No matter how great an outfit, bad hair can often ruin your mood. Especially if you are living in a city, hair can be temperamental — between pollution, poor water and changes in temperature, extra steps towards looking after your hair can lead to a happier and healthier you.
Regardless of your hair type, here are five simple ways you can achieve the level of hair care you deserve.
Don’t over apply heat on hair
Whilst this can apply to temperature, I’m talking more about various contraptions used to style hair. Especially if you have unruly curly hair, you may have developed an unhealthy and overly dependent relationship with your diffused. The same can be said for straighteners, or hairdryers.
Whilst these machines seem to make all the difference to your hair, using them regularly not only burns the hair but can leave long-term damage on the scalp, increasing its sensitivity and making it prone to spots. To avoid this, try and use heat less, and when you do, use a heat-resistant mousse beforehand, which will also make your hair looking shinier and less frizzy.
Only apply conditioner to the tips of the hair
After shampooing, conditioner should be used. Unlike shampoo, conditioner should only be applied to the tips of the hair, and not the scalp or length of the hair. Applying conditioner to the whole head can make the hair limp and oily. However, if you have thick hair sometimes a very small amount of conditioner to the roots can help the hair to relax.
Wash oily hair more frequently
If you have straight, sleek hair, it is highly advised to wash your hair more regularly, as how often you wash your hair should be dependent upon how much oil your scalp produces. Similarly, if you see flakes in your hair, that means you are not shampooing or washing hair thoroughly enough, and as protection against dandruff it is advisable to wash the hair once a day. On the other hand, if you have thick or chemically treated hair, your hair is likely to be drier which means washing it less frequently will do it the world of good.
Perfect your brushing technique
Whilst those with curly hair may be traumatised by childhood memories of your mother raking a brush through your hair, it is healthier to avoid a matted mane. Being gentle is key, as brushing the hair too vigorously causes split ends. Brushing the roots can also cause damage, so it is advised to brush from the bottom and work up. Wetter hair is also more susceptible to breakage, so it is better to brush hair when dry and invest in a wide-tooth comb for wilder hair.
Use sulfate-free shampoo
Often when looking at the back of shampoo bottles, the long paragraphs of anonymous chemicals can leave one uneasy about what the product will actually do for your hair. The worst culprit is sulfate as is strips the hair of its natural moisture and leaves it dull and coarse. Invest in a sulfate-free shampoo to retain moisture, especially if you have curly or thick hair.
