I’m sure most of us out there want beautiful hair, right?! The average woman in the UK spends £40,000 in her lifetime on hair! £40,000! I mean, our hair has got to be quite important to us!
In-between hair-dresser visits how do you keep your hair looking and feeling amazing? As someone with long hair, which through lockdown is so close to bum level, I find looking after my hair really important! I usually have 3 visits a year to my hair-dresser so day to day maintenance is crucial for keeping my hair looking healthy. Check out my 5 tips that will keep your hair looking beautiful.
1. Prevent Hair Damage
Sunlight, heat, chlorine- they’re all out to damage your hair! Just like protecting your skin from sun-exposure, your hair needs some protection too. Anyone else familiar with the pain when you burn your skin on your straightners? Just picture your poor strands of hair once they’re clamped into a curling iron. Make sure to use a heat-protection spray, or for ultimate protection from sunlight use SPF hair spray.
2. Find The Best Shampoo For Your Hair
This takes a bit of experimentation! Trial and error! One day you’ll use a shampoo that leaves your hair looking and feeling beautiful, shiny and smelling amazing. Then you’ll know you’ve found the right one.
Something to be wary of are the ingredients in the shampoo. Damage from the wrong shampoo can accumulate. An ingredient to avoid is sulfate. Sulfates can strip too much natural oil and moisture from your hair, which in time will leave your hair dry and unhealthy. An ingredient I always look for in shampoos is honey. Honey helps retain moisture and promotes cell growth.
Shampoos can build up on your scalp, which can block new hair follicles. If you’re conscious of your hair feeling thin or you’re wary of hair loss then there are shampoos out there designed to tackle this. One that I’m aware of and have used is Nioxin. Nioxin targets hair growth and scalp replenishment. I used Nioxin to help break down a layers which were clogging up hair follicles, preventing hair growth. I only used this as a treatment, not on a regular basis. Best to chat with your hairdresser and see if this applicable to you.
3. Deep Condition
Even after using all the hair protection out there I think it’s impossible to avoid the ends of your hair looking a bit dry from time to time or developing split ends. An amazing remedy for this is deep conditioning. Cosmopolitan give some great advice on finding the right deep conditioner for your hair.
I love deep conditioning my hair, I’m in the routine of doing this once a week! I apply the conditioner onto the bottom third of my hair and usually leave on for at least an hour (yes, usually longer then what’s recommended on the bottle). My favourite deep conditioning brands are Wella and L’Oreal Professional. If you don’t want to pay for a deep conditioner, using your regular conditioner can do the trick- just leave on for a bit longer.
4. Use A Hair Oil
Hair oils are incredible; great for detangling wet hair, heat protection, helping dry/split ends and giving a beautiful shine. Use them daily or as a deep conditioner (like coconut oil or argan oil). Personally I don’t like using oils as deep conditioners as I find them too difficult to wash out, sometimes 2/3 showers are needed!
I prefer to use them once I’ve washed and styled my hair (which can be daily). Top tip: Don’t use too much!! Too much can make your hair look greasy. My hair strands are quite thin, so I apply on the ends of my hair.
The BEST oil I have ever used is Moroccanoil!!! I could rave about this all day! Although oils have so many benefits the main one I use it for is shine! I use the tiniest amount, rub in my hands and run through the ends of my hair once I’ve washed ands styled it. Now I’m ready for the day!
5. Take Care Of Your Hair
Hair is fragile, you need to handle it with care. It can easily snap if you’re too aggressive with the hair brush or tying it back with elastics. Invest in a detangling brush, or soft hair ties. You can buy shower combs to detangle your hair in the shower which can reduce the risk of snapping the ends.
This might be an old wives tale but I was told that tying your hair back tightly can thin your hair or cause a receding hair line. I’ve just googled it (good old Google) and there are actually articles supporting this! Right will definitely let my hair down more!
Finally…
There are so many tips and tricks out there for you to try, including my top 5! Remember nothing beats a good diet to promote healthy hair. Looking after my hair is really important to me, so I’d love to hear of any other tips you have.
