Whether you have long hair or are in the process of trying to grow your hair out, the following hair care tips can help you have beautiful, healthy hair. If your hair isn’t quite as long or as thick as you would like it to be, you also may want to consider using hair extensions for instant length and volume.
Choose Your Brush Carefully
Brushing your hair correctly is extremely important. Typically, boar bristle brushes are the best choice. The brush should be designed in such a way that it has a smoothing effect on the shaft of the hair. Brushes that are made from natural fibers like boar bristles are excellent at reducing friction during the brushing process. As a result, the hair is less likely to get pulled or tugged on, making it possible to smooth out your hair without inadvertently pulling any hairs out of your head. A wet brush is also a great investment. The bristles on these brushes are designed to bend when they encounter tangles. This can cause far less damage to your hair.
When you start brushing your hair, begin at the ends instead of at the roots. This will allow you to work any tangles out more easily without having to pull at the roots of your hair. Avoid brushing your hair when it is wet or damp. Instead, stick with a hair pick or a wide-tooth comb to keep from stretching your hair.
Use Biweekly Moisturizing Treatments To Provide Hydration
Products that are designed to deeply hydrate the hair can help counteract any damage that is caused by heat-based styling tools. If you want, you can even make your own hydrating hair masks by using simple ingredients such as honey and coconut oil.
You can also turn to other ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. For instance, both olive oil and avocado oil are excellent at hydrating the hair since they contain large amounts of vitamin E. To use these oils on your hair, heat them up on your stove or in your microwave until they are warm to the touch. Then, apply them to your hair. Wrap a towel around your head to keep the oil from getting on everything and to hold in the heat. Wait approximately 15-20 minutes, then wash the oil out of your hair with your regular shampoo. The heat helps the oil deeply penetrate the hair shafts, providing a great deal of hydration.
Apply a Protectant When Styling Your Hair With Heat
If you are using heated styling tools such as a flat iron or a curling iron, you should always use a heat protectant. These products are designed to coat the hair shaft with a protective layer, helping to minimize heat-related damage. You can find commercially available heat protectants just about anywhere that hair care products are sold. Alternatively, you can also use certain natural oils to protect your hair. We wrote about this topic at length in the past. You can find more tips and information in those related articles.
Avoid Hair Bands That Pull On Your Hair
Rather than using rubber bands or other types of hair bands that pull on your hair, hair salons advise you opt for scrunchies or other soft hair bands that don’t cause a lot of friction and that don’t hold your hair too tight. This can prevent excess stress on the roots of your hair, helping to minimize the risk of damage.
Dry Your Hair With Smooth Fabric Rather Than A Towel
Most people who have naturally curly hair already use this technique to dry their hair, simply because it provides such great results. Instead of using a bath towel to dry your hair, opt for a smooth fabric like cotton to soak up any extra moisture. This helps keep the shaft of the hair smooth, preventing frizziness and reducing the risk of damage. If your hair tends to be on the frizzy side, this is an especially important tip. Invest in a good hair wrap or use an old t-shirt to dry your hair rather than relying on a towel.
Keep Your Hairdryer’s Heat Setting As Low As Possible
If you use extremely hot air to dry your hair, it can cause a lot of damage, leaving your hair dry and frizzy. In most cases, air drying your hair is best. If you have to dry it, however, keep the heat setting on your hairdryer as low as you can. Additionally, don’t direct the air across your hair strands. Instead, point it downward in the direction of your hair growth to help smooth the hair shafts.
Avoid placing the nozzle of the hairdryer too close to your hair. Try to maintain a distance of at least a couple of inches. This will help keep your hair from getting frizzy and from experiencing too much exposure to heat.
Don’t Wash Your Hair Too Often
If you have oily hair, it could be because you are washing it too often. Although that sounds counterintuitive, it is a relatively common problem. When you wash your hair, it washes away your body’s natural oils. In order to compensate, your scalp produces even more oil. This cycle usually leads to oily hair that is difficult to keep clean. Try to shampoo your hair no more than three times each week. In the meantime, if your hair gets oily, use a dry shampoo to help soak up any excess oil.
