Do you wish you could just wake up with sleek and shiny hair that requires nearly no styling? The idea of having healthy luscious hair is the dream of many people. While there’s no miracle cure or method, and you’re bound to reach for the nearest dry shampoo in the morning to make the curls from 2 days ago last one more day, having your so-called ‘dream hair’ is (relatively) achievable. Like your skin or nails, your hair is a reflection of your overall health and necessitates regular maintenance. Over time, through the implementation of small daily and weekly habits (and product swaps), you will be able to make positive strides toward the hair you’ve always desired.
There’s much more to healthy hair than just using the right shampoo and hair products. Scores of factors affect how sleek, shiny, and strong your hair is. Some of it we can attribute to genetics—you have to work with the locks you got—but a lot depends on how well you care for your hair and scalp. Keeping your hair healthy doesn’t have to be expensive or incredibly time-consuming; it just needs to be a priority for you. We all deserve to have fabulous-looking hair, and we all can. Here are 8 healthy hair habits to add to your routine to start grooming that mane to perfection.
Brush your hair before you wash
Most people assume they should comb hair after washing it, but in fact the best way to ensure tangle-free hair is to brush out knots before even getting in the shower. Your hair is a lot weaker when it’s wet so removing any tangles before you get in the shower will help to reduce the damage. Tangled hair is also difficult to wash so it’ll make shampooing and conditioning your strands a lot easier. To prevent shower-induced snarls, give your hair a brush before hopping in. If you like to comb in the shower, apply conditioner, untangle strands with your fingers, then use a wide-toothed comb before rinsing.
Feed Your Hair
There’s no escaping it, you are what you eat and healthy hair starts from within. What you eat is so important and there are a ton of foods that are packed with hair boosting goodness you’ll want to incorporate into your diet. We’re not saying you have to become vegan, but you should try to maintain a healthy, balanced diet that includes nutrient packed fruits and veggies and drink lots of water if you want to have a healthy scalp. When it comes to learning how to keep your hair healthy, a vitamin supplement can really help strengthen your overall hair health. If your hair is not growing it could be because you are lacking essential vitamins and healthy fats in your diet. Vitamins are essential for healthy hair.
Avoid sleeping with wet hair
Essentially, the most concerning part about sleeping with your hair wet is that it leaves your hair open to damage, tangling, and splits. The main reason is that the structural integrity of hair weakens when wet, making the hair more vulnerable and prone to breakage. Along with that, there are also scalp concerns associated with sleeping with wet hair. Sleeping with wet hair can lead to a host of problems for the scalp like the growth of unwanted bacteria, fungal infections, skin irritation, and dandruff. It can create an unpleasant odor caused by the dampness of the hair mixed with natural sweat, as well as leaving hair flat and in a matted mess. For some, sleeping with wet hair may not be a cause for concern but it’s always good to be aware of these situations.
Get regular trims
In an effort to make your hair grow faster, you may be tempted to skip a trim. Some may find this counteractive to growth, but regular trims gets rid of broken and split ends that could lead to more damaged hair. Even if you want to grow your hair longer, it’s important to get your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks. You need regular haircuts to ensure that your strands stay healthy and don’t break off at the ends. Nipping damage in the bud with a trim about once every season (or as needed) will keep the hair in tip top shape.
Don’t ignore scalp
Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. Neglecting your scalp will make a huge difference to your hair health and even hair growth. A dirty scalp full of buildup can clog pores and follicles leading to greasier roots and essentially slow down healthy growth. If you’re notice dryness, itching, or any scalp issues, your hair will be affected by this so ignoring your ignoring these issues is a major no-no. It’s important to exfoliate your scalp to remove buildup and exfoliation also helps to boost blood flow to your hair follicles which boosts hair growth. Use the appropriate products for your scalp issues and incorporate a clarifying shampoo to maintain a balanced scalp as well as helping to remove buildup and dandruff.
Always use protection
This should be a general rule for life, in the same way we need to protect our skin, it’s just as important to protect our hair from the sun and heat. UV rays and pollution don’t only cause damage to your skin, they can make a huge impact on the overall condition of your hair and scalp. Adding a leave-in heat protectant with UV protection and that shields against environmental factors does wonders for your hair care routine and will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration in the long run.
Avoid too tight hairstyles
Tying your hair back consistently over time causes constant tension that will damage the follicles of your hair and can cause breakage, especially around the base of the ponytail and your hairline. As great as they look it’s important not to repeat this style everyday and only 1-2 times a week to avoid putting too much strain on your hair.They’re a lot more gentle on your hair and will help to reduce the tension so that you avoid snapping your strands.
Style Smarter
As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. When it comes to creating a healthy hair care routine, make sure you use a heat protectant to prevent hair breakage and damage. If you want to promote a healthy scalp and prevent split ends or dry hair, use heat tools sparingly. To minimize damage from heat styling, invest in professional hot tools that have ionic technology, which will infuse moisture into your hair as you style. Opt for a straightener or curling that is either solid ceramic or has ion technology as this will distribute heat onto your hair evenly, locking in your style quickly so you don’t need to run the iron continuously to get your desired look. If you do nothing else, use a heat protectant spray before you apply heat to your hair to defend against future damage. When blow drying your hair, don’t try to dry sopping wet hair. Towel dry and/or let it air dry as much as possible before you blow dry.
