Are you feeling a little bit lost? Well, here is a very basic overview of some different styling regimens:) This is not meant to be exhaustive but just a basic starting point for the lost:) This focuses strictly on styling regimens.

How to use this Guide

1. Pick one regimen and try it out for a month
2. Work with products you have and slowly pick up items you need
3. Record each wash day/week in your journal, noting any positive or negatives reactions
4. As you start tweaking your regimen, i.e. adding in oils or new products, record positives and negatives.
5. Keep recording and experimenting until you find a regimen that works for you.

Some Advice.....

Avoid buying a whole new set of products – Unless your current products are negatively affecting your hair, avoid buying a whole new set of products. Try buying one item from a line and seeing how they work for you or ask the company/retail location for samples.

Avoid jumping on bandwagons – There are lots of different methods for healthy hair but make sure to try one at a time and give it enough time to work. For instance, avoid jumping from rollersetting to condition washing to blowdrying/flatironing all in one month. Instead, if you want to try new things, try one for a month and record your progress. The next month, try another method and record. This will ensure you give each method a fair chance.

DON'T GET DISCOURAGED – Some of us have been abusing our hair for decades. So, it will take time to reverse that damage. Just select a regimen, give it a month to see if it works for your hair and if not, move on. Just be patient and your hair will reward you.

Do you have hard water in your area? Does your hair fill dull and coated after washing?

You might want to try a chelating shampoo. Chelate means "claw" in latin. If we look closely at the chemical structure of chelators, we would see that they have these tiny claw-like branches.These branches grab and attach themselves to calcium and magnesium ions found in water. An abundance of these ions results in "hard water" and cause soap film (which is what we find all over our shower walls and bath tubs).

This film also prevents shampoos from lathering and leaves the hair dull, hard and coated. A chelating shampoo will prevent the film from depositing on the hair shaft and restore shine and luster to the hair. Some find them to be a bit stripping so it's best to use them once or twice a month.



Some Great Chelating Shampoos:

Joico K-Pak Chelating Shampoo - $9.99
Lanza Swim and Sun Daily Chelating Shampoo - $18.99
Kenra Chelating Shampoo - $8.99

All of these products can be found online or at your local Beauty Supply Store. Happy growing:) For more tips and articles, join me at www.healthytextures.com.

Since we are in an..ahem.. "economic slowdown"...let's talk about ways to have healthy hair on a budget. There are tons of little things you can do to make home hair care more economical.

Make your own products

No need to spend hundreds on expensive products. A lot of great products can be made in your own kitchen. Here are some recipes from The World's Best Beauty Secrets by Diane Irons.

Shampoo- Add a tiny bit of baking soda to your conditioner and use as a shampoo. Add a beaten egg to your shampoo to strengthen hair. Make sure to rinse with lukewarm water.

Conditioner – Add one egg, 1 teaspoon of honey and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Apply to wet hair, cover with cap and shampoo out.

Or, take an overripe avocado, mash up and apply to dry hair. Leave 30 minutes and shampoo out.

Or, take a cup of yogurt and apply to hair after shampooing. Leave on 20 minutes and then rinse.

Lastly, a good ole hot oil treatment never hurt anyone! Apply oil to dry hair and scalp and let sit overnight. Shampoo out in the morning and condition.