Beauty & Style
Habits of people with healthy hair
Having healthy hair that goes the distance is about much more than what you wash (or don’t wash) it with. There are a number of key factors involved in the production and maintenance of a glorious head of lush locks. Fortunately, having the knowledge of what makes strong and shiny has allowed us to work out a regime for optimum hair health. These 11 habits are universally shared by the healthy haired amongst us. Try them for yourself to see great results with a few small tweaks to your regime.
- Regular haircuts – Having a trim every six to eight weeks ensures minimal split ends and can curb hair breakage in its tracks.
- Take a styling holiday – Your hair really does put up with a lot. Heat styling, thick applications of product, colour treatments. It’s a wonder it stays as happy as it does. Giving your tresses a few days off every week allows follicles to recuperate and regenerate.
- Don’t forget the scalp – Good hair needs a healthy scalp. If you’re suffering from itching or dry patches, consult your hairdresser, or doctor, as you may need a medicated shampoo or treatment product to help.
- Eat healthy – The better your diet, the better your skin and hair will look. Ensuring you’re eating balanced meals and plenty of protein gives your hair the best chance at thriving.
- Protect before perfecting – When you heat style your hair, you should always use a thermal protective spray. Spritzed onto damp hair, these formulations coat hair against heat damage and usually ensure a smoother, shinier result.
- Masks aren’t just for your face – Applying a deep conditioning mask to your hair on a weekly basis is a great way to bump up hydration levels and correct any damage. Your local pharmacy will have a great selection of products to cure a whole range of ailments.
- Be sunwise – The sun takes its toll on your hair just as much as it does your skin. Applying a heat protectant product and wearing a hat are essential, especially during summer, to protect your scalp and tresses.
- Turn down the temperature – Just like hot styling tools, a very hot shower can also damage hair and make colour fade faster. Try keeping water warm as opposed to hot and wear a shower cap on the days you don’t need to wash your hair.
- Go hands free – Constantly touching or pulling at your hair, especially over a long time period, can slowly traumatize your follicles, which can lead to splitting, breakage and even a receding hairline! Try not to play with your hair or pull it back too tightly when possible.
- Brush up on your brushing technique – There’s a ‘right’ way and a ‘wrong’ way to brush your hair it seems! Brushing more than once a day and using a bristle (as opposed to plastic) brush can do more harm than good. Try brushing once of a morning as gently as possible with a plastic bristled brush that doesn’t pull too much on the hair.
- Update your products – While you technically can use the same shampoo, conditioner and styling products for years on end, switching with the seasons is a great strategy for healthy hair. Your hair has different needs in summer to winter and employing a specific range that targets those seasons and associated concerns will ensure long-term health and vitality.
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The haircut that will take 10 years off