From regularly testing out the next-big-thing hair color to my deep love for heat styling tools (beachy waves, how I adore you), hair gets a lot of daily attention from the beauty obsessed among us. Anyone who has experienced a good hair day knows the mood-boosting elements they bring. And not to sound cliche, I have to admit that healthy hair is generally happy hair. With hair that has a solid integrity, you don’t have to put in much more effort than a hair flip to make it look good. From managing your coloring schedule to watching the chemicals you’re allowing to bypass your hair shaft’s barrier, there are plenty of things you can do to rock healthy hair. I rounded up 101 tips to get you started.
1. Don’t roughly brush your hair when it’s wet. Hair is more susceptible to damage when it’s damp than when it is dry. Try using a leave in conditioner prior to brushing thru those luscious locks.
2. Not all hair brushes are created equal for every hair type. Stick to wide-tooth combs if you must detangle damp locks or boar bristles to distribute oils. The infamous Wet Brush is ideal for most hair types. Just be gentle
3. Treat your hair to a deep conditioning masque once or twice a week. Depending on the ingredients used, these products provide a rush of hydration (even more so than the average conditioner) and nutrients that repair and nourish the hair shaft. Plus, they just make your hair feel like silk and who doesn't want that?
4. Keep the blow-dryer a good six to eight inches away from your scalp to avoid burning or stripping the scalp of essential oils.
5. Practice giving yourself head massages to improve blood circulation and to exfoliate dead skin cells from your scalp.
6. Scalp exfoliation is essential to remove dirt and debris from your scalp, as well as flakes that look like dandruff but aren’t. Use a scalp exfoliation product to foster a better environment for hair growth.
7. Know the difference between dandruff and dry flakes. Dandruff is sebum and product build-up combined with bacteria and sometimes a production of yeast, while dry scalp is essential dead skin cells being sloughed off from, well, being dried out. Treating these two things require two different processes.
8. Untangle your hair from the bottom instead, working your way up to eliminate breakage.
9. Getting trims every so often won’t make hair grow faster, but it will help hair from further splitting down the hair shaft.
10. Use a heat protectant spray or cream to prevent your heat tools from scorching your hair, damaging the hair shaft and removing needed oils from your hair.
11. A pool essential that has harmful effects to your hair? Chlorine. It dries out hair because it removes essential oils (the stuff that keeps your hair hydrated) and the chemical deposits can fade or change the hue of color-treated hair. Wear a swim cap to prevent your hair from meeting up with this chemical.
12. Before heading into the pool, jump in the shower and soak your hair with water. Your hair will absorb the fresh water, essentially not leaving any room for your hair to absorb as much of the chlorinated water once you dive in.
13. Never straighten or curl wet or damp hair. When your hair is in this state, it is at its most vulnerable. The heat can penetrate the hair cuticle and wreak havoc.
14. Showering in super hot water can damage your hair by opening up the cuticle of the hair, leaving it susceptible for major moisture loss. Keep the water cooler or stick to what is suggested as luke-warm.
15. Try to wash your hair every other day at the very most if you can get away with it. Excess washing can dry out hair, create build-up of chemicals, and worsen some dry scalp issues. How often you wash your hair really depends on the hair type, though. Thick hair that’s normal to dry can go longer, while those with fine, oily hair may need to kick the washing up a notch.
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