Everyday styling, washing and abuse of your hair can leave it looking dull and dry. Even products that claim to be gentle can ravage your hair when used improperly. For the best-looking hair, make healthy hair techniques habits. Most healthy hair techniques don't need special and expensive products that promise to repair damaged hair. Instead, the best line of defense is to ensure you care for your hair to avoid damage in the first place.
Step 1
Swap your regular shampoo for something gentler. Typical shampoos use sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, a chemical that creates the sudsing effect that makes you feel clean. But using an SLS-based shampoo too often strips your hair of natural oils, which can leave it looking dry and dull, or excessively oily as your oil glands make up for the loss. Hair Loss Buddy notes that SLS can also damage the hair follicles. Switch to an SLS-free shampoo, or wash less often to restore you hair's natural balance, recommends Cosmopolitan magazine.
Step 2
Style your hair less often. You might be a slave to your flat iron, but using heated styling tools and styling aids is damaging to your hair. If you want to have healthy hair, see your hairstylist and ask for a low-maintenance cut that doesn't need styling to look polished and attractive. A little wax or serum is all most shorter cuts need to look presentable. If you must style your hair with heated styling tools, do so with care. When using a blow dryer, only blow dry until your hair is 80 percent dry to avoid scorching, Irene Meikle, international artistic director of hair-care company Graham Webb, tells Marie Claire magazine. Never use a flat iron until your hair has dried completely.
Step 3
Condition your hair daily as part of your regular hair routine. Deep conditioning, where you allow a conditioner to rest on your hair for a longer period of time, can be done weekly to infuse moisture into your hair. The result is hair that is shinier and easier to manage. Most drug stores have deep conditioners for purchase, but you can make your own by combining a small jar of mayonnaise with half of a mashed avocado, according to PioneerThinking.com. Mix well and apply to dry hair. Wrap your hair in plastic to seal in a moisture, and wait 30 minutes before rinsing and washing as usual.
Step 4
Call your hairstylist for regular trims. Despite what shampoo and conditioner commercials tell you, once hair has split it cannot be fused or repaired back together. When hair splits, it can only continue to split higher, compromising the rest of the hair shaft. For the healthiest hair, regular trims cut away the split ends so the rest of your hair looks shiny and healthy, without the risk of further splitting.
Things You'll Need
- Sodium-lauryl-sulfate-free shampoo
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
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