Hair Preparations for the Big Day

Healthy hair starts months before your wedding. Begin to think about and explore the various ways to wear your hair, as well as, ensure that your hair is its healthiest.

There are several things that are a must to start that journey:

1. Eat lots of veggies and fruits. It is best to have a diet high in green vegetables, like collars, kale and turnip greens. According to Wholefoods, these green veggies have high nutritional density when compared to other fruits and vegetables.

Here is a little PSA for those who already eat collards. Please leave out neckbones and cooking your greens for hours because it kills all the vitamins and nutrients. You can cook greens under 30 minutes and they will be cooked. Yes, a little crunchy, but great for the body.

2. Drink Plenty of H2o. You absolutely must irrigate your temple with fresh and vibrant liquids. Water is a life necessity, and it will be absolutely beneficial by getting into the habit of drinking as much as you can a day, even after the 6 glasses of 8 ounces. Truthfully, that is just a guestimation based on the average person's build and weight, but the heavier you are, the more water intake you should be allowing.

A benefit to water is flushing out toxins, hydrating organs, skin & hair, plus losing weight. Yes, water helps with weight regulation. And I am not talking about Vitamin Water or Crystal Light. Clear and pure water.

3. Exercise. When you move, not only are strengthening muscle, shedding fat, and making your bones more durable, but you are also creating more blood flow throughout your body, thus producing more oxygen. The better the flow, the better environment for cells to produce skin, a healthy supply of air and blood to your scalp, thus it will help grow hair.

4. Air out your weave and/or de-stress hair roots. Rapid rates of hair loss have been attributed to weaves and stress on hair lines such as tight braids and ponytails. It is absolutely necessary that you keep your hair clean, and your roots breathing. Today's weaves and wigs are available by the dozen and in so many fabulous styles, but it is coming at a cost, they are made with cheap, toxic chemicals that are causing young women to start balding.

As well, stylists who pull the hair back too tight are gradually, permanently damaging hair lines especially at the temples. Case and point, the fabulous Susan L. Taylor's hair has become a quasi-push back due to years of the same cornrows spiraling down her back.

5. Understand the importance of scalp health when achieving or maintaining hair health. Your scalp is the root to great hair. Many of us pay attention to our hair with various products and forget the ground in which it spouts. If your hair is brittle, breaking, or you have dandruff, go to the root of the problem, your scalp.

It is recommended to through away thick pomades, oils, greases, creams and sheens that rob scalps of health because they clog the pores and shafts that hair grow.

6. Create a hair care regime. Just like you have an eating, exercising and praying schedule, put a hair care regime on the list. Your scalp and hair need to be a regular pamper session.

7. Reduce stress. Living in abundant stress not only slows hair and increases weight gain and the likelihood to develop health issues, but it also causes severe hair loss. Create ways to deal with stresses in a balanced and healthy lifestyle. My suggestion, take up a long, lost hobby you loved as a child, or always wanted to do. That puts you in a place of innocent pleasure without any strings attached.

7. Love your hair. For women of color, and women with curls, we are raised in a culture that does not celebrate our hair. Many of us have been subjected to hair care treatments since we were girls that changed our natural hair because it was too unmanageable or "nappy" as our female folk would call it.

Many of us cringe at our natural hair, or our hair period, and often curse in exasperation when combing it. Face it, we got kinks, it ain't going away. Matter of fact, it is something of extraordinary beauty, that many stare at in awe.

A perfect hair day is totally loving your hair.