Cold Showers| The Hair + Skin beauty secret you have to experience.

In case you're wondering, I'm currently on a rampage against shedding & tangles.  All of my mind powers have been allocated towards figuring out what I can do to minimize this situation.  Then I received am email early this week that triggered a reminder of one mistake I've been making which could have contributed to my troubles.

I hate cold weather with an intense passion.  I'm one of those people who enjoy the feeling of warmth on my skin.  I'm a summer baby so I think it's part of my makeup. Because of this, I kinda look forward to my warm showers which serve as one of the few moments that I get to experience heat.  The problem with all of this is the horrible consequence I experience as a result of those few minutes of enjoyment.

I've experimented with cold showers in the past and I know first hand the multitude of benefits that come with it.  When cold showers were the norm, I enjoyed smooth, hydrated skin. My skin seems to naturally retain moisture with the help of the cold water.  Not only that, my face & breasts benefited.  Let me explain..... When the cold water hits your skin, everything constricts.  Pores tighten, and blood flows in a new direction.  One of the wonderful side effects to my face was how tight everything felt.  And I don't mean dry skin tight.  I mean toned and lifted tight.  Everything seemed to firm up, including breasts.  At first I thought I was a little crazy for noticing so I searched online and learned that dipping breasts in ice water is an age old home remedy to create firmer breasts. See, I'm not crazy.

But let's talk about the real reason why we're here.  The crazy tangles and shedding which are ruining my life.  Back when I took cold showers on the regular, I developed enough courage to do cold water rinses on wash day.  If memory serves me right, doing so made an impact on my wash day shedding.  I notice that even if I detangle prior to washing.  As soon as I jump into a warm shower to rinse the conditioner, the shedding kicks up again and I pay for it during the roller set.  Since I became a wimp, I've suffered the consequences.  Not only is the shedding more than I'm comfortable with, I've also had the pleasure of having to deal with lifted cuticles thanks to the hot water. Lifted cuticles are one of  the raw ingredients needed to create tangled hair.  From now on, I want to eliminate tangled hair from the menu.

I'm so ashamed of myself for allowing temporary comfort to come in the way of the bigger picture.  So now I'm done being a wimp.  Done.  It's time to build a little mental toughness and do what I have to do.  What motivates me is knowing that I'll experience benefits almost immediately.  Plus, I realize that the feeling of having icy cold water attacking my skin is only temporary.  The body quickly reacts to the experience and works vigorously to warm the skin.  Soon the cold water becomes tolerable and, before you know it, the experience is complete.  Then you're left with smoother skin and healthier looking + feeling hair.  Not to mention the benefits to your face and body.  Hey, if Naomi Campbell and Pharrell Williams use cold water to keep them looking ageless, maybe we can consider it too!  Let's add this to our list of beauty rituals to complete while we shower.

It's worth it.

Seasonal Shedding? I'm not about that life

We've got to think on our feet and stay ahead of the game when it comes to this hair journey thing.  Right now, the only thing on my mind, is how to successfully avoid the excessive seasonal shedding as much as humanly possible.  I'm not talking about your normal, everyday shedding.  No, what I speak of is the viscous, non stop shedding that takes normally place right around the end of the year.

I look back to years past when I was plagued with an incredible amount of shedding.  Because of my relaxer touch-up schedule, I normally relax at the end of the year. So year after year, I would endure battle the shedding while having a bounty of new growth.  Shedding + New Growth = Tangles (massive ones).

Not this year though.  I think I have learned some tricks to help thwart my shedding. I intend to employ these techniques whole heatedly starting now. My focuses will be simple.  It's really all about making sure my scalp is well cared for while ensuring adequate circulation to the hair follicle.

Already, I'm noticing an increase flakes and dryness in my scalp.  This is not okay.  I see it as a sign of impending danger.  So I am taking the first step in my plan to prevent excessive shedding by increasing my water intake.  It's not as hot as it used to be and I'm noticing the need to drink lots of water is subsiding.  So I have decided to become more regimented in my water drinking.  Which means going back to having clear goals around how much water I consume.  Right now, I shoot for 2 liters or more a day.  Another reason why I'm drinking lots of water is maintain proper circulation throughout my body.  I have a sneaky suspicion that our circulation isn't as high in fall/winter season as in summertime which could be a factor in the shedding.

Another reason why I'm ramping up the water intake is because I'm constantly reminded of a conversation I had with a friend.  She told me that her stylist was always able to tell when she wasn't drinking enough water based on the condition of the scalp.  Then I think about some of the experiences shared on a forum when they challenged themselves to drink more water.  Several stated that their hair began to hold moisture better, others talked improved skin benefits, etc.  We, too, shall drink our water so we can experience all of that and more!

Along with the additional water intake, I also focusing on manual stimulation/circulation as well.  For over a month, I've challenged myself to exercise my scalp daily. This could include massages, scalp brushing, and even hair pulling.  Whatever I takes to bring more blood flow, I'm with it!  Whenever I consistently exercise my scalp, my shedding decreases. So, I'm committed to keep this up throughout the rest of the year.

A couple of other things I will keep doing is stimulating the scalp with essential oils on wash days (and more frequently if necessary).  Then I also need to make sure I drink lots of bamboo tea throughout fall and winter months.  The tea contains hair healthy nutrients that help my hair and scalp tremendously. Back in my vitamin rotation is cayenne pepper which is amazing at increasing internal circulation on so many levels.

 I've already employed these strategies and so far, so good.  I look forward to completing the fall/winter season without the paralyzing fear of having to battle unnecessary shedding.  Wish me luck.