Taking care of covered hair!

Today I want to talk to all those lovely ladies out there who cover their hair.  Covering your hair should not mean that you stop taking care of your hair or that you no longer have to take care of your hair. 

I have covered my hair since the day I got married, 35 years ago (wow that is a long time ago) and I have ALWAYS taken care of my hair!

Some of the rules of hair care are the same for every woman and girl; whether she covers her hair or not:

(1)      never shampoo your hair more than once a week

(2)      never condition your hair more than one additional 
time a week

These rules are universal for all womankind; unless you work down in a mine or in a particularly smelly profession.  Shampooing and conditioning are the key verbs here; no matter how “gentle” and/or “natural” the product, these products strip from our hair the important oils needed to help our hair look and feel healthy.  You can wet your hair when you shower/bathe, just don’t shampoo or condition it.

OK, so you can say it: ‘I'll shampoo my hair and then I'll condition it and then I’ll use a moisturizing hair mask.’  And I ask: “Why?”  “Why?” Why strip your hair and then put "back" the conditioning; don’t strip to begin with!  Don't get me wrong - I work out every day and shower after every workout - but I do not shampoo my hair with every shower. 

Now back to our covered hair: while our hair is not regularly attacked by the elements - sun, dust, dirt and pollutants - it must be taken care of. 

I also want to state very clearly: covering your hair does not ruin your hair, does not stop it from growing, does not cause it to fall out, does not cause it to thin out or any other evil.  These are all symptoms of age, illness and a host of hereditary and/or dietary factors.  I have the pleasure of taking care of the hair of a host of lovely ladies of all ages, who cover their hair and I see the proof that covering their hair does not affect their hair in anyway.

If you feel your hair is thinning or in any way becoming unhealthy:

(1)      Look at your diet  A balanced diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals you need for healthy hair, as well as healthy nails and bones!

(2)     Look at your mother and grandmother  Heredity plays a big part here! Did your mother/grandmother suffer from thinning hair at a relatively young age?

(3)      Look at how you treat your hair  Stop pulling your hair back in severe hairstyles that pull and tear your hair.  Stop using rubber bands when you create a ponytail style in your hair that further tears and breaks your hair strands.  Stop over-zealous blow drying, any over-zealous teasing, gluing of extensions and anything that injures your hair on a long-term (as far as hair is concerned) basis.

Now let's talk about how to LOVE our hair.  Each day when you remove your tichel, hat or sheitel gently brush out your hair with a good brush; preferably one with soft bristles with small beaded tips to help prevent further tearing and breaking of hair strands.

Try to air-dry your wet hair whenever possible to prevent your hair from becoming dry.

Want to add shine, texture and vitality to your hair (whether you cover your hair or not)?  Try this great new product that I found recently: TREAT Professional Hair Treatment. 

It’s produced by JOYA, http://www.joya-act.co.il ,

a company that produces a full line of beauty care products.  I have been slowly adding JOYA products to my ‘bag of tricks’ and have been happy with each new product I discover.

Back to TREAT Professional Hair Treatment.   I love using this product on my own hair, customers' and my own sheitels, my customers' hair, as well as my husband’s hair.  Used generously, this product brings back a glow and luster to lifeless hair.

As you know, I always advise using products sparingly, this is one of the few products that I tell clients to use GENEROUSLY! With this product, you hair never gets greasy or feels wet and heavy.

So how do you use this product?

You should work on dry or nearly-dry hair.  Work in sections – you don’t need to comb or separate into neat sections – just work with the following basic sections:

•  the top of your head (from the crown and including bangs/fringe)
•  the sides of your head 
•  the back of your head until the nape of your neck

If you have long and/or thick hair you can divide these section up a bit more.  You don’t need to pin or clip your hair sections. 

Working in sections, use your fingers - spread like a wide-tooth comb -  to open up each section of hair to the roots. 

Spray a spritz or two of TREAT directly into the root area. 

Gently massage the product, fluff and move your fingers, in a zigzag pattern, from the root up to the tips of your hair. Distributing, lifting and fluffing your hair as you go.

When working with the back of your head, I suggest you flip your hair over (even if your hair is not long) and work from the nape of your neck and up to the crown of your head.

Once you've finished a 'round', you can gently brush all your hair.

Repeat this massaging-fluffing-zigzagging-fluffing-brushing process throughout your head. 

You should repeat this whole process on your hair at least two to three times (even four times).  Your hair may feel a bit "wet" at the onset, but the product is absorbed quickly. 

  

In addition, you will love the scent of this product, as much as you will love what it will do for your hair.

The scent and the product’s results even last through a shower (not a shampooing).

How often should you use this product?  I say once a week, but you can use it twice a week or once every two weeks.  It all depends on you.

Remember: Our HAIR is our ‘crowning glory’ so take care of your hair!

Did you enjoy my article?  I’d love to hear from you!  Drop me a line or tell me on my facebook page and please feel free to share my blog with a bride and all your friends!

Do you have any questions about Jewish wedding customs, please drop me a line?  Do you want to learn more about brides, weddings and beauty? Please subscribe to my blog.