaining a good acidity, I do this mainly by using products of which the acidity is already good, like the products of Joico or L’Anza. But also by rinsing with cider vinegar (litre of lukewarm/cold water, a few drops of vinegar), which helps to restore the acidity. If you have light hair, it is better to use white wine vinegar. This is slightly stronger, so you should use less of it.
Not everyone likes to use vinegar. A good outcome, in that case, is a Cuticle Sealer. This is a product that you usually use after shampooing and is aimed at flattening the scales.
10. Neutral Henna
Do you regularly suffer from scalp problems? Then I share a tip especially for you that I once got from my teacher when I was studying Western Herbal Medicine: neutral henna. Despite the name neutral henna is not henna. But it is comparable, only without the red colour. Dark hair doesn’t colour, but blond and grey hair becomes a bit more golden.
Neutral henna puts a protective layer on your hair and works very well in case of unpleasant scalp problems. I’ve been using it once in a while when my seborrhoeic eczema reappears.
