How will I know when my hair is fully detoxed? How long will this take?

Q: How will I know when my hair is detoxed? How long will this take?

A: 

The time it takes to complete the detox period varies greatly from person to person. For some, it could be as little as a week, but for others who have very damaged hair from the use of synthetic chemical products, the process could take much longer. During the detox, your hair may feel very funny. It is normal for it to feel sticky, dry, limp, static-y, heavy, and/or greasy. With a little patience, however, your hair should start to feel like it did when you were a kid - soft, manageable, natural. For tips on speeding up the detox process, see number 5 of our Hair Wash Instructions.

I used to use chemical relaxers in my hair. Will your Hair Wash work for me?

Q: I used to use chemical relaxers in my hair. Will your Hair Wash work for me?

A: 

Yes, given your desire to transition to completely natural hair cleansing, you could certainly use our hair wash, however, we're certain that your hair has sustained permanent damage from the relaxers, the coloring, and from the surfactant-based shampoos that you have used in the past. It is important to note that unless you have had ALL of the old, damaged hair cut off, your detox period will be longer than the average person with less chemically-treated hair. For best results, you should closely follow all of our instructions and recommendations as detailed in our Hair Wash Instructions, especially the information outlined in numbers 5 and 6.



Will the Hair Wash strip chemical dyes out of my hair?

Q: Will your Hair Wash strip chemical dyes out of my hair?

A:

We cannot provide you with a definitive response as we are not manufacturers of chemical dyes or chemical products. We cannot predict the stability of chemical dyes. We can say, however, that for the past 16 years, many people have reported to us that they regularly use our Hair Wash  on their dyed/bleached hair with excellent results.

We do not recommend the use of chemical hair dyes for a number of reasons: chemical hair dyes are toxic for the environment when they are manufactured in industrial chemical factories, unhealthy for you (and the salon workers) when they are used, pollute our waterways/drinking water, and are toxic to wildlife when such volumes of chemicals are washed down the drain into our waterways.

True, pure botanical henna powder hair coloring (often blended with indigo, walnut shells, beet powder, etc) when blended with water, black tea, or lemon juice, provides a wide range of completely natural and lovely shades of reds, coppers, browns, burgundies, mahogany, to black. It is also considerably less expensive at $10-$14 per box compared to $100+ visits to the salon. As an added bonus, when henna paste is rinsed from the hair and the used vegetable matter goes down the drain into our waterways, the henna compost provides FOOD for wildlife and microorganisms!

To learn more about totally natural botanical henna hair coloring see: http://www.te-helpmyhair.blogspot.com/search/label/hair%20dye

How can I reduce static in my hair?

Q: I love your hair wash, but I've noticed that my hair has more static since I started my detox. How can I reduce static in my hair?

A:

The majority of synthetic detergents are designed to have anti-static properties, so when you stop using detergent shampoos, you may experience some static electricity in the first few weeks. This will gradually disappear as you continue to use the mud wash.

Our advice:

1. Switch to wooden combs and brushes with natural or wooden bristles.
2. Avoid static-causing situations such as blow-drying your hair and wearing clothing made with synthetic fibers (petrochemical plastics such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, etc)
3. After washing your hair, rinse with a mixture of 1 part organic apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water.

More details may be found here: www.terressentials.com/hairhelp.html


How do I get the last bit of hair wash out of the bottle?

Q: Help! My hair wash is stuck in the bottle! Can I add water to it?

A:

As our hair-wash is made with clay, it is unavoidable that some will stick to the bottom. We would never want to add synthetic ingredients just to make it come out easier.

Our advice:

1. Store your bottle upside-down

2. Think ketchup! Hold the bottle upside-down with the cap closed. Hit the sides with your palm or tap the bottle on the counter with enough force to move the hair wash but not break the cap.

3. For cleanliness reasons, we do not recommend adding water directly to the bottle unless you are going to use the rest up in 2-3 days. If you are, add a small amount of water and shake gently to help mix the hair wash with the water.

4. If you want to add water to make application easier, squirt enough hair wash for one use into a cup and add a bit of water to the cup. We recommend using distilled water.

Will your hair wash help with dandruff and thinning hair?


Q: Will your hair wash help with dandruff and thinning hair?

A:

First, consult with a licensed medical professional to receive a diagnosis of your scalp to rule out any serious medical condition. 

As a flaking scalp may be a sign of sensitive skin/scalp, we would recommend that as your first hair wash transition step, you follow our vinegar/water rinse and deep-cleanse instructions as described in numbers 5 and 6 of our Hair Wash instructions. 

You could use the vinegar/water rinse a few times per week or after each wash to help balance your flaking scalp. We recommend using the deep cleanse at least twice per month, or more frequently as desired.  

We would recommend our Fragrance-free and/or Cool Mint Hair Wash for your hair/scalp type. For conditioning or for a soothing and moisturizing scalp massage, we recommend our Fragrance-free Super Emollient Moisturizer.

For more information:  http://www.terressentials.com/hairhelp.html