We all want shiny, beautiful hair. Unfortunately, in our quest for the perfect ‘do, we often do a lot to damage and strain our hair instead. The key to beautiful hair is health! There are many things that you can do to nurture your hair and protect it from daily damage. Follow these everyday habits in order to get your best hair:
Be Careful of Heat
Healthy and shiny hair is only possible when the hair cuticle is in good shape. The cuticle is the protective outer layer of your hair follicles. However, when these cuticles are damaged (which often happens as a result of excess heat and styling, or products that strip your hair) then you’ll find your hair getting dull, dry, and difficult to work with.
Unfortunately, there are many times when our hair is exposed to extreme heat. Blow dryers, curlers, flatirons, and even steaming water in the shower can all cause undue damage to our hair’s cuticle. Avoid exposure to heat, and use a heat guard spray whenever possible.
Fuel Healthy Hair
Sometimes, your hair needs a little extra boost in order to stay healthy. Protein-building shampoo, high-quality hair masques, and deep condition treatments will do wonders, especially if you color your hair.
Speaking of fueling your hair, don’t forget nutrition! Good proteins and fatty acids found in flaxseed, salmon, and walnuts will help to preserve the protective cuticle layer on your hair and stimulate growth.
Be Kind
There are many things we do to physically damage our hair. For example, how often do you extract a difficult rubber band, ripping and stretching strands of hair in the process? When your hair is wet from the shower, and at its most vulnerable, how do you treat it? Instead of vigorously rubbing it with a towel to dry, pat excess moisture away and then let it air-dry. And always be extremely careful when you brush wet hair. Use the proper brush and don’t stretch out strands of hair.
Limit Washings
It feels great to have freshly-cleaned hair. But it’s not always what’s best for your locks. Especially if you use cheap, harsh shampoos, you’re stripping away natural protection for your hair each time you clean. The oils produced by our scalp are meant to naturally guard and moisturize hair. Additionally, each time you get your hair soaked it can damage cuticles as your follicles expand from within and cause strain on the hair’s structure. So skip a day here and there and look into dry shampoos instead. (Bonus: it’s often easier to do fun hairstyles with second-day, dry-shampood hair.)
Brush More
You can better distribute the oils in your hair (taking oils from a greasy scalp to the thirsty tips) by brushing more frequently – carefully, of course, starting from the bottom and working up once you’ve gotten rid of all the tangles. Many professional hair stylists recommend thoroughly brushing hair twice a day for about a minute. Well-brushed hair will look shinier, and resist tangles better.
