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Do you want beautifully conditioned hair for your wedding day? Well who wouldn’t right. So let’s talk condition and what you can do to make sure your locks are looking lush for your wedding day.
For excellent hair care, consuming a diet that includes all major food groups and the right vitamins and minerals will go a long way.
Its worth realising now that protein deficiency or a diet low in iron may lead to anaemia resulting in hair loss. On the complete opposite, eating food rich in protein but low in vegetables and fruits can cause hair loss through a lack of essential nutrients so its important to get it right.
If you aid for a balanced diet that covers all levels of the food pyramid it will ensure it supports the functions of your hair with the nutrition it needs. So lets go, what do we need to eat
Antioxidants for soft hair
Free radicals in the air, exposure to the sun, and over-drying with a blow-dryer result in hair that is often rough, easily tangled, and dull. The optimum solution for softer hair is to load up on antioxidants. Dark coloured fruits like blackberries, blueberries, pomegranate, and cherries contain polyphenols that soften your hair. Polyphenols provide the body with a secure line of defence against degenerative diseases like cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
Biotin for strong hair
Studies show that people who have biotin in their diet are less prone to hair problems like breakage. Foods like eggs, salmon, and avocado are ideal for a balanced diet, and all contain biotin.
Vitamin C for hair growth
In healthy individuals, it takes a month for hair to grow a centimetre. If your levels of vitamin C intake are lower than the recommended 75mg RDA, it's likely that your hair takes longer. Add fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and strawberries to your diet to increase your vitamin C intake.
Proteins for thick hair
A large part of our hair is protein. Healthy hair needs adequate amounts of useful proteins in our diet. These include chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy products, fish, oysters, as well as kidney beans, nuts, and legumes.
Okay, so that's food for thought, but what else can we do outside of a diet to get our hair looking great. So lets talk hair masks.
Home Made Hair Masks
Here are some easy homemade masks that you can make and if you apply once a week it will leave you with shiny tresses, if you are doing everything else right. Some of these masks are thanks to one two cosmetics
The Basic Egg
Eggs are the best! Especially their yolks which are chock-full of protein, vitamins, and fats. For oily hair, egg white can help remove excess oil from your hair, whereas egg yolk acts as a moisturiser for dry, brittle hair. Egg whites also have bacteria-eating enzymes that can cleanse your scalp of any invading nasties.
Apply your choice of egg component to clean, damp hair. Pop on a shower cap to avoid egg-drip, and leave on your hair for 20 minutes. Rinse under cool water, and shampoo your hair as usual.
Coconut Oil
Is there anything that coconut oil can’t do?! From cooking to makeup removal, coconut oil is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and essential fatty acids. It also has antibacterial/anti fungal properties.
Coconut oil is exceptionally moisturising and free of all those harsh chemicals that you’ll find in many hair conditioners.
Perhaps most significantly, coconut oil has been found to be the only oil that can reduce protein loss in hair when used as a pre-wash or post-wash hair product.
So, here’s a basic DIY hair mask for damaged hair that harnesses the amazing benefits of coconut oil!
Warm ¼ cup of coconut oil so that it’s liquid, and apply it to wet or dry hair. Leave it on for a good hour, or sleep with it in overnight for a truly intense condition – just pop on a shower cap to keep your pillow clean. Rinse the coconut oil out of your hair, and wash it as normal.
Honey and Banana
Honey and banana don’t just taste great together, they also form a powerful healthy hair partnership.
Honey is a natural emollient, or moisturiser, and it seals moisture into your hair. This can help to combat breakage. But, it also has some mighty antibacterial properties. Honey may help to ward off itchy scalp issues caused by bacteria, while also soothing any irritation.
Banana, on the other hand, can help hair manageability, moisturise the skin, and may even help to control dandruff.3 This is because bananas are filled with natural oils, potassium, and vitamins A,B,C, and E.
Want only the best for your hair? Whip up this homemade duo by taking one ripe banana, and mixing it with a tablespoon of raw honey. Apply the mixture to you your scalp and hair for half an hour, then rinse with warm water. Shampoo as usual.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil forms a thin waxy coating on your hair shaft, making it a perfect moisturiser for dry or frizzy hair. Even though it’s an oil, it’s also able to remove excess sebum that builds up on your scalp and makes hair oily. Massaging jojoba oil regularly into your scalp can assist in good blood circulation and add moisture to the hair and scalp. It may also ease itchy scalp issues.
Mix jojoba oil with either your shampoo or conditioner. This prevents the shampoo from stripping off the natural oil in your hair. Or you can apply some jojoba oil to the ends of your hair after washing as a homemade leave-in conditioner.
Avocado and Mayonnaise
Your favourite sandwich duo just became your best hair conditioner. We already know how good eggs are for your hair, so mayonnaise (which contains eggs) is a no-brainer. It’s also a little easier to use. Mayonnaise also has the added benefit of added oil, which, when combined with egg, adds an extra dose of rich moisture. Avocado is bursting with healthy, nutritious, monounsaturated fats that can help make your hair feel softer and look smoother.
Mash half an avocado and mix it well with two tablespoons of mayonnaise (or you can use an egg yolk or two). Apply to damp hair, making sure to saturate the ends, and allow the mayo mix to soak in for 20 minutes. Rinse, and wash your hair as usual.
Yogurt, Honey, and Olive Oil
You just read about the benefits of honey with banana, but another great combo is honey with yogurt and olive oil.
Olive oil is a great moisturiser. It’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and E. Olive oil can help protect the keratin in your hair, and it seals in moisture, making your hair stronger and shinier. A little olive oil is also a great quick-fix for dry, split ends after you’ve styled your hair.
Yogurt is high in protein which makes it a serious DIY hair mask contender.
It’s particularly great for dry and damaged hair as it can smooth those frizzy ends, not to mention the milk fat. Some people also believe that it soothes their itchy scalp.5 This may be due to all those good little probiotics, as studies are showing that topical probiotics may also be able to help dry, itchy skin from the outside.
Mix one teaspoon of olive oil with ¼ cup of yogurt and one tablespoon of honey, and apply the mixture to damp hair. Leave in for around 20 minutes, then wash your hair as usual.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Argon Oil
Apple cider vinegar and argon oil work beautifully in tandem for both cleansing and moisturising the hair, sans all those chemical additives in normal shampoo and conditioner. Apple cider vinegar removes product build-up that can make your hair look dull and lifeless. It also has a pH level that is very close to human hair. Some hair products can upset this delicate balance, resulting in dry hair and scalp irritation. Argon oil steps in to deeply nourish your hair.
Mix two tablespoons of argon oil with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and work the combo through your hair from roots to tips. Let it sit for around 15 minutes, and then wash and style your hair as usual.
Beer and Egg
Settle back for happy hour: just you, your hair, and a bottle of beer! Fermented products, like beer, are high in yeast. Brewer’s yeast contains large amounts of B vitamins – thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B6.
Together these B’s help to produce cellular energy and help the body’s cells to divide (including hair cells).
Brewer’s yeast is also a rich source of biotin which may assist in the long-term health of hair and nails.
Brewer’s yeast also contains many essential minerals, like zinc, selenium, and copper. Combine this with the nourishing benefits of a nice fatty egg, and you have a super luxurious, inexpensive, homemade, natural DIY hair mask.
Mix ½ cup of flat beer (leave it out for a while before you use it) with a raw egg. You can also add a teaspoon of oil. Apply to clean, damp hair, pop on a shower cap, and sit for 15 minutes (time to drink some beer). Then, wash as usual.
*If you prefer not to use actual beer, you can easily buy pure brewer’s yeast online. Mix 5 tbsp of brewer’s yeast with ½ tbsp of olive oil to form a paste. Add a splash of water to make it more manageable. Apply to dry hair, then wrap hair in plastic wrap and leave for one hour before washing hair as normal.
Haircare Tips to Fight Damage Caused by Over Processing
Your hair gets exposed to the sun, chemicals, inadequate diet, hormonal changes, washing hair with hard water, and so much more. All of these environmental changes will affect your hairs strength, manageability, and shine.
If you can rebuild your follicles with healthy eating that’s, great, but here are some tips to reconstruct damaged hair at home.
Condition! Condition! Condition!
There is no getting around correctly conditioning your hair. Ensure that you use one that has plenty of proteins and moisture-enhancing compounds. It is essential to choose a conditioner that is pH balanced.
To restore proper moisture balance to your hair leave the conditioner on the tips of your hair for at least 3-4 minutes before rinsing. Giving the conditioner time to act, ensures that your hair receive the moisturising it requires.
Try and keep away from chemical treatments and styling tools
Blow-dryers, straighteners, and hair curlers are recommended for special occasions and should be used sporadically through the week. Excessive use of hair styling tools and chemical treatments like dyes, perms, and relaxers can damage your hair and cause it to be brittle and difficult to manage.
Opt for fingers instead of brushes
One of the best ways to get smoother tresses is to run your fingers through your wet hair to detangle it before using a brush. I prefer to use a wide-toothed comb which will limit the breakage when your hair is wet.
Apply a lightweight serum to give your hair the moisture it needs
Your hair is weaker when it is wet. Restore your hair’s natural resistance by using a mixture that contains moisturising components like argon oil, shea butter, olive oil, or glycerine. A blend of this strengthens your hair and manages frizz and split ends.
Shampoo every other day
Do not take your hair care routine too far by shampooing every day. Along with dirt and grime, shampoo removes natural oils from your scalp. If you shampoo your hair excessively, your scalp may become dry and make it prone to flaking and frizz.
Get a trim every six weeks to increase hair growth
Trimming may sound counter-effective, but it is not. Cutting helps remove unhealthy parts of your hair, which in turn, boosts your hair growth.
Opt for a haircut that suits the shape of your face and accentuates your best features. For example, round or pear-shaped faces look best with a layered look and steep edges. A stylish haircut adds the right amount of volume and bulk to your tresses too.
Now we have looked at getting your hair healthy, let’s look at your face and what hairstyles the experts suggest that would suit you!
Oval face
If you have an oval face, you get the best of every style. You can rock out buns, chignon, fringe or half up half down wedding hairstyles. You have so much range.
Square face
The best wedding hairstyles are either to wear a low bun, with free-running curls or you can leave your hair down with an optional centre part to open your face and soften any harsh angles.
Heart-shaped face: You can wear a slightly off centre-parted hair. That would work well with a wedding hairstyles braid. You can also leave it down to allow it to cover the sides of your chin. Whatever you choose, make sure your hair is well textured.
Long shaped face
Think wedding buns. A top knotted bun high up at the back of your head or leave your hair down in-side sweeping curls. This will accentuate your cheekbones and adds width to your face.
Round face
If you choose side parting hairstyles with sleek ponytails you will give the illusion of higher cheekbones or you can leave your hair down with a deep side parting to create a more angular look.
Now you know what to eat for our hair, how to condition it, what styles suit your face and what hair works bet for what neckline on your dress.
For those of you that just wanted to pop in here to get some great tips for amazing hair, but have not got your dress yet, then go over to our blog that gives you plenty of tips on what to think about before you go out shopping for your perfect wedding dress.
Also if you want to know the best shape to suit your face, we have it from the experts on the best options for you here
We are not experts in hair, we are experts in wedding planning, so if you have started your wedding plans but are feeling overwhelmed or just want to get back your precious time, then do go over to our partial planning services and see how we can help you have the perfect wedding day, and we'll leave you to work on having perfect hair.
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