Help! How to Revive Fried Hair

Last night I learned a very hard lesson: never trust a curling iron that doesn’t have any sort of temperature gauge. The second lesson obviously being never use a curling iron that is just too hot.  It was a gory battle and I’m sorry to say, guys, my hair did not make it out unscathed. Literally, my hair is scathed! Do you know the feeling? Some of you are sitting at your desks right now with with smoke flumes still coming out of your hair. Maybe your hair smells like a charred building. Maybe your hair feels like dry hay. Well…well my friend, this article is exactly what you need.

1. The Miracle Hair Mask

Ingredients:

1. 4oz cup of plain (full fat) yogurt
2. 2 Tablespoons Coconut cream (You can find this in the ethnic foods isle)
3. 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil

Steps: Mix Coconut cream and Coconut oil in a bowl and microwave for about 1 min.  Mix in the yogurt then massage this thick mask into the hair (hair should be slightly damp with water) completely and cover with a shower cap. Leave this on for 1 hour. Rinse mixture out. (This will take awhile to rinse completely because of the bits of coconut). *You can use a bit of conditioner as shampoo to help get all the residue out.

Why it’s Awesome: Coconut cream is often used as a natural curl softener. In fact, afro-rockers have been using this to soften their curls for years. But why should afros have all the fun? Coconut cream REALLY softens the hair while the mix packs it with restorative oils that will get your hair back to its pre-hay days.

2. A Shampoo/Conditioner Overhaul

Now that your hair actually feels like hair and not straw, you don’t want to ruin it by sucking the moisture out of it, do you? I hope not. Look at the ingredients in your shampoo and if you see salt (sodium) or sulfates (sodium lauryl), throw it in the garbage immediately. No more suds or soapy lathers for you, amigo. That will just defeat the purpose of your restorative hair mask and keep the straws coming back.

But Why? Suds and bubbles do not clean hair, neither do their agents: sulfates and sodium. They draw moisture out of the hair and since your hair is already fried, you can’t afford to lose any more moisture. Invest in a good salt-free and sulfate-free shampoo and a good protein conditioner to boot. The protein will help fill in some of the broken bonds caused by the heat damage.

3. Tread Carefully 

I would tell you to avoid styling with heat completely but that would be idealistic. Just make sure you’re not styling clean/dry hair. Moisturize. Invest in a good styling oil with silicone. Silicone will actually smooth out the damaged parts of your hair strand and mend split ends temporarily.

Trust me, I’ve been here before and these tried and true methods haven’t failed me yet. Though you’ll definitely still need to trim the most damaged ends, you’ll find that if you follow these 3 tips, your hair will look and feel as good as new.

Poof-Proof Hairstyles: Wrap Around Braid Ponytail

It’s been too long since I posted a tutorial in my favorite series – the Poof-Proof Hairstyles. If you haven’t seen some of these tutorials, check out the Hair Styles tag to find a bunch of them – they are the best easy everyday up-do’s, especially if you live in a humid climate or have unruly hair that likes to puff throughout the day.

You may have tried out wrapping a piece of hair around the base of a ponytail  before, but braids in strange places are very trendy this fall, so this ponytail with a wrap around braid is a perfect way to get some braid action into your ‘do.

Today I came across a great tutorial from Luxy Hair (if you haven’t seen their channel yet, do it, I am obsessed), which not only takes you through the steps of making the wrap around ponytail, but also how to add a little body to the crown of your head to add to the romantic, natural look of this style. In the video, Mimi recommends curling your hair into relaxed waves, but this ponytail would also look great with blownout or straightened hair.

Enjoy, and let me know how it works out for you!

Poof-Proof Hairstyles: The Fishtail Braid Ponytail

Got a hair style you think is poof-proof? Submit it to emily@zelocare.com and we’ll post your submission and give you credit for the style!

I love little ways to jazz up ponytails – and here is a great one. If you know how to do a fishtail braid, this is easy to create.

In this tutorial, I pull back half the hair first, start my fishtail braid, and then tie it off at the top of the neck for a sleek ponytail look. However, if you play around with this, you can loosen it up, making your crisscrosses more dramatic for a more casual ‘do. Read through our tutorial and try it out for yourself!

Step One: Tie back even sections of hair from each side. This is where your braided portion will begin.

Step Two: From both sides, separate out two inch-thick sections  from behind each ear.

Step Three: Divide your rubber banded pulled back section into two even sections. Criss cross your inch-thick strands, and add the strands to the opposite divide in the pulled back section, as you would when you start a fishtail braid.

Step Four: Repeat this process about four or five times, taking inch-thick sections from each side and crisscrossing them, continuing to fishtail braid downwards. Tip: Braid a little further down than you actually want it to be in the end. Fishtail braids easily come undone when you secure them.

Step Five: Now, pull all your hair back into a ponytail right at the base of your scalp. Tip: if you find your braid undoes itself, secure it separately before combining it with the rest of your hair. Once you pull all your hair back, then remove the band securing the braid for a consistent look without having your braid come undone!