How-to Restore Post-Holiday Hair

By Leili, Hair Care Contributor

Leili is a 19-year old New Yorker who is obsessed with beauty, chocolate, and celebrity of the trashiest kind. Her drawers look like the stockroom of a hair salon! She’s currently enrolled in her second year of college but still trying to decide on her major. When she’s not worrying about that, she’s either at home with a good book, baking scrumptious goodies for her family, or exploring new restaurants with her friends. Check out her blog, Materialistic Musings!

Photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto

How-to Restore Post-Holiday Hair

While the festive party season brings happy memories, gifts given and received, it also leaves us with a few less-than-desirable things, like thunder thighs and damaged hair! Most people hit the gym or start a diet to help them get back to their pre-holiday lifestyles, and there’s no reason that shouldn’t hold true for your hair as well. Here are my favorite products and tips to help you get lovely, lustrous and healthy locks:

Get a haircut.   Though it seems obvious, it’s really important to get a regular haircut.  For those afraid of hairdressers: there is simply no better cure for dry, damaged hair like a haircut—it’s really something that no other supposed miracle product can fake. The start of the new year is a great time to try out a new hairstyle, but if you’re not willing to take the plunge, simply ask for a trim. I know a lot of people try to grow out their hair and hate to lose any length, but those locks really won’t be healthy until you’ve had the damaged ends snipped off. There’s really no better feeling like bouncing out of the salon with the lightness of a fresh cut styled in a fabulous blow out!

If you’re not going to the salon, or even if you are, hair masks and deep conditioning treatments are something to think about for restoring moisture. While there are numerous hair masks on the market today, Davines Nou Nou Nourishing Repairing Mask ($25.20) is one of my favorites. The Italian brand can be a little hard to find, and it’s not the most pleasant-smelling (think sharp, mustard greens), but it works like nothing else. For a more intense treatment, I like to apply this to damp hair in the shower, clip it up, and then sleep with it in overnight with a towel draped over my pillow. It might be slightly uncomfortable to do but nothing gives my hair such moisture and shine.

Swap your leave-in product for an oil.  The consistency of each would lead you to believe that the cream is more hydrating, but I’ve found the oils to be much more moisturizing. These have really become popular in the last few years, and there are tons available at all different price points. My favorite, however, is the Maybach of hair oils:  Shu Uemura Essence Absolue ($65). Of course, you do not need to spend the money on this particular one, as most hair oils deliver that terrific dose of intense moisture, shine, and anti-frizz power. They’re also terrific for using as a treatment–just run a few more pumps of the product into dry hair and let it sit for a while before washing it out (I recommend shampooing twice—these oils are no joke). If you are going to use an oil in this way, however, I would suggest using a higher quality one as I’ve found that the ones available at drugstores don’t work well for this purpose.

A product designed for your ends. They’re absolutely essential for those looking to revive or prolong the health of their tips. They are the most vulnerable to dryness and damage, so they’re definitely worth looking after. If they’ve split already, you’ve gone past the point of no return, so go and get them trimmed off! But for preventative measures, I like the Bed Head Ego Boost ($15.50), but there are a lot of similar ones out there on the market. They even make some that are supposed to hide the look of split ends, but we’re going for health here, not the appearance of it.