I Finally Understand How to Take Care of My Hair

So I have a confession to make… I ‘ve actually never really known how to take care of my hair up until a month ago.

Thanks to my girl Cherin Choi of Nova Arts Salon in Downtown LA, was able to spend the day with her at her salon and not only did she do my hair, but she actually taught me how to take care of it and style it on my own as well. I usually end up getting my hair done by so many people that I really rely on them to style and take care of it for me. Consequently, I never learned to do it myself (and you all know how temperamental my hair is)!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I don’t have the typical pin-straight Asian girl hair- my hair is actually really coarse and thick! There’s no volume to it, it’s slightly wavy but mostly flat, and always looks frizzy. Amazingly enough, Cherin actually has the same hair texture as I do so I had her walk me through her hair routine step by step and product by product.

1.  Washing Schedule

First things first, you don’t need to wash your hair every day. With my hair texture, I can get away with washing it twice a week, but that’s always been a struggle for me. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I jump in the shower I just want to wash everything, but Cherin told me that especially with my hair texture and colored hair, it’s just not good for your hair! Over-washing can dry out your scalp and strip your hair of the natural oil that it needs.

2. Brush Your Hair in the Shower

I always assumed that brushing your hair while it’s wet will break it, but I learned that it all depends on the type of brush you’re using. This Japanese Scalp Brush totally changed my hair brushing game for me. I have it sitting in the shower and I use it to really work the shampoo and conditioner into my hair.

Since I’ve gotten better at only washing my hair 2-3 times a week, this really helps me get all the unwanted oil and residue off. It makes my hair feel fresh and my hairstyle lasts longer throughout the week. Before you brush your hair in the shower REMEMBER – it HAS TO BE THE RIGHT BRUSH.

PIN IT

3. Add Oil

I always struggled with finding hair oils that worked for me. The last thing I want is to make my hair look like a giant grease ball so I’ve stayed away until I found the perfect oil. Cherin introduced me to this oil here and it feels so light and lovely, and is packed with nutrients that help keep my hair shiny and soft without feeling weighed down.

4. Finishing Creme

In my mind, finishing cream was to only be used after styling- but Cherin informed me I should apply it right after I add the oil. You just need a dime-sized amount on your hands and then scrunch it throughout your hair. I have naturally wavy hair and I love how I’ve been able to get it dry with a little wave as opposed to super flat hair.

5. Wet Your Hair

So this tip totally changed my outlook on my hair. I like to take showers at night because it’s my alone time after the kids are in bed and because I like to sleep with my hair air dried, it becomes super frizzy once I wake up! Cherin told me to just add some water to my hair to reactivate the product and sometimes to even add a little of the oil to really wake it up and bring it back to life!

Hair by Cherin Cho (@salsalhair @novaartssalon)
Photography by Karla Ticas
Blazer: Brittany Xavier x INSPR