What to do when ‘straw’ hair strikes ?
Watching the Middleton sisters with their glossy hair has made me insanely jealous! Each time I get put on another drug, my hair rebels and loses all its sheen.
So not only do I end up with dull, lifeless dry ‘straw’ hair, but have also discovered that the colour is leaching out.
Sometimes I am a good girl, and actually read those leaflets they pop into tablet boxes, telling you all the side effects you are going to have. Pfizer are possibly more honest than some drug companies, and reading the leaftlet that came with the latest batch of their pills, I realised why my hair has gone a ‘colourless’ colour.
At first I thought it was grey hairs creeping up ; but it’s not – it’s just my usual colour is going paler, and according to Pfizer this is a side effect. Heigh Ho ! – another side effect that will make my male doctors think I am complaining over nothing – again !
Oils
Hairdressers tell me that they can give me oil treatments, and when they do this does make a difference for a short time. But day in and day out this is expensive, so I have been investigating what our ancestors did. And of course they used olive oil and treated their hair at home. Which is fine, but hair tends to get in a sticky mess and leave marks everywhere.
However, there are companies that make oils for the body, and some for hair. And these make an easy-to-use treatments, which are inexpensive and easy to use – and as oils today are much lighter, they don’t leave greasy marks.
Amazon Series Acai Oil
This is made from acai berries, with long claim to fame. It’s light and a little goes a long way.
I drop a small amount on my hand, rub palms together and spread it on my hair, and it does a fantastic job of smoothing down all those fly-away split ends, without making my hair greasy.
It’s also wonderful for getting rid of frizz. I have tried several preparations, but this is by far the best.
And thanks to the photo, I now know what an Acai berry looks like – who would have guessed they have such wonderful properties ?
Elemis
This company makes a range of oils, which I had used as body oils – until one day I thought they might help my hair – and they do.
They have lots and lots of fragrances, but none of them are obtrusive, and as they are based on plants it is unlikely they will cause an reaction. But if you are worried do a patch test; spread a tiny amount on your arm and wait 24 hours.
So I still use these as body oils, but now carry the good work up and over my hair.
Kneipp
Sebastian Kneipp revolutionised naturopathic medicine in the 19th century, and became a pioneer in the field of holistic healing and teaching in Germany; today the brand he founded has a massive international cult following.
I tried out the Kneipp NaturRenew Organic Body Oil (the Germans are strong on organic products) and this is, again, something that works on my hair and my body. Very useful when packing for a weekend away.
Incidentally, being plant based and organic it must be suitable for most skin types, and because it is so light I used it as a body moisturiser when we had that hot but short summer (anyone remember that ?). It absorbed immediately, whereas some creams take time to absorb.
The range covers a huge amount of different oil products, and I love choosing ‘which one ?’ when I go into our local independent chemist.
Neom
This has been my favourite ‘pick-me-up’ this summer. I like its light fresh scent, and the oil just sinks in.
I was using this as a body oil, and lots of people commented how nice I smelt ! Then thought I would try it on my hair – and bingo ! It worked a treat.
Yes, it is fairly expensive, but my bottle has lasted and lasted, as you only need a little. A bonus is that if I use it in a warm bathroom, I don’t need room scents as my flat is filled with a subtle perfume for ages afterwards.
I am not surprised that it has been selected as best buy and won awards, and this is what I chose for the last cheering up present I gave a friend. Needless to say she was delighted and keeps on referring to it.
And it makes a lovely pick-me-up when I have to face yet another doctor’s appointment. Give the old boys a treat – I feel ! And their nurses sniff the air when I pass by !
N.B. These oils are not as strong as the oil treatments you would have in a salon, but they take seconds to apply, rather than a couple of hours. And for the cost of a salon treatment you could buy a bottle of each and have money left over !