setbacks

07/02/2012

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Copyright MMXII, DE Taylor.  All Rights Reserved.
Face it.  We all have setbacks.  You can be the most dilligent person on the planet and still find that you have breakage or are shedding like a beast.  The fact that we all will have a setback or two at some point during our journey does not mean we should give up or throw in the towel.  Setbacks should be looked at as an opportunity to examine your methods and determine where you can make adjustments or tweaks.  Indeed, setbacks are a learning opportunity.  There are times when you will find that you may have excessive shedding or breakage or visit a stylist who delivers more than a "trim."  Or you might discover that wet detangling is causing you more harm than good or that heat usage means you can't get past shoulder-length.  Products can also cause setbacks.  You might find yourself in protein overload because you were co-washing with protein too often, or moisture overload because you avoided protein for far too long.  The trick to dealing with these setbacks is in realizing that it can be a one-time occurrence if you take your lesson from it, redouble your efforts and move on stronger than ever.  One great trick when a product doesn't work or that salon visit goes all wrong is to jot it down in a little notebook or calendar.  These notes can serve as reminders about what not to do again.  Throwing your hands up in defeat and giving up on consistent care is exactly the wrong thing to do.  Once you have honed in on the problem, your efforts should go toward finding solutions - whether it be reading blogs or watching how-to videos.  A setback means it's time to do your research!  Find out what others who have your problem are doing to solve it and cautiously take steps in that direction, making sure to take note of progress and little failures.  If you're growing out your hair, the name of the game is consistency over time.  So the next time you face a setback simply pull up those bootstraps and soldier on.

 
 
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Copyright MMXI, DE Taylor.  All Rights Reserved.
You might  be asking 'what are ceramides and what can they do for my hair?'  Ceramides are a family of lipid or fat molecules that reside in the cell membranes of a substance.  The components of ceramides are aminos and fatty acids.  Scientists have found that one of the functions of ceramides with regard to hair is as a "glue" of sorts - keeping the scales that form the hair's cuticle attached and in place.  They also found that in damaged hair these important lipids had actually disappeared.  Further, it has been proven that the addition of ceramides to the hair serves to fortify strands and prevent breakage.  Ceramides actually bind to the hollowed or weakened areas of the hair strand and inhibit further moisture and protein loss.  Most products on the market use a synthetic form of ceramide.  Some brands that have ceramide products are L'Oreal, Aubrey Organics, Optimum Care, Proclaim, Silicon Mix and Redken.  Two common synthetic ceramides are 2-oleamido-1 and 3-octadecanediol.  While these synthetic forms are equally as effective as natural forms, those looking to go as natural as possible will be pleased to know that ceramides are also present in some oils.  If you are in the market for length-retention it is highly recommended that you incorporate a ceramide product or oil into your regimen.  Some ways to do this include incorporating products that contain ceramides or adding a ceramide-containing oil to your regimen as a sealant or pre-poo.  Please note that although olive and coconut oils are not high in ceramides they both have been clinically proven to help stop protein loss in the cortex - so these particular oils have beneficial properties that are similar to ceramides.  Oils containing ceramides:
Walnut Oil
Rice Oil
Almond Oil
Wheat Germ Oil