Hello loves!
I thought I would write a post about hair care, specifically caring for very short and/or shaved hair.
The general principles for caring of short hair versus long hair are basically the same. You should cleanse your hair, moisturize it, and brush it... etc.
These steps differ as in HOW you execute them depending on how long your hair is.
So without further ado, here is a list of hair care steps for extremely short/shaved hair:
1. Cleanse. Just like long hair, it is important to still wash your hair even though it's very short. (I understand that this is a given.) With short hair, however, it is much easier to go longer without washing it. This is mostly because short hair looks better messy generally and washing it regularly is not required to style it. Long hair often requires being washed anew in order to freshen the style, especially if you like to give yourself a blowout with a blowdryer. It is healthier for your hair if you don't wash it every day. In my case, I'd say I wash my hair every three days. For some people this may seem crazy, but my hair is only four inches long or so and it really only needs to be washed every three days! I also do this because it is so much healthier for my hair to keep its natural oils longer, especially since my hair is colored. The way you cleanse your hair (and the products you use) will largely depend on the type of hair you have as well as your scalp. My hair is very thick, with medium texture, and my scalp tends to get dry easily. So in my case I always use a moisturizing shampoo (usually infused with some type of oil) or cleansing conditioner. Sure, moisturizing shampoo is cool...but using conditioner to cleanse? YES. There are conditioners made that do the cleanse and moisturize step all in one.
Products I recommend:
-WEN cleansing conditioner http://www.wen.com/
-REDKEN diamond oil shampoo http://m.redken.com/products/haircare/diamond-oil/diamond-oil-shampoo
-One n Only Argan Oil shampoo http://www.sallybeauty.com/argan-moisturizing-shampoo/ONEONL17,default,pd.html#start=56&sz=12&viewAllProducts=true
2. Moisturize. Just because you have short hair doesn't mean you shouldn't moisturize/condition it. Yes, you can probably get away with not conditioning it as much as someone with long hair, but in my professional opinion conditioner is more important for the integrity of your hair than shampoo is. This is especially the case for people like me that have chemically treated hair. Your hair is stripped of its moisture when you wash it, dye it, and style it with hot tools... so conditioning it and replenishing the moisture that was stripped of your hair is an extremely important step in anyone's hair care routine. Moisturization of your hair doesn't stop at conditioner, either. Conditioner has its benefits, but it can only do so much in the few seconds/minutes that it has in your wet hair before you wash it out. It is also very important to use leave in products after you've towel dried your hair. I personally love using hair oils for my hair, but any type of leave in moisturizer will work in this situation. (cream based or otherwise) Once your hair has been towel dried, work in a quarter sized amount of oil and /or leave in product into your hair. For people with fine and thin hair, I recommend only using a dime's worth of product. Most people will want to blowdry their hair as the next step. I personally let my hair air dry, but if you must blowdry your hair it is critical that you use a heat protectant. Either spray or work it into your damp hair before blowdrying.
Products I recommend:
-WEN cleansing conditioner (see above section)
-ALTERNA Caviar CC Cream http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod6340113
-CHI 44 Iron Guard (heat protectant) http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4730015
-LUSH R&B Hair Moisturizer http://www.lushusa.com/R-B/03080,en_US,pd.html#q=r%2520and%2520b&start=1
3. Brush. Please don't stop brushing your hair just because you don't have any. I know, I know... this sounds crazy. Let me explain. Brushing your hair is also an extremely vital part of taking care of your hair. Not only is brushing used to detangle and style, but arguably more important is the use of brushing for scalp stimulation and the distrubution of natural oils/moisturizing product. My hair is only 4 inches long on top with the rest of my head pretty much bald. You would think that I wouldn't need to brush my hair at all. In a way you'd be right. I don't necessarily need to brush it. I could usually just run my fingers through the top and be done with it, but I actually brush my hair too. I brush the top, where my hair is longer, and I brush the rest of my head where it's nearly bare. My scalp needs brushing too. Brushing your scalp and short hair like this stimulates blood flow, helps remove any dead skin on your scalp (exfoliates), and helps distribute your natural oils through your hair, as well as any leave in product you put in. My recommendation for brushing short hair is that you brush before you wash it, while it's still dry, then again after you've washed it and put the product in it. Then brush once more at the opposite end of the day. For example, if you shower in the morning, brush your hair before and after you shower and then again that night before bed. This kind of routine brushing really helps your hair stay as healthy, shiny, and soft as possible.
Products I recommend:
-for when your hair is wet: Tangle Teezer (I LOVE using this brush to stimulate my scalp, distribute leave in product/oil, and give scalp treatments.) http://www.sephora.com/tangle-teezer-compact-styler-P386485?skuId=1620004
-for when your hair is dry: WIGO boar bristle brush (this brush is great on the scalp and also adds wonderful shine/cleaning properties when used on dry hair) http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp;jsessionid=xsrG7LLol1S3bD5v8Gdee94I.pr-a3-app1?productId=xlsImpprod4440041
***the key to picking a brush to use on your dry hair is boar bristle. Any boar bristle brush will work perfectly.
OKAY.
So, there you have it! If you have any questions about this post please feel free to ask in the comments below.
Love,
BKL
