Who wouldn’t want strong, shiny, healthy hair that everyone admires? In many instances, hair is a person’s crowning glory; when it’s beautiful, it can facilitate a great mood and newfound confidence. Conversely, heat styling, color changes, exposure to the elements, and more contribute to hair becoming less than glossy, dried out, or damaged. Fortunately, bringing hair back to its former amazing state does not require an expensive, high-end hair salon with products that only the best stylist can use. Instead, a few lifestyle changes can bring someone to the strong, shiny, healthy hair of their dreams.
This article gives you nine secrets to getting strong, shiny, healthy hair. They’re cheap, easy, and do not require extensive time or professional help to achieve successful results. Whether your hair is long or short or curly or straight, you can use these secrets for the hair you’ve always wanted.
Secret 1: Wash Your Hair Correctly
Washing your hair is as natural as breathing, but are you doing it in a beneficial way? Wrong products and poor techniques can strip the natural oils needed to make hair dry and more susceptible to damage and breakage. First, use the correct shampoo for your hair type. If you have an oily scalp, a clarifying shampoo may be best, while dry and damaged hair needs a moisturizing shampoo. Shampoo with sulfate only makes hair more brittle.
Washing doesn’t mean scrubbing your hair on top of your head. Fingertip your scalp and cleanse from the roots without matting your strands. This means lukewarm—not hot—as hot water dehydrates both hair and scalp, as well. And rinse—rinse for as long as necessary to ensure no remnants of shampoo and conditioner exist; any excess will cause weight on the hair which will render it looking dull when dry.
How frequently should you wash? It depends. Oily hair should wash every other day to avoid excess oil; dry or curly hair can go two to three days. But never over wash; this method strips the hair of natural oils. Creating a wash schedule allows you to ground your regimen in a wash philosophy that will be beneficial for your hair. Spend time when you wash and do it right.
Secret 2: Condition Every Time You Wash Your Hair
Conditioner is the second secret to softer hair. Conditioner seals the hair cuticle, providing moisture and maintaining more manageable hair. Not conditioning is like not having dessert; it’s not essential for survival, but it makes everything a little bit better. When you’ve finished shampooing and rinsed out your shampoo, dedicate some time to conditioner that suits your hair type and focus on the mid-shafts to ends, where hair is dehydrated 95% of the time. Do not condition on the roots. If your roots are oily, they should be; if your roots aren’t oily, they should be by now. Conditioning on the scalp will only lead to greasy ends and/or buildup.
Conditioners should be kept in the hair for a few moments before rinsing out to allow penetration. For those with majorly dry or damaged hair, consider leave-in conditioners for additional hydration. You don’t need to break the bank either—drugstore conditioners have just as good potential as long as they’re made with your needs. Conditioning every day will render softer hair and less frizz while avoiding split ends down the line. Make every excuse in the world to condition because it’s essential.
Secret 3: Be Gentle When Your Hair Is Wet
Hair is fragile when it’s wet and needs special care. For instance, do not rub your hair after you get out of the shower. Rubbing creates friction that brings unwanted frizz and breakage. Squeeze water out with your hands and pat down your hair instead. Using an old t-shirt as a drying tool is a good idea since it’s smoother than towel cloth, which can agitate the hair cuticle.
Another thing not to do is brush wet hair. Hair stretches easily when it’s wet and snaps, and in addition, if you’re using a regular brush (which has many bristles), it creates more tension. If you must detangle wet strands, use a wide-tooth comb and only from the bottom, up, to alleviate pulling. Treating hair gently when it’s wet prevents so much unwanted damage and keeps strands healthy and strong, which is an easy adjustment to make that pays off in the long run.
Secret 4: Minimize Heat Styling
Hair dryers, flat irons and curling wands give you that salon styled look from the comforts of home, yet constant usage can dry out and damage your strands. Using heat to style pulls moisture from the hair, reducing its integrity, which results in breakage as well as split ends. Thus, whenever you can, you should air dry your hair. But if you must use heated styling tools, always apply a protective spray or serum first to ensure there’s a barrier between your hair and the heat.
Furthermore, always opt for low or medium temperatures instead of high; most styes do not require that much heat. Give your hair a break from heat styling a few days a week—even letting it be in braids and buns or in air dried waves give your hair a chance to breathe. For hair dryers, keep them at least six inches away from your head and move them around so one section doesn’t get scorched. Less heat equals more moisture retention.
Secret 5: Trim Your Hair Regularly
Split ends are the enemy of good hair. They cause fraying strands and prevent hair from growing longer as it keeps breaking off at the ends. Thus, getting regular trims every 8 to 12 weeks ensures you have healthy hair and you don’t need to cut a lot—just a quarter inch will eliminate split ends and help prevent them from traveling up the hair shaft.
If you’re worried about the cost of maintenance, ask for a “dusting” with your stylist—a barely-there trim that just cleans up your ends. Plus, regular maintenance promotes thicker, healthier hair, so even if you aren’t cutting that much, it’s good to go. For those on a budget, you can learn how to do it yourself at home with shears—but make sure they’re sharp and you only take tiny bits at a time. Regular maintenance is like a shortcut to good health.
Secret 6: Eat For Healthy Hair
What you put in your body affects your hair just as much as it affects your skin or your energy levels. Your hair needs nutrients to help it grow properly and with vibrance. It is important that you eat protein-heavy meals because hair is made from a protein called keratin. Your meals should consist of eggs, chicken, fish, beans, or nuts. In addition, healthy fats are good for good scalp function and therefore, shiny hair—these consist of avocados, olive oil, and salmon.
In addition, iron, and zinc are crucial for promoting proper hair growth, so ensure you’re eating spinach, lentils, or lean beef. Don’t forget about produce—fruits and vegetables contain vitamins C and E (think oranges, berries, sweet potatoes) that help promote hairs’ strength. Finally, drink plenty of water; otherwise, your hair will look drab and dry. This doesn’t mean you have to change your entire diet; just be aware of how to create a balance of nutrients within the foods you normally eat so your hair has what it needs.
Secret 7: Keep Hair Safe from the Outside World
The elements can be harsh on hair. The sun can dry it out, the wind can tangle it, and cities are full of pollution that lands on hair as grime, reducing shine. Hats help protect hair from the sun when outdoors for long periods, and loosely tied ponytails and braids keep hair from getting tangled in the wind.
If you’re in a pool or the ocean, chlorine, and salt water can damage otherwise healthy hair. Wetting your hair before entering potential exposure points help prevent chlorine and salt absorption, and natural leave-in conditioners can help coat the cuticle to protect it. The less exposure, the better, so always rinse-out afterward.
Secret 8: Masks Help
Masks are like deep conditioners that add moisture and nutrients making hair softer and shinier. You can buy them or create DIY masks with products like coconut oil and honey or avocado. Be sure to focus on the ends, and for plastic store-bought, keep on masks, leave them for 10-20 minutes before rinsing.
If your hair is super dry or damaged, a mask can help. Take half an avocado, mash it with a tablespoon of olive oil, and apply it in your hair wrapped up in a towel for fifteen minutes. Rinse it out, and your hair will feel soft and revitalized. Just don’t go overboard—a mask too frequently will leave your hair greasy and heavy. Once a week to moisturize should be fine without any buildup-related concerns.
Secret 9: Brush Your Hair Correctly
Brushing your hair is straightforward, yet brushing incorrectly can cause breakage and frizz. Make sure you have the right brush for your hair needs; paddle brushes are good for straight hair, while wide-tooth combs are better for curly/thicker textures. Always brush from the bottom up to prevent tugging on knots; this is especially true for curly hair, which gets knotted a little bit more easily.
Don’t brush excessively; brushing too much can undo what you’ve done and make your hair look greasy. A quick brush in the morning and before bed helps to distribute oils from your scalp that can help keep shiny. If you constantly find yourself with knots, try a quality detangler to help you out. Best brushing practices keep hair looking smooth without damage.
Conclusion
Beautiful, strong, shiny, healthy hair is not that difficult to attain and is inexpensive. All it takes are these nine simple secrets proper wash technique, conditioning every wash, treating gently while wet, minimizing heat styling, regular trims, healthy diet and exercise, protection from sun and chlorine, masked treatment, proper brushing—and little effort on your part to achieve the hair of your dreams. These tips are universal across hair type and can be naturally inserted into your everyday routine.
Start on small scale with one or two and go from there. For instance, this week you can condition every time when you wash or go get a trim and cut back on heat styling. Minimally changes make for maximum results and before you know it, you’re on your way to stronger, shinier, healthier hair. There’s nothing standing in your way to achieving the hair of your dreams! Start today by picking just one of these secrets to implement into your routine and watch for a transformation before your very eyes! You can do it!