A Report on My Year of Hair
Early in 2024, I deemed it my “Year of Hair.”
I’ve struggled with my hair for years and felt unhappy about how thin and flat it was.
Last year, I was finally ready to spend some time trying new products and techniques and figuring out how to get my hair looking good at least most of the time.
And I feel like it was a big success!
Here are the things that worked best for me:
PUREOLOGY SHAMPOO
I switched to this shampoo probably 8 years ago and absolutely loved it. Then I ran out of as we moved and for the next several years, I hopped around between brands, all of which were good, but none of which I loved so much that I felt loyal for life. In January, I finally ordered a new bottle of Pureology and it’s felt so good to be back. It also lets me go more than a week between washes, which I’d been struggling to do for the last few years. (I don’t have strong feelings about conditioner – I use this one and it does the job).
BONDI BOOST HEAT PROTECTANT SPRAY
I’ve been using this for a couple of years and have been really happy with it. I put this on pretty much every day if I’m using any hot tools. I let my hair air dry when I wash it if at all possible and then go a few days of straight hair before I start curling it.
VERB GHOST OIL
My hair gets pretty dry in the winter especially and this oil does a great job keeping it less frizzy and staticky without making it oily.
NAVY DRY TEXTURE SPRAY
This stuff is expensive but dang if it doesn’t do the job. It does what I was always trying to get dry shampoo to do for me but a thousand times better. I’m hooked on this for adding lift and texture to my hair – it really helps me go longer between washes too because my hair isn’t lying so flat against my scalp.
HAIR DRYER BRUSH
I try to let my hair air dry as much as possible on wash day, but if I need to speed things up, I give it a little help with this blow dryer brush (plus it’s helpful for adding a little extra volume at the roots). I’ve had this for several years and it’s been great.
VOLOOM ROOTIE VOLUMIZING HAIR IRON
When I talked about how flat my hair is on Instagram, someone sent me a reel from Cake by Courtney about this volumizing hair iron and after a month or so of waffling about it, I finally ordered it and I was hooked from day one. It’s super easy to use and in a couple of minutes every few days, my hair no longer looks so so flat. I’m sold! I use it usually twice a week.
L’ANGE 1 INCH CURLING IRON
I bought this probably 6 or 7 years ago and I’ve been very happy with it. I use it every time I curl my hair (it’s the only curling iron I use!) – usually I wear my hair straight for a few days after I wash my hair and then curl it for 4-5 days before I wash it again.
MARY RUTH’S HAIR GROWTH LIQUID VITAMINS
I started taking their regular liquid multivitamin at the beginning of the year and then switched to their Hair Growth multivitamin. I figure if I’m taking a multivitamin anyway, I might as well use one that’s specifically for hair growth. Plus, I like the flavor of this one better than the regular one. My affiliate code for their site or Amazon is MROJANSSEN.
ARMRA colostrum I started taking this colostrum in the fall and I cannot BELIEVE how long my hair has gotten. Even better, I feel like my hair is staying thicker at the ends rather than tapering off and getting thin and sad at the end. I’m floored by how good it is (and I stopped taking a separate probiotic too, which has been nice to streamline things). I take four scoops of this every morning (the scoops are tiny!) in a glass of water and drink it with my breakfast. I’ve tried the flavored kind too and I STRONGLY prefer the unflavored one. My code is JANSSENBRADSHAW.
Any other questions about my year of hair? I’m definitely not an expert but it has been great to solve some of my pain points!
You have beautiful long hair but it looks like a lot to manage – no wonder you go a week or more between shampoos! I’m curious if you get regular trims to help with movement or what suggestions your hairdresser has for your hair? I use the same Pureology hydrate shampoo as you do and love it, but it is for medium/thick hair, which I have. I wonder if their hydrate sheer shampoo would be a better option for you and a little lighter. They also make a volume shampoo. Maybe another shampoo in their line would be even better for your fine hair? Have you ever tried a clarifying shampoo once a month? To remove all of the product buildup from all the various products you use on your hair? It has been a game changer for me. I’ve tried a bunch over the years and they really clean the hair and restore tons of volume for me. I recently bought the Goop G.Tox. It’s a Himalayan salt scrub shampoo and is so fantastic and luxurious. I wish I could use it every day because my hair looks and feels so amazing when I use it, but it is not an everyday shampoo but rather a clarifying one. Check it out. It’s pricey but a little goes a long way.