A new book from New York City-based writer and artist Emily Bronson aims to help women with hair care make DIY hair care their own, from a simple DIY to an all-in-one regimen.
In “Fittings and Fading,” Bronson (whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, and more) has crafted an incredibly simple hair care ritual that will help anyone ease into the process.
The book also features a number of tips on how to incorporate the ingredients you already have in your home into your routine.
Bronson told BuzzFeed News that the book was inspired by her personal experience of starting a salon at a young age, but she says she was also inspired by what she calls the “lazy hair salon model.”
“When I was a kid, I used to be a little obsessed with hair, so I would take off my wig, I would put on my hair extensions, and I would go to the salon,” she said.
“I was the one who would have my hair done, I had my hair styled, I’d make sure that my eyebrows were done, and everything.
And I would spend hours on that.”
But when her parents gave her the chance to pursue a career in hair care, she decided that it wasn’t for her anymore.
Branson said that the first time she realized her obsession with hair wasn’t about style or makeup or the occasional manicure, it was about the quality of the hair.
“It’s not about the beauty product, but the quality and how you care for your hair,” she explained.
“And that’s what makes a hair care regimen truly personal.”
To help readers understand what hair care is like, Bronson describes a routine she developed for herself.
“My hair is my life, and it is important that I understand how to care for it,” she wrote.
“So I started a routine, starting with brushing and combing my hair.
And the first thing I did after I got the brush and comb was to wash it.
I put the towel in the sink and just washed it with warm water and a little bit of dish soap, which I’m not usually good at washing hair, but I didn’t want to be that person who doesn’t wash hair, because it makes my hair feel greasy.”
When it comes to hair care in general, Branson says that people need to learn to recognize when their hair needs to be washed, brushed, and combed, and when it’s time to put a new coat of hair on.
“You need to be able to identify when your hair needs a wash, and you need to know what you’re going to do to help your hair stay that way,” she continued.
“This is really important to me because I want my hair to stay that fresh for the rest of my life.
So the more that you know about your hair, the less likely you are to wash your hair and have it dry out.”