Cartilage Piercing

It's my first week back on campus, and my second semester of college is about to begin! Over break, I kicked around the idea of getting my cartilage pierced. My parents were okay with the idea, but I was afraid of the pain so I always ended up chickening out. When I got back to campus, I was talking about it with my best friend Alyssa and she convinced me to do it. So after extensive research, I found a great place in Waco to get it done (Infamous Ink on Lake Air Dr).
I was absolutely terrified, but I can now say that it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. For any girls out there curious about cartilage piercing, I have a few tips and words of encouragement because if you're anything like me, you need all the encouragement you can get!

1. Make sure you find a place that uses a needle, NOT a gun. The gun can essentially shatter the cartilage in your ear, which can result in cauliflower ear. 
2. The best places to go are tattoo parlors. I looked like a fish out of water at the tattoo shop I went to, but the piercers know what they're doing. No offense to the girls at Claire's, but for your cartilage you definitely want someone who has tons of experience.
3. Bring a friend! Seriously, I wouldn't have gone through with it if Alyssa hadn't come with me. A friend gives you someone to talk to while the piercer is prepping you and can really help ease the nerves. 
4. As for the pain, I promise it's not bad. The piercer counted down and I expected the worst, but it was just a quick pinch followed by some pressure that's more odd feeling than painful. 
5. It'll bleed a little bit (or in my case, a lot a bit), which caused me to panic inside, but this is perfectly normal and the bleeding will be over by the time you leave the tattoo shop.
6. Follow all aftercare instructions! My piercer told me to wash it 3 times daily with soap and water then spray it with Bactine, which is available at a pharmacy such as Walgreens or CVS. This significantly reduces the risk of infection. Don't use any alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. 
7. Make sure you get it pierced on the side you don't sleep on. It'll be tender for a while and you don't want to be laying on it in your sleep.
8. Wear your hair up while you sleep. Getting your hair tangled in the back of the piercing isn't fun.
9. Don't wear any clothing that may rub against the piercing. I wore a hoodie that was tight around the neck the day I got it done and taking off the hoodie was not fun.

I hope this eases any hesitations or uneasiness anyone had about cartilage piercing! I absolutely love the way it looks and the minor pinch was certainly worth it.

Coconut Oil for Softer Hair

Hey guys! Winter break is coming to a close, and I've spent the last week shopping and experimenting with various health and beauty recipes I've found on Pinterest. Yesterday I finally got the courage to put coconut oil in my hair in an attempt to moisturize my dried out locks. I probably read through 10 different how-tos on coconut oil treatment and it took some trial and error to finally get it right. So, I thought I would share my findings with everyone!

First, I bought a jar of Organic Root Stimulator Coconut Oil at Sally's for only $5.39. Considering how little you need for each application, I thought that was a great deal!

To start out, you'll need to get your hair wet. It can be applied dry, but the oil spreads much better if your hair is wet.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so scoop out about 2 tsp of the oil and put it in a bowl. This may not seem like much, but I have pretty long hair so I tried closer to 3 tsp and found it was too much. Microwave the oil for about 30 seconds. At this point, you'll need to be ready to apply the oil pretty quickly or the oil will start to solidify.

Use your fingers to scoop out a small amount of the oil. First, massage it into your scalp. Next, use the remaining oil on the length of your hair, focusing especially on the tips. Run a wide-toothed comb through your hair to help evenly distribute the oil. Many of the how-tos I read said to massage it into the scalp then use a comb to spread the oil down the length of my hair, but I found the oil was still mostly concentrated on my scalp. It took me 5 shampoos to finally get the huge oily spots rinsed off my scalp. So, I definitely recommend only using some of the oil on your scalp and spreading the rest of it with your hands before using a comb to even it out the rest of the way.

Now, wrap your hair up in a towel or put on a shower cap. Leave the oil on for at least 30 minutes. I know of many girls who will even sleep with it in. However, I left it on for two hours before first attempting to rinse it out and I thought that was plenty of time.

After you've let it sit for at least 30 minutes, shampoo as usual. Since oil is non-polar and water is polar, water alone will not always rinse it out (there's that college education at work). I found it worked best when I used a clear shampoo, such as Suave, as opposed to my more creamy Pantene shampoo since the creamier shampoos usually contain conditioner. You won't want to condition your hair because the coconut oil already did the necessary conditioning! It may take a couple shampoos to get the oil out, but don't worry, I promise it comes out!

When I finally rinsed all the oil out, I blow-dried and straightened my hair. I thought it felt a little oily at first, but then I realized my hair was just healthy and moisturized! My incredibly curly hair straightened in minutes and feels softer than ever! I also colored my hair about 6 weeks ago. The color had started to fade, but after the treatment the color seemed a little revived.

Give it a try! Discover any tricks? Let us know in the comments!