How to Get Healthier, Thicker, More Voluminous Hair

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I live in Texas, bigger is better. From BBQ, to state pride and most definitely to hair. This post is about getting that Texas-sized hair. I'll leave getting that Texas-sized BBQ to a more expert grill master... 

  If you've been around this blog for a while, you might remember back in July of 2013, when I donated 10 inches of my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. 

  I was excited about my new short and sleek hair for about two weeks. My dad always used to say that the difference between a good hair cut and a bad hair cut is two weeks. I guess this saying applies to chopping all of your hair off too. By mid-August, I was missing my long hair. 
Since then, I've tried so many things to get my hair to grow, but the issue is that I wasn't getting to the root of the problem. What I really wanted wasn't necessarily longer hair, it was thicker, fuller hair, more beautiful healthy hair with more volume. I mean, check out that before photo up there... that long hair is really unhealthy, dull and just overall bleh. 
About a month ago, I decided to change up how I approached my hair care routine. I decided to focus on getting healthier, fuller hair, rather than on growing it as long as humanly possible. I also decided to shift away from volumizers, and toward protection and moisturizers!

ONE //  Women's Rogaine I picked this up at Walmart and use it as part of my daily hair routine, just to thicken up the roots a bit! The more hair, the bigger and better it will look! It works in part by lengthening the time that hair spends in its active growth phase, and by restoring the size of the miniaturized hair follicles so that they can return to producing thick, long hairs. With more follicles in the growth phase at the same time, it is possible to see improved coverage of the scalp. It should be applied once a day, and should be used morning and night. The results from the foam can be seen as soon as 3 months when used as directed. For some, it might take up to six months to see results. 
Side note: I was also really digging this list of do's, for hair care products and techniques, and don'ts on getting fuller, healthier hair. 
It can even be found at your local Walmart, right in the hair care aisle! 

TWO // I have really curly hair. Let me rephrase, I have really frizzy hair. If I don't pile in moisture by the gallon, a mess of unmanageable tangles form. I swear by the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair mask once a week. Pro Curly Tip from me to YOU: Get a shower cap and sleep in the mask! Your curls will look like brand new (and dare I say touchable even, when you wash it out in the morning). 
THREE // Back to the dry curly hair issue. I don't get dandruff, but I do get a really dry, and unbearably itchy scalp this time of year. Neutrogena T-Gel is my go to for relieving the itch.
FOUR // Whenever I straighten my hair, I always blow dry it with a HUGE round brush, and really concentrate on curling the ends to get that sassy flip. I'm a drybar fanatic, and this is a tip I learned from going to the experts. Check on this video tutorial on how to get BIG TEXAS VOLUME with the use of a round brush!   FIVE //  There are days when I'm using a blow dryer, following it up with a straight iron, then coming back in to curl it with a curling wand or iron. The things we do for beauty, I know! So I always always always use a heat protectant. The Neutrogena Triple Repair leave-in cream protects your hair from heat styling, even when your tools get over 400 degrees! I prefer the cream, because of my hair needing the extra moisture, but some people may prefer a spray. Either way, protect your locks!