Reader Request Week: Elle's Hair Routine

Welcome to Reader Request Week! In honor of my 2 year blogiversary (thanks for the sweetest wishes ever!), I asked what YOU wanted to see on the blog. I took those topics and made them into a week's worth of posts. Enjoy!

PS: If there's something you'd like to see, or a beauty question you'd like answered, OR general questions about me, let me know below!

The number question I get asked is about my hair. I consider this awesome because (a) my hair is the one physical thing I like about myself (b) it's the one thing I will spend money on! So let's get into my hair routine:

Dye & Cut:

• I had my first grey hair at 20, so I get my hair dyed (sometimes by me) its natural color. In the spring/summer, I do very natural highlights. I try to stretch out the dying process as long as possible to save money.
• I get it trimmed every other hair appointment, so maybe every couple of months or so. My hair grows fast, and I've had it all lengths. Right now, I'm loving it longer, with face-framing layers, since I feel there's only so many years I can rock hair. I'm not young, ya know!

Wash & Condition:

• My hair texture is wiry, slightly wavy, and dry. Since it's so dry, I wash it once or twice a week. I know that sounds gross to most people, but it dries my out hair and makes it frizzy. It rarely gets greasy and I've trained it to be this way. All of this, of course, depends on the time of year and activities. If I'm at the beach, for example, I've gotta wash my hair every day.
• I use a shampoo for colored hair. Today I'm using L'Oreal Ever Pure.
• I almost always use Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. It smells so good & it works for me always.
• Every other shampoo, or if my hair has been exposed to a lot of heat, I'll use a hair masque. Today it's Dove's Intensive. Repair Deep Repairing Mask. I use natural products too. Check out my past hair masques here, here, here, and here...coconut oil is a fave too.

Wet Hair Care:

• I brush my hair before getting in the shower. I also keep a comb in the shower to comb through the conditioner/deep conditioner/masque.
• Once I'm finished, I gently squeeze out excess water and put my hair in a towel or air dry for about 20 minutes.
• Then I apply Sunsilk's Straighten Up--they don't make this anymore), but it smells and works great. It also has heat protectant in it. 
• I comb it through and let my hair air dry, preferably over night. Never use a brush on wet hair.

Dry Hair Care:

• I try not to do two heat processes in my hair in one day, but sometimes it's just not possible. I wait until my hair is 70% dry, and using the nozzle on my Hana hair dryer, I'll attempt a blow out with a big round brush. If I just randomly blow dry it, my hair will be ginormous. It takes about 30-40 minutes to do a quality blow out, 10 minutes for a quick & dirty blow dry, or 8-10 hours to dry au naturale.
• I'll spray heat protectant, like Tressame, before using a curling iron/flat iron. 
• I use a bristle brush to brush my hair, from Sally's Beauty.
• I rarely use hair spray. I don't need it. My hair will hold curl for a week, and most hairspray is alcohol-based, and anything with alcohol will frizz my hair. L'Oreal has a line of alcohol-free based hair products that I've been loving.

Other Products Used on Occasion:

• Dry Shampoo (I love Oscar Blandi, Dove, and Suave).
• Root Booster (L'Oreal alc-free, Got 2B powder)
• Hair Spray (L'Oreal alc-free, Elnett, Garnier)
• Styling Paste (Garnier Surf Wax)
• Leave In Conditioner (homemade or It's a Miracle 10)

The Quick Version:

• Wash weekly or biweekly
• Deep conditioner weekly
• Hair masque bimonthly
• Apply straightening/anti-frizz product on damp hair.
• Allow to air dry, if possible. If not, do a blow out or quick & dirty dry.
• Apply heat protectant, straighten/curl/etc and style.

Natural, no-product, air-dried hair!

Got hair questions? Need more explanation? Let me know, below!

Have you entered this week's giveaway?

Congrats to SARAH DINKLE, who won the Sneakpeeq giveaway!

I'm guesting over at OR SO SHE SAYS. Pop over!