Regular Guest Blogger Danielle from the Style and Beauty Doctor has a few Beauty Resolutions as well!

Enjoy!

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It’s that time of year again! The time of year where I start poking at my belly to assess how many pounds I need to pledge to lose by spring and finally start looking at those Facebook pics where someone tagged me looking less than stellar to pick apart my appearance. To get my beauty on this year, I’ve made the following two resolutions:
1. Grow long, thick, beautiful Oprah hair.

Sure, it takes a village to get the ‘O’ primped and ready to infiltrate your television sets, but whether your hair is relaxed or natural, there are some inexpensive and easy things you can do at home to do right by your ‘do. Moisture, protein, and staying away from heat are three.

Following in the footsteps of the legions of internet hair care pros, I moisturize my hair like I’m going to be singing back-up for Ashford and Simpson. As you know, our hair can be very dry–especially when you use chemicals like permanent hair dyes and relaxers. Hair that is too dry will eventually break and there goes your growth *sigh*. Properly moisturizing your hair (particularly the ends since it’s the oldest hairs on our head) helps to avoid breakage and retain length. Daily moisturizing (I like Luster’s S-Curl Activator Moisturizer–yes, you read that correctly–because it really gives my hair the moisture it needs, and no, it won’t give you an s-curl) and weekly deep conditioning (Nexxus Humecrtress is one of my favorites) are definite musts.

Now before going all “Jermaine Jackson” with the moisturizer—make sure you also give your hair protein treatments (Phyto Specific Vital Creme Bath makes my hair super shiny and healthy, but also try Aphogee Intensive Two Minute Reconstructor or Nexxus Emergencee). Too much moisture can have a similarly negative effect on the hair that not enough moisture does. Excess moisture can make the hair too soft and weak, causing it to break as well. You’ll know your hair needs a protein treatment if when wet the hair feels “gummy” and immediately breaks when you tug on a small section. Making the right balance between moisture and protein calls for you to have a close relationship with your hair since not all hair care regimens work for everyone.

Heat on our hair can be like that one girlfriend you have who talks about you behind your back, but lends you her Gucci pumps. Limiting the amount of heat you use on your hair (in conjunction with moisture and protein treatments) will allow you to retain more length. Try letting your hair air-dry (I wash my hair at night and then wet wrap it while secured under a silk scarf as I sleep and it’s dry in the morning) or if you’re not ready to forego heat styling, go for a roller-set which helps to distribute heat evenly throughout your hair as opposed to a blow dryer. Try to limit your use of curling irons and flat irons to a bare minimum. If you wrap your hair at night after a fresh roller-set, you can keep your curls for up to a week. Or try pin curls (roll your hair like you would if you were wearing curlers and secure the roll with a bobby pin then remove the pins after some time).

Lady O says she wears braids and weaves at times to keep her real hair healthy. If you have extra disposable income and love to switch your hairstyle often, that might be the perfect option for you. Just don’t forget your real hair underneath needs moisture, protein, and several vacations from heat.

2. Get the hands of a pampered housewife.

I’ll admit it–I have ashy hands. Yes, my face will be beat to the gods, but if you look down at my hands, chances are they’ll look like I’ve been boxing with rocks. I’m a germaphobe and work a day job in an industry where shaking hands is a constant so I wash my hands about a million times a day. And then I don’t always remember to moisturize my hands. And that my friends, spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

OK—and I have another confession–I don’t always remember to remove nail polish chips from my hands. Living a busy lifestyle called for me to drop something from my routine. But in 2010, I pledge to always have a manicure. Whether it be a quick DIY or a salon manicure (like the fab lace manicure shown below created by celeb manicurist Elle), my hands will no longer look like I stuck them in a pencil sharpener.

To keep my hands super soft in 2010, at least twice a week, I vow to slather them in Vaseline and cover them with gloves overnight. I also vow to remember to moisturize them after my OCD hand-washings. And if I can’t get to a salon, I will manicure my own hands with long-lasting nail polish like the ones from the Sephora for OPI collection (shown below).

That’s it for me—beautiful hair and soft hands will definitely take me far in 2010. But what about you? What are some of your Beauty Resolutions for 2010?

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Danielle, you are hilarious! That Ashy Larry picture *killed* me. Dead.
But good beauty resolutions!
What are yours Beauty Bombshells?