Tips for Healthy & Fabulous Looking “Isolation Hair”

During this unusual time when we are all at home under quarantine, I’d like to share some of my clean hair care tips that you can do yourself to keep your hair looking beautiful. After all, it might be a few months before we can return to our salon professionals. These tips are gender neutral and hopefully, you’ll find one that benefits you.

I am looking at the common compulsion to beautify from a different light these days. I think so many people are naturally concerned with their appearance that perhaps caring for your body and hair is what ties people to the physical and "ever so social" world we are being currently forced to step away from for a while. Instead while they are stuck inside, people are left with just their existing tools and skills, while trying to maintain their sense of self beauty.

If anything, take a break from using styling aids and heat activation tools on your hair.  They tend to damage the hair fiber and dehydrate the cuticle. If you do use an at-home relaxer, don’t! Just let your hair bring itself back to its natural state with some love from clean beauty hair tips.  If you cannot wait to get your hair color or highlights done, you can use at-home hair color boxes and highlighting kits as well as root touch up sprays. Make sure you select the ones that are ammonia free, gentler and contain more natural ingredients.  And if you’re not sure what to do, get a virtual color consultation from Spoke & Weal, just comment below!

Allow your hair to breathe and relax with a superb, clean beauty, vegan, cruelty free shampoo and conditioner that can detoxify and nourish your scalp and hair from roots to ends.  Take your time and let the shampoo re-invigorate, hydrate and cleanse your hair fibers, roots and scalp. Allow the conditioner to hydrate, smooth and moisturize your hair and leave it in a few minutes longer than the 3-minute norm.

We recommend providing your hair this extra nourishment every four days. Take a leap of faith not to wash your hair every day or even every other day. It would be most beneficial to let your scalp’s natural hydration process provide the essential oils for each hair strand. 

Be experimental and try using a chic scarf or bandana you have at home to wrap your hair and tie at the nap of your neck. It’s an easy way to carry on with your daily routine even if you need to make a quick trip to the supermarket.

Please remind yourself that you may be a little more stressed because of the intense situation we are experiencing and you don’t want to add stress to the hair fibers.

Prior to our isolation, while traveling, shopping, walking down the streets and seeing friends in the gym, I have observed women are often using a rubber band or scrunchie to pull their hair back in a ponytail to keep it away from their face or when they don’t feel like styling it. When the hair fiber is pulled tight and held with a piece of rubber, it tears at it, causing breakage and pulling the hair from the roots. 

Instead, I’d highly recommend a pair of Kanzashi hair sticks, fabricated from a wide range of materials such as lacquered wood,  metal, ceramic and even plastic. Kanzashi can be very chic and sophisticated looking as there are many beautifully decorated assortments available. Wear them like MASAMI’s Co-founder Lynn Power does - apply a little of our styling cream, wrap your hair up into a bun, and use the sticks to hold your hair in place. Lynn is always on the go and it makes her look simply stylish without worrying about hair breakage or damage.

Also, instead of towel drying hair (which again can cause breakage), try using a hair turban which is designed to quickly absorb moisture without harming hair .  Our favorite is the Dream Turban from DreamDry.  Celebrity Stylist Rachel Zoe says: “I use this Dream Turban every time I wash my hair -- I even travel with it.  I love that I can throw it on before bed and wake up with smooth, frizz-free hair. Sometimes I even use it with a conditioner oil, then wrap it up for a deep-conditioning treatment.”  

My last tip is to use a DIY hair mask. If you care to try one, you can find many home-made remedies that include avocado, honey and egg yolks for moisture and nourishment of the scalp and hair fiber. Whip one up from your pantry, apply to wet hair and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before rinsing. You won’t even have to leave the house - the perfect recipe for isolation hair!