By Everyone strives to have hair that looks like it’s straight out of a Pantene ad. Unfortunately, your life is not a commercial, and waking up with a messy bun is just how life works.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways we can kick start our journey to healthy hair that boosts our confidence.
The key is to start small. Little changes will make a world of difference. Start with the technique by which you wash your hair. I know what you’re thinking…”How hard can it be? Just lather it up and rinse.”
If only it were that easy.
Most of us will find it surprising that our typical shampoos and conditioners actually can cause more damage than benefits. The American Academy of Dermatology Association tells us to keep an eye out for any ingredients that contain sulfates and parabens.
Surprisingly, another tip for healthy hair is to be mindful of our diet. Not only does this benefit our mindset, body, and mood but having a balanced diet has dramatic benefits to our hair health as well. Since our hair is mostly made of protein, incorporating plenty of protein-filled items into our diet is crucial to the jumpstart of our hair journey. Foods like nuts, fish, eggs, and meat are all great sources of protein.
Although many of us prefer to have our beauty sleep on matching pillowcases, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology recommend that sleeping on a silk pillowcase has many benefits for our hair’s overall protection.
According to the AAD, “It protects the cuticle of your hair by reducing the amount of friction between your hair and the fabric.”
Another secret to reducing stress on strands is being mindful of how we sleep. According to Healthline, we should “sleep with our hair in a loose topknot—secured with 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.”
Also, let’s squash the myth on wash days. Many people believe that they need to wash their hair every day or when they see any sign of grease. This may be one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves.
The truth is, how often you wash your hair, simply depends on your hair type. Dhiran Mistry of David Mallett Salon in NYC explains that for people with thick hair, “daily washing can drastically dry out the hair but there are less stringent shampoos that can moisturize more than others, which is a good middle ground for shampooing daily without drying it out too much.”
Another key step to maintaining your healthy hair and making sure your hard work doesn’t go to waste is to stay away from heat. Heat dries out our hair drastically. People with thin hair are even more at risk than others for heat damage.
Understanding our hair is important to how we create a routine for taking care of it. Take a look at the texture of your hair and determine the thickness and type of strands you have (curly, wavy, straight, and coily).
Having healthy hair is not an overnight project. Patience is key to this process and sometimes we may even need a good chop for a fresh start.
