Unhealthy hair is a detriment to beauty and because it looks limp, oily and damaged. Healthy hair is the opposite and results in life, volume and shine. Proper hair care requires keeping the body healthy, appropriate methods of washing and conditioning the hair and careful styling to avoid damaging the hair.
- Eat a healthy diet. Beautiful hair starts with a healthy body, which requires proper nutrition. Eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole grains will not only make the body healthier, but will prevent limp hair. Nutrient deficiencies which occur when the body does not have enough vitamins and minerals result in limp, lifeless and dull hair.
- Wet the hair completely and use only about a quarter sized amount of shampoo when washing the hair. More shampoo does not mean the hair is cleaner. Instead, too much shampoo strips the hair of necessary oils or does not rinse out completely. For most hair, a small dollop of shampoo is enough. Longer hair should use a little more shampoo.
- Wash the hair every other day. Anyone who does not have naturally oily hair should only shampoo every other day because shampooing removes natural oils. Removing the natural oil from hair makes it unmanageable and results in styling problems. Anyone who has naturally oily hair should shampoo every day to prevent oil build up.
- Wash and rinse hair in cool water or lukewarm water rather than hot water. Hot water dries out the hair and causes damage that makes it easier to break. Breakages in the hair result in frizzy fly-away strands. Using lukewarm or cool water will seal moisture into the hair while also preventing damage from the heat.
Towel hair dry until it is damp rather than wet. Comb out any tangles rather than brushing while it is wet to avoid breaking the hair shafts and then blow dry hair on low heat. Waiting to blow dry hair until after it is toweled dry and has less water will save time while also minimizing heat damage. Low heat might take a little longer to dry, but it is also better for hair health. If time permits, allowing hair to air dry rather than blow drying is the best damage prevention.
