14 Habits To Maintain Healthy Hair All Year Round

Our hair is prone to damage – dullness, thinning, dryness, breakage, frizz, and many others. It’s no surprise that having a healthy hair requires time and effort to keep it looking radiant and smooth.

Truly, there isn’t a secret shortcut or a glorious miracle to having a healthier hair but taking time to keep those strands strong is worth the commitment. With small twists to your regular routine, maintaining great hair can be effortless.

1. Trim Your Hair Regularly

Hair trimming aids with hair growth by removing damaged hair and split ends and promoting further hair growth from the roots. As a result, your hair becomes softer and more flexible, thereby preventing breakage.

If you have short hair, it should be trimmed every 4 to 8 weeks, while the recommended time period for trimming medium to long hair is 6 to 12 weeks.

If you don’t want to loose a lot of your hair length, ask your stylist for a “dusting,” so only the tips are snipped, which gets rid of damaged ends, but maintains the length. Or, if you wish you can also do it yourself at home with a little bit of practice. All you need is just a pair of scissors to get you started with your at-home trims.

2. Maintain A Healthy Diet

Hair is keratinized protein and protein is its building block. By consuming enough protein, the body will be able to distribute it through out the body thereby assisting hair growth. Another crucial nutrient is iron which give hair its natural sheen.

Good sources of these nutrients are:

• Fish
• Meat
• Eggs
• Beans
• Berries
• Spinach
• Avocados
• Vegetables
• along with Vitamin C and E rich foods which will help boost collagen production resulting to stronger hair strands

Lastly, drink lots of water daily. Being hydrated means having healthy skin, nails, and of course, hair.

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3. Cleanse With Shampoo And Conditioner

It is very important to shampoo your hair because it helps clean your scalp. When shampooing, massage your scalp using your fingertips and not your nails. Also, you should know the right amount of shampoo depending on your hair length.

Remember that over applying shampoo makes the hair dry by removing all the essential oils responsible for keeping your hair moisturized. Therefore, the frequency of washing your hair may vary based on its texture. Most people say once or twice a week is perfect.

Condition your hair using a high quality conditioner after shampooing to revitalize your strands with moisture. Dry your wet hair with a clean towel before applying a conditioner. Apply the conditioner with special focus on the ends of the hair and not on the roots.

4. Protect Your Hair From The Sun

UV rays from the sun damages the hair by oxidizing it until it dries out. To avoid these damages, wear a hat or a scarf. It will not only protect your hair but your scalp too! This is is the most important step towards hair care because whenever you go out, the sun and dust takes away your hair’s moisture.

5. Sleep on Silk

Change your cotton pillowcase into a silk one as it protects hair cuticles by reducing the amount of friction between your hair and the fabric. Another secret to reduce stress on strands is to sleep with your hair in a loose topknot using a silk scrunchie or try a low loose braid if you have thick or textured hair to give you more control of your strands during the night.

6. Take Care of Your Scalp

A healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp. A scalp massage with coconut oil gradually improves blood circulation in the scalp and increases the growth of good, long and strong strands of hair.

Furthermore, according to the Cleveland Clinic, an itch in the scalp could be problematic if you find it difficult to work or if itchy spots become sore. So if you’re constantly scratching your head due to dryness and itchiness, and drugstore shampoos aren’t helping, consult a doctor.

7. Handle Hair With Care

You need to handle your hair with a lot of care. Comb your hair using a brush with wide bristles. Wet hair should be combed gently because they’re fragile and prone to breakage. Brush your hair daily, preferably twice a day and do the brushing from the roots to the ends of your hair as gentle as possible.

8. Avoid Using Hot Tools

Let your wet hair dry naturally but if you really insist on using a blow-dryer, do not concentrate the highest level on your hair for a long time. Keep the dryer moving as your dry your hair. It might take a bit longer but a little more care and time will be beneficial.

In addition, if you plan to curl or straighten your hair with a hot wand or iron, it is recommended to use a protective spray beforehand.

9. Avoid Having Hot Showers

Turn down the water temperature when taking showers. It does feel amazing to take hot showers after a long day especially during wintry months, however, it doesn’t do great things for your hair. Instead, it dries and weakens your hair, irritate your scalp and washes the color out (for those with hair color). It is recommended to use lukewarm water and do a quick cold-water rinse to seal the cuticles shut, boost shine, and maintain healthy hair.

10. Stop Touching Your Hair Repeatedly

Putting your hair in a tight ponytail is one good example. Twirling your hair or picking at split ends isn’t good either because constant mild pulling on the hair follicles slowly traumatizes the hair. In a few years, you might even notice a receding hairline. So do your best to leave your hair in peace.

11. Avoid Using Hair Colors

If you’ve got dry hair then it’s best to avoid coloring your hair as hair colors are ammonia based, which is a bleaching agent and can harm your scalp and cause hair damage. It has also been seen that frequently coloring hair can increase the risk of breast cancer. But if you can’t resist it, use natural hair colors instead that are not harsh on your hair and scalp.

12. Apply Hair Oils

This is a common way of promoting healthy hair growth. It works by regulating the amount of oil produced by the oil gland in the skin of your head. The oil produced then moisturizes the hair and the scalp.

You can do this:

1. Take some almond oil, coconut oil, hair conditioner, 250 ml water and a small empty spray bottle.
2. Pour 200 ml of water in the spray bottle and add 2-3 drops of coconut and 4 to 5 almond oil to it.
3. Add two pea-sized drops of conditioner. Don’t use too much of it because it will lather.
4. You may add any nice smelling oil if you’d like such as lavender or pomegranate.
5. Add the remaining water and shake well.
6. Let the lather settle and it’s ready for use.

Also, you can apply coconut oil to your hair before shampooing or if your hair is kinky or dry, apply it when your hair is wet to seal the moisture. The oil helps the hair retain its moisture, keeping it from breakage resulting to a soft, manageable, healthy hair.

13. Use Sulfate-Free Shampoo

If you have colored hair, you should avoid shampoos containing sulfate and silicones as they will strip the color and leave behind a residue that will make your new color look dull and flat.

Basically, sulfate is the one responsible why your shampoo lathers the way it does. However, some researchers also suggest that they strip the essential oils from your hair. They’re also the reason why your eye stings when shampoo runs onto your face. Therefore when buying a shampoo, it is recommended to purchase those which are sulfate-free. Instead, incorporate those containing coconut oil, Argan oil or spirulina into your regimen.

14. Indulge in Home-Made Hair Masks

Give yourself and your hair a treat with this moisture-rich, protein-packed mask. Not only does it give life to sad hair instantly but it also infuses protein back into strands with its restorative formula rich in argan oil and shea butter to restore hair’s elasticity and rebuild its strength from the inside out.

You might also try these natural masks made from easy-to-find ingredients:

• Olive oil, coconut oil and egg which enhances hair growth. Warm 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, let it cool, add one or two eggs and two tablespoons of olive oil and apply.
• Egg, curd and mustard oil for dry hair. The protein helps strengthen the roots, the fatty acids make it a natural hair conditioner and B12 helps add volume. Mix them altogether and apply.
• Avocado and peppermint oil for making hair smoother and lustrous. Mix some mashed avocado, add a drop or two of peppermint oil and apply. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and wash off.

Conclusion

We go through a lot in order to look beautiful everyday, but little do we realize, it’s our hair that’s our crowning glory. Often times, it’s the first thing people notices about us. Also, it symbolizes femininity, health, confidence and an expression of our personality. After all, our hair is the crown we never take off!

Nourishing our hair is as important as nourishing our whole body so we’d better make sure to take care of it from roots to the ends keeping it gorgeous at all times.

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