Bookworm Cottage Style

One of my goals this year is to get better at doing my hair. I have straight (slightly wavy), brown, medium-fine thickness hair that hovers between a bob and a lob depending on how recently my last haircut was. In other words, it shouldn’t be so hard! I was dealt a relatively easy hand. 

The most controversial aspect of my haircare routine is that I wash my hair every night. Most people I know who skip washes rely on dry shampoo to keep their mane looking fresh. Which in my opinion sort of defeats the purpose. If you’re going to be putting a bunch of product/dry shampoo in your hair, is regular shampoo really that much worse? I know the Instagram algorithm serves you the content you want to see, but I’ve been seeing videos from hair dressers refuting the claim that you can “train” your scalp to need fewer washes, so I don’t feel bad about it all. 

For the past several years, I’ve let my hair air dry before bed or gone to bed with damp hair in a bun. I was avoiding heat tools at all cost mostly out of laziness, but also, I thought, to protect my hair from heat damage and keep it soft and healthy. Now I’m starting to wonder if that was the wrong approach. Plus, blow drying is supposed to make your hair shinier.

So, at age 35, I am finally attempting to learn how to give my hair a blowout and find a product lineup that works for me. Here are all of the things that are going through my mind as I figure out a plan of attack. 

• Abbey Yung Method. Has anyone else gone down the Abbey Yung Method rabbit hole?  I have watched all of the instructional videos on the Abbey Yung method. While I don’t plan to follow the full method (so many products and steps to remember) I do want to experiment with applying oil to my ends 20+ minutes before shampooing, and maybe add a bond repair product or two into the mix. I like that she has lots of recommendations for drugstore products. I’d rather use something affordable while I’m in this experimental phase, before deciding if I want to upgrade to a salon quality or “cleaner” option. 
• How often to wash & style? My hair doesn’t air dry as nicely as it used to, meaning that for it to look good I really do need to attempt a blowout. My stylist is able to tame my frizz using a bit of serum and then blow drying with a round brush, so that’s the technique I’m attempting to practice at home, though it’s not coming naturally. Right now I’m leaning towards an every other day wash and blowout (because doing this every single day feels tedious), and then on day 2 pulled back (which lets be honest, has become my lazy go-to even with freshly washed hair). 
• Shark FlexStyle. Since hair styling is my achilles,  I’m really intrigued by products like the Dyson Airwrap that can basically do the work for you. After lots of research, I’m tempted to try the Shark FlexStyle. First and foremost, it is hundreds of dollars less than the Dyson Airwrap. As someone who has worn an air-dried ponytail for the better part of the last decade, it feels a bit presumptuous to spring for the most expensive styler on the market. Second, the hair dryer aspect of the tool is supposed to be better/faster on the Shark. And third, many reviewers admit that it is a worthy competitor, and some reviewers even prefer it over Dyson.
• How often to get a haircut? Nothing makes your hair look as healthy as a fresh cut. (Thank you Sarah for this reminder!!) I think I need to step up my once or twice-yearly haircut to perhaps a quarterly haircut. 
• Filtered Showerhead: This was definitely on my to-do list, but then I started reading that most filters just filter out chlorine and honestly aren’t that effective. Does anyone have one they like, or should I just wait and save up for a whole house filtration system?
• What’s working so far. On wash days, I get my hair squeaky clean with this scalp scrubber, and I still swear by the Goop G.Tox scalp scrub shampoo 1x week. The other product I’m loving is my silk pillowcase. My hair looks less frizzy after sleeping on it. Other than that, my whole routine is ready for a shakeup. Wish me luck!

Please share any/all hair tips in the comments!! Especially looking for Youtube tutorials!