A nice, glossy coating of... protein?

Hair and nails grow in much the same way, so I am considering yet another hair growth experiment... OK, here goes: I am using the Sally Hansen "Maximum Growth" treatment on my fingernails several times a week. I've been using it for a couple of months. It's amazing stuff -- my fingernails haven't broken in several weeks, and they are all consistently long and healthy. I looked at the fine print and it says the treatment contains silk protein. You apply it just like a clear coating of nail polish, and it gives the nails a nice little sheen while also packing them full of protein goodness.

I wonder if the same protein principle would work on hair? What would the equivalent be? Raw egg? Mayonnaise? Soy? Ground beef? Peanut butter? Beans? But wait just a minute. It did say SILK protein, right? Maybe I could wrap my hair in silk. Wonder if that would work... (Sorry, this is the kind of nuttiness I come up with at 11:53 pm). Nah, I'll stick with the proteins. I have actually heard that raw egg and mayo can be used as hair treatments. I've seen them listed with home remedies. But here's the hitch: The nail treatment stays on; it doesn't get rinsed off. I would eventually have to rinse the egg/mayo... I guess I could try leaving it on for an hour or two and then rinse it. Hopefully a beneficial amount of protein would be absorbed in that time.

Hmm...

photo update

April 2010 photo update: Yes, that's a ponytail. Yippee! And I'm so thankful to be able to do a ponytail, just in time for summer.

What a difference three millimeters can make

I had to trim my hair this week... But I only trimmed about three millimeters. And amazingly, it did the trick. The last time I had my hair cut was around Thanksgiving, so the style is long gone and the ends have been looking a little rough. So I decided to trim juuuusssst the ends and see the results. I'm happy now. I took off just enough of the ends that my hair looks healthier and has a little more bounce. It doesn't look any shorter; it looks better.

The worst part about growing hair out is the in-between stage... You've decided not to cut it but then it starts looking rough, and part of you wants to just throw it in a ponytail every day, and the other part of you wants to chop off a couple of inches. But wearing a ponytail every day is not such a good option. It can pull your hair out and, if pulled too tightly, can cause headaches. And chopping off an inch wastes about two months' worth of growth (hair typically grows about half an inch a month). So I've settled on the three-millimeters-as-needed routine. Besides, it saves money on trims... Have you ever met a hair stylist who was willing to just trim three millimeters??

P.S. Just a note about henna: My husband commented last week that he likes the henna look a lot better than the box/chemical dye look. He said the henna looks more natural. Just FYI!