@CoolwayHair Care For Heat Stylers And Habitul Brushers Giveaway~ 6/3

Momma Told Me: Use it or lose it.

My hair and I have been through a lot. Ever since Momma threatened to, and did, cut my long locks off for a bowl cut in the third grade I've championed the cause of healthy hair. As a little girl I took my golden brown tresses for granted and often skipped proper shampooing and brushing techniques out of laziness. Momma's tactics might have been unconventional, but you can bet, as my hair grew back, I never shirked those beauty regimens again. People like to counter that, because I color my hair and blow dry religiously, I do not take proper care of my hair. I like to argue that you can have style and color without doing excess damage to your hair. Naturally, everyone's hair and scalp is different, so your care mat vary from mine, but I have always had medium-thick hair with a normal scalp. When you are born with healthy locks and good skin, it does make things easier- but having certain styling challenges don't have to mean damaged hair or frizzy styling.

I am constantly on the lookout for new tools and treatments to keep my hair looking, and actually being, it's healthiest. While I have always had a full head of hair, I have also equally fought the 'hair on the brush' scenario. I like to style my hair straight, and in the humidity we often get through our heat waves, this often means my hair will puff and even frizz without warning. I habitually brush my hair morning, noon, and night to encourage natural shine and style maintenance. If your styling routine doesn't involve a carefully chosen brush then that is the first investment you should make. In general I recommend a paddle style hair brush that is wide and helps distribute oil while keeping your cuticles lie flat. Paddle brushes often have a nice pillowy cushion beneath the bristles that allow them to contour to your head as you brush.

Paddle brushes are great for hair care and daily brushing, but combing your hair directly after showering is often when your locks are under the most stress. Water not only weighs down and binds weaker strands of hair but can also create a tangling effect. For this I suggest a brush solely for de-tangling and managing damp hair. Brushes like the Knotty Girl by Coolway Products offer an innovative approach to de-tangling. The Knotty Girl has a unique Soft Flow bristle design that allows the bristles to bend and flow with your hair to help de-tangle as each bristle meets a knot. This naturally prevents less strain on your hair and decreases breakage such as split ends. I did find myself wishing this brush was wider, and more paddle style, but found brushing vertically also maximized the brush head space.

Because I color treat my hair I am very aware of the impact of heat during the styling process. Any time you lighten your hair you are removing  layer, or more, which cannot be replaced. This tends to make hair thinner and less strong against breakage. Many people do not understand exactly how heat, ins styling damages hair- simply that it can and does. If you are a straight hair addict like me (or even a habitual curler) styling is held and trained by the gradual heating of strands being melted and stretched. Now that doesn't sound very friendly, does it? Our hair can stand up to a it of treatment and heat, but, over time, it is prone to cracks and wear that eventually impacts the hair's cuticle and core strength. I've recently begun using Coolway's True Smooth heat treatment spray and Boost Repair Mask to counteract the impact of heat and blow-drying.

While I have been using the products together (the mask every third wash,) I have been most impressed by the conditioning and appearance of my hair after coating it with the True Smooth formula prior to styling. The product is very fine and bit oily, but goes on light thanks to the fine mist nozzle, and brushes in without weighing my hair down. There is no offensive or lingering odor, and my hair seems to blow dry faster and more even. Typically my scalp seems to dry slower, so I have been especially interested to note how uniform the drying process has become. The results, even after one treatment are undeniable. My hair, which was chemically lightened just a month back, is much more pliable and shiny.

How do you fight the effects of heat and styling on your hair?

What Daughter Says: Styling doesn't have to equal hair loss. Smart styling can actually strengthen your hair and make it appear healthier.

One Momma Told Me reader will win a Coolway Products haircare bundle featuring the Knotty Girl Brush, True Smooth spray, and Boost Repair Mask.

Blast From The Past: The Hair Of Yesterday

Momma Told Me: Don't let your hair wear you!


Oh hair- We have had a love/hate relationship. When I was 5 I was left in charge of my own grooming- I had dirty blonde hair down to my butt. Somehow the act of scrubbing and rinsing seemed less appealing than writing on the tub walls with colored foam soap, so Momma inevitably chopped my gorgeous locks off. Then came the perm. Oh how I loathed the perm- the hours sitting with my head on fire, smelling of chemicals, then the weeks of not knowing how to care for the mass of curls. I think Momma thought it was 'cute' in a Shirley Temple sort of way, but I was more of a tomboy, and the look simply didn't translate. After near a year of a short bob perm, came the dreaded bowl cut. From prissy little girl to brutish tomboy, I was thrust into my own stereotype and left with coke bottle glasses and a 90's bowl cut. It was traumatizing.

Only one other time have I cut my hair since the dreaded perm-bowl of the 90's; at age 15, with a new-found obsession for boy bands and rebellion. My parents had just finalized their divorce, and I, idolizing P!nk, convinced my mother to have an 'accident' with the hot pink hair dye my father had said I could use as a highlight. In came the pixie cut, and Pink went my entire head. For a solid 6 years after I let my hair return to it's natural Auburn brown hue, and refused to cut it for even a trim. Luckily, my hair grows fast, and I am not one to tease and torture it with styling (if you discount my unhealthy blow-drying obsession). Somewhere around 22 I got the itch to be 'different' again. Truth be told, if I wasn't working 3 jobs, and had a little more in the bank, I probably would have satisfied the itch with tattoos- a more permanent expression.

Haircolor was an affordable, easy enough to change, method of self expression I could play with from the comfort of my own bathroom sink. I played with a LOT of brands- I tried Manic Panic, Splat!, Ion, Beyond The Zone, and more. All of these brands promised 'color' but really left nothing more than a washed out, muddy, faded tint after the first few washes. When I was about to throw int he towel I stumbled across an import brand at an Asian Beauty Pro Shop- Adore. Not only was the brand affordable ($5 a bottle), but the product had a fruity floral fragrance and was extra gentle on lightened hair. I learned quickly, with a little internet research, Adore should and can be left on much longer then the directions suggest. For maximum vibrancy expect to color your locks for 3-4 hours. The results were an undeniable success. I had friends, family, and strangers asking me to add a dash of color to their hair. At one point I literally had 5 different colors, a rainbow, of streaks in my hair!

Flash forward to 25, I was growing a little restless of the color mash-up. It was becoming hard to decipher where the original strands of color were; my head seemed more like a melting snow cone than stylists work of art. So I gave myself long bangs, attempted to layer, and did a color reset to Dark Brown. For a good year I kept the large chunky bangs on the front of my face framed with hot pink. Then, last Summer I decided it was time for something drastic, an all-over color that would truly be vibrant. We went blonde- then we went Red, Fire Engine Red. I'm lucky enough that my pale complexion is versatile enough to support any color. However, the Red was arguably the most complimentary hue. I loved it. Unfortunately, my pink bathtub did not, and it was eventually time for yet another change.

After a minor bleaching disaster (the first in 10 years), I lost near a foot of hair in the process of ultra-lightening for vibrant tips. In came the darkest brown with purple tips, and so I have remained, nursing my damaged ends. But now, now I have the itch again. I also have a professional hair-color and styling company behind me. And they just so happen to have released a brand new Plum tint that pushes the border of traditional cool-infused dark hair-tones. I'm currently debating playing with the 'Gray' trend that is so hot on French runways right now- or keeping the ultra-vibrant tips and styling my whole head with the Plum infused black. Which way will I go? You will have to keep following me on the blog to find out! What look, from above,  is your favorite, on me?

What Daughter Says: Confidence can rock any style. Have you been wanting to go a little bolder? Be fierce and take the plunge!