The Hair Routine that Changed My Life

I've had long hair pretty much my whole life, growing it has never been a challenge for me. What has been a challenge is growing healthier and thicker hair. Up until now, I have never been truly satisfied with my hair. I was either desiring a change in color, wishing it was thicker or trying to get it to a point that it needed less maintenance. Currently, I am thrilled about how my hair has been doing for the past year and this is what changed it for me.

Disclaimer: I am in no way shape or form authorized to give hair advice, this is simply what works for me. I also have naturally straight hair that helps with creating a low-maintenance routine.

Seeing a Professional

This might not be what you wanted to hear given that the prices of salons can be pretty high, but I promise it can help. I've been seeing Maddy H at Copper+Fringe for almost a year now and she has done wonders for my hair.

Thanks to the regular appointments, my hair is always getting trimmed when it needs it to give it a fuller, healthier look and giving it the courage it needs to grow more. I have also been able to stay on top of my color and maintain the all-black look that I love.

My biggest thing when it came to committing to a salon and regular appointments was loving my hairdresser. It was easy for me to only book when I needed or jump to another salon when I didn't vibe with my hairstylist, but now waiting six weeks to be back in her chair feels like too long.

Another great thing about finding a regular stylist is that they can recommend you products that are going to be best for your hair. They also get to know your hair and can fine-tune these recommendations and even let you know when they see a product working for you.

Washing Less and Drying More

Okay, I am not a professional on this topic and the terms 'less' and 'more' really depend on your current routine and how your hair reacts to it, but this has done a lot for me. I used to be the girl who washed her hair every day and would never blow dry it.

I started washing my hair less frequently in college, but now that I work from home I am able to add on a few extra days without worrying about how to style and cover my greasy hair. Since washing my hair less I've found that it has gotten thicker and takes longer to get greasy in between washes.

As far as blow drying goes, I was convinced that any heat on your hair was the worst possible thing for it. I was lucky enough to be born with naturally straight hair, so avoiding heat was always easy. A few weeks ago I saw a hairstylist on TikTok say that leaving your hair to air dry can cause some problems with your scalp and the small damage from blow drying is worth avoiding that. Since then I have been blow drying after every wash (with heat protectant) and have loved the results.

Now that I blow dry after every wash my hair has more volume and also takes longer to get greasy. Again, not a professional, but I assume it was hard for my hair to be serving body when it was left to lay soaking wet against my head.

OI by Davines

This was a product that Maddy recommended to me, and like anybody else I was a little off-put by the price point. After one visit she sent me home with some samples and no joke, each day that I used them my hair felt like it does when I leave the salon. Obviously I was hooked and picked up some products the next time I was in there.

I currently use the shampoo, conditioner and oil, and I totally love them. They smell amazing, don't leave residue, leave my hair feeling clean and best of all, a little bit of this product goes a long way. This was a product that I wasn't sure I needed to be buying (again, price point) but after a few weeks of using it, Maddy said she could notice a difference in my hairs hydration, so I'm an OI girl for life now.

The Routine

- Every six weeks I get my hair glossed and trimmed in a salon

- Wash my hair with OI about two times a week

- After the shower, I brush my hair gently with a wet brush

- Wrap it in a t shirt and allow it to begin to dry for about 10 minutes

- Take my hair out of the t shirt, apply OI oil and brush again

- Blow dry and enjoy my fresh hair