How to get healthier, shinier, softer hair

Hair is our crowning glory, no matter what our age or gender. We all want our hair to be healthy, shiny, soft and easy to manage. Try these hair care tips to take your hair from ho-hum to looking like you just left the salon.

Avoid Heat Styling

Heated styling tools, like blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons, strip away the hair’s natural moisture and leave strands looking dull and lifeless. Allow hair to air dry and style without heat whenever possible to help maintain healthy tresses.

Styling Tools

Non-heated styling tools can also damage hair. The wrong brush or combing hair while it’s wet breaks hair and ruffles cuticles causing uncontrollable frizz and split ends. Use a natural bristle, boars hair brush for most hair textures and for thick, coarse hair use a padded brush body with metal bristles. Always comb hair with a wide-toothed comb to prevent breakage.
All elastic bands used to pull hair up should be covered with fabric to prevent breakage.

Natural Lightener

Skip chemical hair lighteners and naturally lighten hair with lemon juice. Apply the juice of one fresh squeezed lemon to just shampooed, damp hair and let soak into hair for 30 minutes. Rinse with cool water and style as usual. Apply the lemon juice after each shampoo until the desired lighter shade is attained. Apply weekly to keep the lighter hair color. The fresh lemon juice will also remove product residue from strands and leave hair shiny.

Sun Protection

Hair needs protection from the sun just like skin. The sun’s UV rays dry hair, leaving it brittle and prone to breakage. Keep hair healthy, shiny and soft by using hair care products that contain sunscreen and when spending the day at the pool or beach, apply a leave-in hair conditioner that contains sunscreen or wear a hat. If caught in a pinch in outdoor sun without a hat or sunscreen, smooth a thin coating of hand lotion that contains sunscreen to top layer of hair (this is also a quick-fix for the frizzies).

Shampoo Basics

Healthier, shiny, soft hair starts in the shower. Never use hot water for shampooing, it strips hair of moisture, color and causes frizz. Use cool water for shampooing and use the coldest water you can stand for the final hair rinse. Use a shampoo formulated for your particular hair type and always use a moisturizing conditioner after each shampoo. Apply a deep conditioners twice a month to keep tresses nourished and easy to manage.

Inside Out

Certain foods will give you healthier, shinier and softer hair by providing the body with specific nutrients that nourish the hair. Tomatoes contain tress building lycopene, avocados and coconuts contain fatty acids that promote a healthy shine and spinach will bulk up individual hair shafts, making them stronger and less prone to breakage.

Has this helped you maintain better hair? Leave a comment and let me know!!