Drink your Way to Healthy Hair Growth

I know you picked up your wine glass in anticipation, but when I say drink your way to healthy hair growth, I'm referring to a smoothie filled with tons of vitamins and minerals that are essential to your overall health and hair growth! If you remember in one of my previous blogs on my current natural hair regimen as well as a post on hair retention methods, I talked about incorporating a smoothie into my daily regimen and the benefits I have seen in my overall health. In addition to the benefits seen in my overall healthy, my skin and the health of my hair have increased. My hair is growing in thicker and appears shinier.

To drink your way to healthy hair, you will need the following:

• 1 Handful of Kale, Chard, & Carrot (You can buy this as a salad mix)

• 2 Handfuls of Spinach

• 1 Cup of Greek Yogurt

• 1 Whole Bananas

• 1 Handful of Blueberries & Strawberries

• Almond Milk (or whatever liquid of choice)

Each of these foods is packed with so many nutritional benefits. For example....

• Kale is packed with tons of iron. Iron is essential because it delivers oxygen to the cells, and when oxygen reaches the cells, this helps revitalize and regenerate cells, preventing hair loss. 
•  Chard has biotin and MSM in it, which promotes hair growth. 
• Carrots have loads of vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes healthy hair and scalp. In addition, vitamin a promotes healthy sebum production, which also affects hair growth. 
• Spinach, blueberries, and strawberries are all packed with vitamin C, and vitamin C is essential in assisting the protein in your body and hair. As we all know, hair is made of protein, and Vitamin C acts as a facilitator for protein, allowing your hair to grow to its fullest potential. 
• Bananas are the next contender, and they are rich in potassium. Potassium promotes a healthy scalp, which ultimately affects hair growth. Remember, you need a healthy scalp to have healthy hair! 
• Greek yogurt is packed full of protein, and as I have stated, your hair is made of  PROTEIN. Having the proper amount of protein in your body allows you hair to grow at its greatest capacity. 

Now, you have my smoothie recipe so you can begin to drink your way to healthy hair growth! I love smoothies because they are easy to make. Also, smoothies allow you to consume the appropriate amounts of fruits and veggies needed for healthy daily living. So give it a try and let me know what you think! If you have a smoothie recipe, please post your smoothie details down below! 

Until next time...

Be faith-filled, fearless, and fabulous,

Kurly Ken

My Current Natural Hair Regimen

Well, shame on me! It's been a long time since I have provided an update to my current natural hair regimen. For the past 8 months, I have been solely focused on protective styling! I literally only took my hair out to wash, deep condition, and wear my hair out for a few days in preparation for the next protective style. However, I now OFFICIALLY miss my hair! I've been wearing it out naturally for the past few weeks, and I have slightly tweaked my natural hair regimen to include some new products and practices.

But before I get into my natural hair regimen, let's take a walk down memory lane. Remember, in April 2015, I cut my hair. My hair was seriously neglected, under moisturized, thinning, and desperately needed a fresh start.

New cut with a twist and curl in April 2015

Soooo.... after my hair cut, I increased the moisture levels in my hair by incorporating daily moisturizing habits and deep conditioning on a more frequent basis. Consistency was the key, and my hair truly began to bounce back. As the summer time approached, I wore my hair in braids or twists, but I still moisturized daily as well as washed/conditioned my hair while in these protective styles.

 Braids

In September 2015, I unleashed my locks for a bit. I was pleased with the overall growth and length retention; hence, the picture below. Check out my posts on some of the things I was doing to increase growth and retain length.

 September 2015

After wearing my hair out briefly, I decided to go back into protective styling for the duration of the semester. Braids, of course, were my first choice. 

November 2015

Now, January 2016, I miss my natural hair as I stated above so I am wearing it out. When I reflect over the past 8-9 months, I can see that my hair has seen substantial growth as well as retained its length. Of course, I have trimmed it, but in spite of the trims, my hair appears healthier. It's much fuller and stronger, and I am definitely pleased with the results.

January 2016

January 2016

Let's do a comparison!

Top picture is from January 2016; Bottom picture is from September 2015

Below you will see the modifications to my natural hair regimen:

Internal

1. I take one prenatal vitamin, which includes fish oil and biotin in it as well. I no longer take a separate supplement of fish oil or biotin.

2. I increased my water intake from 8-10 glasses to 10-12 glasses of water per day. 

3. My diet is still mainly pollo-pescetarian, which means my meals consist of fish, chicken, vegetables, and fruit. I eat this way about 85% to 90% of the time. No changes here!

4. I wanted to increase the daily amount of fruits and vegetables. I currently drink a 32 ounce smoothie that includes a smorgasbord of fruits and veggies. Read more about it here.

5. I work out at least 4 times per week (running in conjunction with lifting weights)

External

Wash Routine

First off, I wash my hair as needed. Sometimes, I wash weekly and other times bi weekly. It really depends on how my hair feels and my schedule.

During my wash routine, I typically:

1. Pre-poo with coconut oil and honey for at least 30 minutes under a plastic cap. Check out my post on my pre-poo process here.

2. Then I clarify with 1/3 apple cider vinegar, 2/3 water. I place this mixture in a bottle and massage it into my scalp. Then I rinse out the mixture with water and repeat these steps until I feel my scalp is clean. Since I work out a lot, clarifying helps to remove the sweat, oil, and product build up from my scalp.

3. Next up, I  deep condition with a little homemade concoction of Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque, olive oil, glycerin, and honey for 30 minutes to an hour. Other ready made conditioners I have recently tried (and enjoyed) have been Creme of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment and Eden's Body Works All Natural Deep Conditioner (Jojoba monoi).

4. Next, I rinse out the deep conditioner. Apply an oil to seal and then I allow my hair to air dry for an hour or two.

5. After 70-80% of my hair is dry, I begin my LCO Method with my 1/4 aloe vera juice, 1/4 glycerin, and 1/2 water spray mixture, followed up with Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque as a cream, and olive oil to seal

Moisturizing Routine

Now, when my hair need a little moisture, I apply Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Deep Treatment Masque and/or coconut oil. I also like to do a 5-10 minute scalp massage with a little olive oil or coconut oil on my finger tips when I moisturize my hair.

And Every Now and Then....

Occasionally, like every 6 months or so, I do a henna treatment.  If you would like to know more about my henna treatment, click here to read the post.  

Well folks, that's pretty much it. If you have any questions regarding any of the products or practices, please feel free to leave a comment down below.