Hair Care on the Go

Been around the world and I can't...

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not winter; summer! Summer time brings about fun in the sun, laying in the shade, drinking a little lemonade, traveling and hair! Summer season is not only fun season. For many summer season is travel season. 

Traveling has it's own quirks and quivers. The woes of traveling packing, forgetting things, flight delays and long TSA lines are the typical run of the mill traveling quirks. However, when it comes to hair care the woe quickly morphs into a foe. For those who love to travel or live on the go hair care my 8 tips for hair care on the go can make hair care and hair styling your friend. 

Never fear, the author of What They Don't Tell You at the Hair Salon and writer of this blog is here with 8 quick things to consider as you travel or live out of your suitcase. 

     1. Pack Light:  Not only sounds good when Erykah Badu sings it, but it will also feel good  as you get through your travels easily. Packing lights saves you time and frees your mind. Time is of the essence when you are on vacation or living to and fro. Pack light so you will not be tossing through packed items that you will never have time to change to wear or will frustrate your traveling experience. Packing light will also give you room to fit the hair care items you need for your journey.

     2. Referrals, Google reviews and social media, oh my! Prior to traveling let people know where you are going and ask them if they can refer someone who may do hair where you will be traveling to. Read their Google reviews. Do not just look at the fiver stars. Read those comments. Utilize all the social media platforms to vet the potential hair stylist or salon. While inboxing and direct messaging are nice for scheduling appointments, nothing beats getting a good consultation in person. Be sure to talk in detail with the stylist prior to service about what you want, the time and the cost.

Pack light.

     3. Inspect and Respect Images: Scrolling through images are great. Understand those are photos. Therefore, inspect and enlarge those images to look for detail. Look into the stylist feed to see they are actually getting comments, writing responses and reposting the progression and retention of their clientele. Look for images of them highlighting them doing the hair style they are posting. Scroll to see if you notice the same face twice or more. If you are looking at different images with different people all the time; buyer beware. Cross check other social medias for continuity of posting and feedback.

     4. Cost: The cost of salon services can be easily found on a salon's website. However, if the hairstylist or salon does not have a website, getting an accurate price quote varies. Most hair stylists don't post the cost of their services or quote prices over the phone because of the varying hair care and hair styling needs that sits in their chair. Price quoting is difficult. Hairstylist needs to see the condition of your scalp and hair to determine the cost. In all fairness, visit the salon to get a consultation for the true price.

Hotel hair care? Maybe.

     5. Hotel hair care: The hair care products offered in most hotels are typically not the best for those who have textured or very long hair. While the shampoo will clean your hair, it may make your hair difficult to manage. The conditioners may not soften Afro, dense heads of hair or very long hair enough to comb it. Therefore, remember to pack what you use at home. Nothing will mess up travel experience than messed up hair from using the wrong products.

     6. Kids hair and travel: If your child has textured, dense or/and very long hair, braiding it up is best. When kids travel, they want to have fun; not get their hair done. 

     7. Heat free hair care: Heat free hair styles such as braids, braid extension hair styles, wash-n-go, weaves, locs, twists and cornrows are almost perfect for travel and the hot season. Keep in mind they need to maintained as well. Follow the directions given to you by the person who styled your hair. Do not leave braided, weaved or extension hairstyles in for long periods of time. Because the scalp is a microbial habitat, leaving those kinds of styles in beyond 3 weeks can prove disastrous when removing them. Heat free hair styles are to be in lieu of actually caring or and styling your own hair on a regimented basis. 

    8. YouTube: I absolutely love YouTube. I love the free advice people upload! YouTube gives you the behind the scenes and the how-to's of what you are looking for an answer to. "YouTube is awesome for everything except teeth and hair," is my favorite saying! Do not watch YouTube for directions on how to do your hair or child's. No two heads of hair are alike, except identical twins. Watching YouTube to learn how to do something to your hair or child's hair will almost always prove to be disastrous. Instead visit your hair stylist and ask for permission to record them doing you hair and your child's hair to learn how to do your hair or your child's hair. 

There you have it. Eight simple things to consider as you have fun this summer traveling or is living out of your suitcase. And in the singing voice of Erykah Badu, "pack light."

You can purchase my book, What They Don't Tell You at the Hair Salon at www.lwrightbooks.com, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also purchase it via iBook, Kindle, Nook and Google Play Store. 

Summer Madness

You better not wet my hair!

I once came across a summer quote: "An ocean breeze puts the mind at ease." Well, it sounds pleasant, nice and relaxing, but whoever came up with that phrase was certainly unaware of just how many people are hesitant about savoring the rays of the summer sun and taking a dip in the ocean or pool all because of their hair!

Nat King Cole crooned it best in his song, “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer,” a time when people look forward to doing everything or nothing, all in the name of fun and relaxation. For many, it is a time to travel. It is also a good time to finally finish that book you have been reading, catch up on old movies, visit family, work on other projects or sit on the porch with a tall glass of lemonade or sweet tea as you curse winter. Summer usually find us throwing caution to the wind, going for some spice in our life or simply chillin’. I always say, people who take after the legendary hip hop artists, MC Lyte, Milk Dee and Giz like to chill! 

Yes, summertime is good and the living is easy, but not if you have to continuously stress about your hair. When people who are hair obsessed realize summer is fast approaching, they begin to make all kinds of commitments and plans on how this summer will be different. They come up with new rituals for their summer hair care routine. Of course, they want to have all the summer fun they can squeeze in, but fritting and fretting about their hair always seems to be a heavy cost they have to pay. Between the heat and the thought of having to go near water, people (especially women) are consumed with outright fear. For them, the very thought of having their hair in the summer heat or even in water will have them turning into Gizmo from the 1984 fantasy horror movie, Gremlins.

What is it about the summer heat and the water that scares these "Gizmo Scared Haired" people? Well, whether you recall the movie Gremlins or not, here is a little trivia. In the movie, the Gremlins were all very nice and sweet. But, there are three key things you can never do to a Gremlin. One: They cannot be in sunlight or hot lights. Two: Water for Gremlins is absolutely, positively out of the question and Three: Gremlins can have no food after midnight. Hmm, sound, familiar? Minus the no feeding after midnight part, the "Gizmo Scared Haired" people have numbers one and two in common with the Gremlins. Two out of three is not bad. So…I affectionately name people who are afraid of the sun and water during the dog days of summer after the main Gremlin character: Gizmo.

Listen up my "Gizmo Scared Haired" people! There is no need to fear the heat of the sun, or any light for that matter, when it comes to your hair. The sun is actually extremely good for hair. YES, I said that! Of course, basking in the sun does come with precautions.

Now, what are a few ways you can turn your hair into "sun friendly hair?”  Easy. The first thing is to know your hair. Then, know you, know your time, know your budget and know what makes you feel confident. 

For many, the sun poses a threat because the heat that emanates from the sun can wreak havoc on

hair, its color, style, texture and scalp. The easy resolve to contend with sun on your hair is to:

▪           Use a small amount of sunscreen on your hair and scalp.

▪           Wear a hat to protect your scalp and hair color.

▪           When wearing your wash-n-wear style, ditch the diffuser and allow the sun to dry your

curls, kinks, waves or Afro naturally. When prepped right, your hair will glisten. 

▪           For wash-n-wear hair styles, use an ample amount of your favorite styling agent to help form texture and hold the style.

▪           Leave-In Conditioners infused with proteins made of keratin, soy, wheat or quinoa ensures your hair texture will remain intact.

▪           Be sure to use the right comb. The wider the teeth on the comb, the more microscopic tears you will have in the individual strands of your hair, thus making your hair more susceptible to sun damage.

Next up for the "Gizmo Hair Scared" people is water. The first thing I want to do is assure you that you will not turn into Gizmo or a Gremlin if you get your hair wet. I also want to say for those of you who travel abroad to exotic waters, oceans, seas, lakes, private beaches and what not…please get your hair wet. You should not deny the dominant connection of your hair, scalp, body and spirit to its home—Mother Earth/Nature.

Here are the reasons why:

▪           Water from the ocean/sea is very purifying for hair and skin. 

▪           Water from the ocean/sea detoxes hair and skin.

▪           Water from the ocean/sea is rich in vitamins and minerals.

▪           Regular shampoo easily washes away the salt and residue from hair.

▪           A vinegar and water mix neutralizes mineral (salt) deposits left behind in minutes.

▪           Dipping your hair into the water feels amazing.

If you are concerned about the manageability of your hair upon getting it wet, here a few things you can do to reduce the likelihood of tangled "Gizmo Scary Hair."

▪           Braid your hair to keep it from matting.

▪           Wet your hair with tap water FIRST before getting into any body of water. Hair can only 

absorb one chemical at a time. Since tap water also has minerals, it will deposit those minerals into the hair thus reducing the likelihood of absorbing even more minerals from the ocean/sea water.

▪           Using a leave in conditioner with the right comb ensures "ouch-free" combing for Gizmo people.

Milk to the left and Giz to the right
"Top Billin'"

As you can see, the summer madness in hair care is fueled by lack of preparation and anxiety. Don't let the summer drive you mad about your hair. Like the Gremlins, all you have to do is take a few precautions before getting into the sunlight and water. If you proceed with caution, there is nothing to fear. Be wise when it comes to your hair. Be prepared. Have your hair necessities with you wherever you go. Remember: No one has hair like you. Your hair is like your fingerprint: no one else can match it. When you accept your hair’s unique fabric and do what the fabric calls for, you will be happy like the other Giz....chillin' and top billin'!