The Antidote Street Healthy Hair Guidebook
Wherever you are in your healthy hair journey - whether just starting out/contemplating that big chop/transitioning/mid-way through/heavily seasoned - there's always room for some extra inspiration, more knowledge, and new hacks to get you your best, healthiest, and happiest hair!
So we've gone ahead and consolidated some of the top tips from our Blog into one FANTASTIC Healthy Hair Guidebook!
CLEANSING
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What type of shampoo should you use? Shampoos can usefully be categorised as: Clarifying (remove heavy build-up but can leave hair feeling 'squeaky' clean, usually recommended for use monthly); Moisturising (cleanse without stripping hair's natural oils, but may not remove heavy build-up); Co-Washes (good to refresh hair but not a replacement for shampoo; Detoxing (such as clay washes which can restore the pH balance of your scalp and hair)
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Another major question is how often should you wash your hair? This will depend on the condition of your hair (e.g. if it is prone to dryness and breakage then you may wish to revise how often you shampoo and what type of cleansing product you are using). If you have scalp issues then it is important that you find a balance which allows you to keep your scalp clean and therefore healthy, but avoid over-cleansing and therefore either drying out your scalp and hair or prompting excess sebum production.
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If you work out often, cleansing regularly is critical to avoid damage and breakage due to the drying effects of sweat on your hair and scalp. Weather conditions also impact wash day frequency - and surprisingly you may find that during the colder months, you should wash hair MORE often rather than less! This is because you tend to layer more products to keep hair from drying out in the cold weather - leading to more and quicker product build up in your hair.
Want to know more about the ins and outs of keeping your hair and scalp clean and refreshed? These articles are sure to help:
Caring for your hair whilst working out
CONDITIONING
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Out of all the conditioners out there, how do you choose what's right for you? Regular Conditioners help restore the moisture stripped by shampooing, improving look, feel and texture; Leave-in Conditioners take that a step further by allowing for further moisture to be retained post-wash however this can be too heavy for finer hair types; Deep Conditioners provide an intense moisture boost by penetrating deep into the hair fibre, often used in combination with heat.
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What are some cues that you need to up your conditioning game? Generally speaking, if you notice that your hair is dry and prone to breakage (aka if you're anywhere on the afro and multi-textured hair spectrum!) then regular Deep Conditioning will save you from a multitude of woes. More specifically, if you're exposing your hair to harsh weather conditions (we're looking at you, frigid temps), if you have colour-treated or chemically-treated hair, or are a regular swimmer (eek the chlorine!) then you need to make Deep Conditioning your BFF ASAP. Pro tip: consider Protein Treatments to repair any damage to your hair and give it an extra extra boost.
Delve deeper into the secrets to keeping your hair moisturised and happy with these articles:
Ingredients 101 - Conditioners
How to achieve Strong, Breakage-Resistant Hair
SCALP HEALTH
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One of the best things you can do for yourself and for your hair is to ensure that your scalp is healthy and thriving - just think of your scalp as the soil from which your hair grows! We even recently featured an entire Scalp Series across our blog and social media pages in order to highlight the importance of scalp health so we'll highlight a few of the key takeaways.
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Clean Scalp = Healthy Scalp - so cleanse your scalp thoroughly and regularly! Avoid harsh ingredients that can irritate your scalp - these may be as common as fragrances and can trigger conditions such as scalp eczema or contact dermatitis. Stay hydrated - yup, how much water you drink isn't just important for your skin but also for your scalp! Use the right products - you'll find some serious scalp Antidotes on our site, along with all the advice on how to use them.
Want to check out our full Scalp Series? It's just a click away!
Demystifying Scalp Issues With @CurlBellaa
If you want Healthy Hair, you need a Healthy Scalp
Seven Steps to a Healthy Scalp
CARING FOR COLOURED AND/OR CHEMICALLY TREATED HAIR
Want to get the full scoop on chemically-treated/coloured hair care? Read on!
How to care for your relaxed hair
How to colour your hair PINK without damage
Shop the Relaxed Hair Kit on AntidoteStreet.com
STYLING
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If you've read this far, hopefully you're on your way to implementing a new and improved hair care routine and regime! But that still leaves the question of how to wear your newly-healthy hair. Style ideas? We've got those too!
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Whether you're a fan of heat styling or not, the truth is that every now and then it can be a nice change of pace - so if you want to learn how to do it without incurring damage to your hair, we've got you. While you're at it, you can learn how to remix your style with minimum effort to last the entire WEEK. Then there's the question of achieving that much-desired curl definition - well we have a tutorial for that too! We even went a step further and partnered with an award-winning stylist to show you how our products work on different hair types - check out the Salon Edit for the scoop on NYC Curls and Flora & Curl products.
Check out even more styling inspiration with these articles:
African Threaded Hairstyles Through the Ages
