Curly Hair Care After Holi: Restoring and Nourishing Your Locks

I. Introduction

India is a land of festivals and one such amazing festival is the colorful holi. Holi is celebrated by applying colors to each other be it face or hair. Though the festival is full of energy and happiness, it often affects our skin and hair. Skin and hair care after holi is must orelse it can damage the hair cuticles.

Many times while playing with colors, it gets into our hair locks and gets stucked.  It is necessary to take care of the hair strands to keep the hair locks healthy and clean.

Wondering how the holi colors affect the hair? Well, many times the colors used in the holi contain harmful substances like lead and mercury, these can strip the natural oil from the hair and make them dry.

So, let’s see some of the tips for hair care after Holi and pre-Holi preparation for hair-

II. Pre-Holi Preparations for Curls

Holi colors can make our dry curls more dry, therefore it is very necessary to have pre-holi preparation-

• Oil your Hair- Oiling your curls with a mixture of oil like- Coconut oil, Olive oil and Argan oil will help to nourish and moisturize the hair cuticles. Giving your curls a coating of oil helps to reduce the effect of holi colors and makes it easy to wash your hair.

• Wrap a Scarf- Wrapping a scarf around your curls will not only protect them from direct contact of the curls, but it also looks stylish and modern. A great way to style your hair in the holi get up.

• Protective Hair Styling- I agree, that in movies we have always seen actress, keeping their hair open for the holi celebration. But let’s be practical, having a protective hair styling helps to protect your hair and keeps them tangle free.

For protective styling, you can choose any of the one from below:

Braiding

Messy Updo

Half up and Half Down

French Braiding

Chignon Bun

• Leave-in Conditioner- You can also apply leave-in conditioner to your hair strands, this will give an extra layer of protection and add moisture to the hair.

III. Hair Care After Holi- Post-Holi Cleanup

In the above section, you understood the pre-Holi preparation which needs to be done, in order to keep the curls safe. Now, it’s time to understand some post-Holi cleanup. In this we will understand, things to do after you have played the colorful Holi-

• A good cleansing- The first thing is the cleansing of the hair. This can be done by washing your colored hair by lukewarm water. A good cleansing of the hair is must, this helps to remove the colors from your hair and keep it clean.

• Cruelty-free shampoo- After the raw cleansing, now it’s time for the shampoo cleansing. It is necessary that you use cruelty-free, chemical-free, hydrating shampoo to keep the curls clean and clear.

Some of the shampoos that can be used are-

1. Nexxus Clean and Pure Clarifying Shampoo-

This lightweight, sulfate-free shampoo helps to gentle cleanse the curls and keep them nourished. The shampoo is made full of essential ingredients to keep the hair shiny and healthy.

Features-

• Sulfate-free
• Hydrating shampoo
• Infused with elastin protein and marine minerals
• Detoxes hair

2.     L’Oreal Paris Sulfate Free Shampoo Ever Pure-

The anti-frizz, lightweight shampoo is all what a curly hair needs. This shampoo is formulated to deliver hydration to the curls. It nourishes the hair and keeps them soft, smooth and manageable.

Features-

•      Nourishes hair
•      Keep curls soft, smooth and manageable
•      Hydrate the curls
•      Ligthweight

3.     SheaMoisture Curl and Shine Coconut Shampoo Coconut and Hibiscus-

This shampoo is one of the best shampoo made especially for curly hair. It gently cleanses the curls without stripping the natural oil. Helps to provide immense hydration and elasticity to the curls.

Features-

•       Nourishes dry and brittle curls.
•       Does not strip natural oil from hair
•       Chemical-free shampoo
•       Repair and add shine to hair

4.     OGX Quenching + Coconut, Curl-Defining Shampoo-

Boost your curls with this amazing curl-defining shampoo. Infused with coconut oil, the shampoo helps to hydrate and nourish the dry and brittle curls. It helps to enhance the softness in the curls and make them bouncy.

Features-

•       Sulfate-free shampoo
•       Helps to add shine to hair
•       Hydrates the hair
•       Gives smooth and bouncy curls

• Oiling- Holi colors won’t come out in just one wash, therefore after you are done cleaning with your curls, it is advised to put some oil in your hair this will help to keep the curls nourished and reduce the effect of colors.

IV. DIY Deep Conditioning Hair Mask and Detangling

A. Utilizing DIY deep conditioning treatments

Nothing better than giving your curls a treatment of DIY hair mask. DIY hair mask is very beneficial as it is made up of natural ingredients and provide immense hydration and nutrients to the hair.

Let’s check out some of the DIY deep conditioning hair masks-

1. Coconut Milk and Honey-

Both the ingredients are very hydrating and helps to provide immense moisturization to hair.

• Take 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• Add 1 tbsp. of honey in it
• Mix them properly.
  Apply it on your hair strands
• Wash it with lukewarm water after10 minutes.

2. Banana and Yogurt-

Banana helps to provide nourishment to hair and yogurt with its antibacterial property, make sure the hair is cleansed properly.

• Take 1 ripe banana and mash it
• Add ½ cup of yogurt in it.
• Mix the ingredients so that no lumps are left.
• Apply the hair mask on your strands.
• Keep it for 10 minutes and wash it off with lukewarm water.

3. Shea Butter and Argan Oil–

Shea butter is very moisturizing and hydrating ingredient, it protects the hair cuticles from getting dry and provides them immense moisturization. Argan oil known as liquid gold keeps the hair cuticles safe.

• Take 2 tbsp. of shea butter
• Mix 1 tbsp. of argan oil in it.
• Apply the mask to damp hair.
• Leave it for 45 minutes.
• Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

B. Tips for gentle detangling to prevent breakage

It is true that colors can make your hair tangled. To prevent hair breakage, it is necessary that you go for gentle detangling. Tips for gentle detangling-

• Use a wide-toothed comb to de-tangle your hair.
• Start detangling your hair from end and go all the way to the hair roots.
• Use your fingers to detangle the hair.
• Detangle your hair while you have applied the conditioner.
• Use detangling spray, to prevent hair breakage.

V. Hydration and Moisture Retention

Curly hair is always dry, the reason being the spiral structure of the hair cuticles which restricts the movement of natural oil. Sealing the moisture in the hair strands is little difficult for curly hair, as it keeps on vanishing away.

Therefore, there is a method called L.O.C. this strategy makes sure that your curls are well hydrated and moisture is sealed in the hair strands. Let’s understand more about this technique-

1. Liquid- Liquid means water. You can either start your day by using a water-based product or simply dampen your hair with water. Water is the best moisturizer for hair, as it easily penetrates the hair shaft.

II. Oil– After using the liquid, now it’s time for something heavy and that is oil. Yes, applying lightweight oil like argan oil, olive oil helps to lock the moisture in the hair strands.

• Argan oil- Known as ‘liquid gold’. It is lightweight and non-greasy.
• Olive oil- The best oil for curly hair. It is rich in antioxidant and helps to strengthen hair.
• Coconut oil- Helps to reduce protein loss from hair

III. Cream- Finally, it’s time to apply cream, to further seal the hair cuticles and make sure the curls stay soft and smooth. Creams or butter helps to prevent the moisture loss from the hair.

You might be thinking, why again and again I am talking about hydration of hair post-Holi celebration. Well, hydrating curly hair is very necessary post holi celebration for several reasons-

• The holi colors come with chemicals and metals and it is necessary to remove them. As these colors are harmful for your hair and causes drying of curls.
• Curls are meant to be frizzy. Post holi celebration it is necessary to hydrate the curls, to smoothen the hair cuticles and reduce frizz.
• A good hydration of hair reduces the chances of split ends and hair breakage.
• Hydration is also good for healthy scalp. Holi colors can cause dryness of the scalp leading to flakiness and dandruff.

VI. Nourishment of Curls from Within

A. Importance of nutrition for healthy hair

Nutrition play a very important role in keeping the hair healthy. Curls need care both from inside and outside. For the outside care, you use good shampoo and conditioner but for inside care, you need to have a good nutritious diet, as the condition of your hair is directly influenced by the diet you consume.

• Protein- Hair cells and human body cells are actually made up of this. It is necessary to include protein in your diet.

Protein-rich food:

1. Lentils
2. Legumes
3. Nuts and Seeds

• Vitamin- Vitamins like Vitamin A, B, C and D plays a major role in keeping the hair and scalp healthy.

Vitamin A- Promotes sebum production and moisturizes scalp.

Vitamin B- Helps to provide nutrients to scalp.

Vitamin C- Aids in collagen production and strengthens hair shaft

Vitamin D- Regulates hair growth cycle and prevents hair loss.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acid- Fatty acids are very important to maintain a heathy scalp and to promote a good hair growth.

Omega-3 fatty acid includes–

1. Fish
2. Salmon
3. Flaxseeds
4. Chia seeds
5. Walnuts

• Antioxidants- Consuming good amount of antioxidant helps to protect hair follicles from getting damaged.

Anti-oxidant food-

1. Berries
2. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemon
3. Spinach
4. Kale

• Hydration- Keep yourself well hydrated. Drinking good amount of water, is very beneficial for scalp and hair strands. It helps to prevent dryness and flakiness from the scalp.

VII. Consistent Maintenance and Patience

It is necessary to have a good hair care routine in order to maintain the health of curls. With consistent maintenance and patience only you can keep your curls soft, smooth and healthy.

Let’s check out some tips for good hair care routine-

• The main thing which the curls need is the good hydration. Always use hydrating and sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.

• Curls should not be washed frequently, as they are already on drier side. Wash your curls twice a week to keep them clean and clear.

• Provide deep conditioning treatment to curls once every week. It helps to improve elasticity and reduce frizz.

• Regular trimming is very necessary. It keeps the curls fresh and defined.

• Before using any hair care product, it is necessary that you understand your curl type and use the product accordingly.

• Consistency is key to good curls, you need to be consistent in your hair care routine. Always follow a good routine, like using good shampoo, using DIY hair mask and good styling technique.

• Hair care takes time; you need to be patient with it. Don’t be upset if you do not see instant result. Curls take lot of time to get soft and smooth.

• The final step is to always embrace curls. Curls have their own identity; they need to be embraced naturally. Embracing your curls in natural state gives you greater confidence and trust in your hair.

VIII Conclusion

As you celebrate the festival of colors, it is also necessary to have self-love and nurture the hair health. Hair is the most delicate part, which gets affected by slight change in environment, slight change in diet or change in hair care routine. It needs to be taken care gently and with outmost love.

Give your hair care time, indulge in deep conditioning treatment, nourishing hair masks and customized hair care routine. All these things will help to keep your curls soft, smooth and fresh.

Always remember, curls define your personality. You need to treat them with love and understand the way they respond to any hair product.      

As you celebrate the Holi festival with full joy and enthusiasm, make sure to take care of your hair post-Holi and cherish them.

How do you take care of your curls after Holi celebration?

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