How I Take Care of My (New) Hair

Hello, I'm here.

Has it been a month since I went on a break? I'm currently back and omigod, so much things have been happening! I've been teaching a lot of classes and been busy with a lot of stuff. It is a lot, and even if I come home just looking forward to go to sleep, I go home super happy because I'm doing things that I love doing. So much things has happened and I try to tell friends that, "Yes, I'm alive, please see my Facebook and Instagram for updates."

Anyway, after years of sporting mermaid-length hair, I've decided to take a summery cut and get a haircut a month ago. It's been really hot and humid and sticky hair that takes forever to dry is totally not something I want.

Left: Mermaid hair. Right: New hair

I told my friend Kit that it's a process of detachment. I've forever been attached to long locks since it's low maintenance and I can always tie it in case of a bad hair day. The heat though is telling me otherwise.I thought about it for a week, but decided to just go for it one Friday night after yoga class. I went to the mall, showed the peg, closed my eyes, and stared at the girl in the mirror sporting a lob (long bob).

20 minutes into my new hair

It's still long enough for me to tie it, but it's much lighter on my neck. I still can style this and unlike the pixie cut I did years ago, this one is more low-maintenance and I can wait a few more months before I have to cut it again. It now just takes minutes to style my hair now, which is a good thing. I can just scrunch some salt spray on my hair and run a blow-dryer while twirling my hair until it's 80 percent dry letting my natural texture do its course.

If I do have a bit more time, however, I can curl my hair with a large barrel curling iron for loose waves.

Curls while hugging a kitty 

I like too that it doesn't sit on my face when I arm balance or do forward folds or make me look like I'm from a Japanese horror flick after I do a hairflip.

Even though my hair is much shorter, I should take good care of my hair, Since I also subject my hair to the heat of a blowdryer, it needs the protection and care it needs. My hairstylist friends keep heat-protecting spray or serum in their bags and I apply this to my hair before styling. This creates a barrier so my hair doesn't get fried.

It's important to rest my hair as well from products and heat styling. When I do, I use hair products and hair care that cleans and nourish my hair.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth cleans and cares for my hair. It smells really good too. This one is currently in my gym bag. If the bottles are too big, you can transfer the contents to a smaller container to fit your gym kikay kit. This leaves my hair looking decent even if I don't use my styling tools.

Inasmuch as I love my ponytails, I also give my hair a breather when sleeping and try not to tie my hair super tight that it hurts. Once a week, I apply a deep conditioning treatment to my hair just to replenish and repair it too.

My hair grows fast, so my mermaid hair will be back before you know it. It does feel good once in a while to detach myself from my comfort zone. I may keep this length for a few months and maybe color it lighter for a nice, summery feel even though it's quite rainy.

Do I miss the long hair? No, not really. I do welcome it when it comes back in a few months but as of the moment, I'm enjoying this hair now.

Henri Calayag's On-The-Go tips for Gorgeous Hair

I'm one of those girls who leave the house with wet hair most especially in my always on a rush days. On a day that I actually have time to sit down and have it dried and styled, it looks fine since I'm lucky enough to have very obedient hair. However, the towel-dried, combed, and air-dried hair always looks like a frizzy mess whatever I do.

I chatted with TRESemme's newest hair professional Henri Calayag for tips for ladies who are on-the-go and have no time to actually sit down to blow-dry their hair to perfect salon-style smoothness.

For those who have no time to blow-dry their hair, Henri recommends putting a smoothing serum or leave-on treatment on the hair when it's around 70-80 percent dry (not dripping wet). Just leave hair down and wait for it to dry or if you're taking public transportation and don't want to annoy your fellow commuters with hair, you can pull it back with a clamp or tie it in a bun or braid for more texture when you let it loose. A ponytail isn't recommended because it creates a "dent" in the hair that would be hard to comb out.

Pro-blowdrying skills are actually a skill on its own, and it took years for the most seasoned hairstylists to master the perfect blowout with just using a round brush and a dryer. For us ladies who like to DIY, we know how hard it is to blowdry our own hair, most especially the back part. Sometimes, I end up looking like a cocker spaniel when I bring all my hair to the front.

Here's a pro styling tip that I learned as well: before blow-drying, apply TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment (PHP450 for 120 mL) or TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment Spray (Php495 for 236 mL) on the hair and comb it through to distribute evenly. This would protect your hair from damage, especially if you use heat tools such as irons and curlers, since the hair would be subject to direct heat. Roughly blow-dry your hair with your blowdryer and a brush until it's 100% dry. For hair with volume and just a bit of curl at the ends, we use a very tita staple - set your hair in Velcro rollers while you do your makeup. If you want your  hair straight, proceed to straighten your hair in sections. The same goes with curling or crimping your hair.

The TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range gives you 48-hour frizz control for beautiful, smooth hair you can have at home. They also have styling products and heat-activated treatment to protect your hair from damage when heat-styling.

Styling your hair also takes a toll in your hair so it's best to take good care of it. TRESemme's Keratin Smooth has keratin-infused formula which controls frizz so you hair looks so much better. Unlike the rebonding procedures of the early 2000s, this actually helps repair and care for your hair rather than breaking the natural chemical bonds of  your hair. A friend even told me that it was the TRESemme Keratin Smooth Range that saved her hair from a horrible hair coloring procedure.

Speaking of repairing damage, Do you know that I also use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash my makeup brushes? Our makeup brushes are actually made up of animal hair. Quick-cleaning brush cleansers contain some form of alcohol, which is needed to disinfect the brushes for hygienic purposes. These also evaporate quickly, so we can use the brush right away for applying makeup. The brush strokes we do in makeup application can also damage your brushes. Notice how the older brushes are more brittle than  the newer ones? When I feel my brushes have been working extra hard, I use TRESemme shampoo and conditioner to wash them. Not only do they feel really soft on the skin, they smell really good too.

TRESemme Keratin Smooth is available in all leading department stores, groceries, and drugstores.