How often have you been out and about and just seen someone else’s hair and thought “dang, I wish I had beautiful healthy hair like that?” No one? Just me? Alllllrighty, then.
Having gorgeous healthy hair is something everyone can have. All it really takes is a bit of self-education on how to take care of your hair. One of the things most attractive things about people with healthy hair is their ability to wholeheartedly embrace their natural locks and work with what they’ve got, instead of against it.
Here are a few hair tips to get that natural healthy hair look you’ve long been striving for!
11. Avoid Dyes and Overuse of Chemicals
Of all the things that damage our hair, chemicals have got to be near the top of the list. Bleaching or dyeing your hair alone can cause it to become brittle, weak, dull, and incredibly dry. If you combine this with shampoos and conditioners full of parabens, sulfates, and alcohol, don’t be surprised when your hair doesn’t look like Rapunzel’s in a few months.
Embrace your natural color and hair type! And most importantly, don’t be afraid to gray. Most people are always trying to change their hairstyle to ultimately look like someone they aren’t when in reality someone is out striving to have hair just like yours. Stop, and be thankful for what you’ve got before it’s too late.
10. Trim Dead Ends
It should come as no surprise that the ends of our hair are the driest, brittle, thin, and tattered. After all, the ends of our hair are the oldest part of our hair.
To keep your hair looking healthy, thick, and luscious trim off those dead ends every few months. The longer you wait to trim dead ends, the more you will need to cut off. Try the windowpane test, hold up the ends of your hair and whatever you can see through that’s what needs to go.
9. Dry Hair Gently
Raise your hand if you have ever vigorously dried your hair with a towel after jumping out of the shower. Me, I am guilty as charged.
When using a towel to dry your hair, it’s best to lightly scrunch over and over until you’re not dripping wet. Try to avoid intensely rubbing your head with a towel or even wrapping your head in a towel as this can cause unwanted frizz, tangles, and breakage. Healthy hair is happy hair.
8. Wash Your Hair Less
I used to be one of those people who washed my hair every day. That is until I came to my senses. Washing your hair every day strips hair of its natural oils, which can cause your hair to start excessively producing more oil to overcompensate for what it’s losing. This just leads to a vicious cycle of oily yet dry hair, that seems like it’s dirty every single day.
Start off with every other day, then every two days, and so on until you’ve found your happy medium. For me, I wash my hair twice a week and it has done wonders for creating healthy hair. Some people even find using a co-wash instead of shampoo helps stretch hair-washing days!
7. Do a Hair Mask
Doing a hair mask every so often is a great way to incorporate healthy hair habits into your self-care routine. Most hair masks are meant to serve as either strengthing, nourishing, or conditioning treatments. It’s good to give your hair a little extra boost every now and then.
Hair masks can be made at home from simple things like olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, eggs, bananas, honey, and other common household goods.
6. Clarify Hair Every Once in a While
You know that wonderful feeling of clean voluptuous hair you get right after you get out of the salon? Part of this has to do with the clarifying shampoos they use when washing your hair. Most stylists know their clients probably have a good few months of built-up product sitting on their hair, and they know just how to fix it.
The truth is, you don’t need your stylist to get that healthy hair feeling you so love and cherish. All you need is a good clarifying shampoo that you use once or twice a month!
5. Say no to Teasing and Thinning Shears
Teasing and feathering may not be as popular as it once was, but I guarantee you there are still people who slip back into old habits on these ones (I’m looking at you West Texas). Teasing is SO bad for your hair. Not only does it purposefully create a ratty mess on your head, but it also leads to tons of unwanted breakage and hair loss.
On the flip side, some stylists out there still use thinning shears or feathering techniques. Now, I am no professional, but I know purposefully thinning out your hair does not create that healthy hair look we all strive for. When thinning techniques are used, it inevitably creates less thickness towards the bottom half of your hair. Our hair naturally will be less dense towards the bottom as the older longer parts tend to break off more easily, but this combined with thinning techniques just creates a bad situation all around.
4. Avoid Tight Hair Ties
Yes, scrunchies are definitely back in style and if you aren’t back on this bandwagon you for sure should be.
Most of us tend to use small, tight elastic hair ties to keep the hair out of our faces while still looking clean and professional. Whenever you’re at home or sleeping, try to use a soft loose scrunchie, or just leave your hair free-flowing all together. Using tight hair ties can be painful and cause tons of breakage.
3. Do Not Brush Wet Hair
When your hair is wet it is in a very vulnerable state. Wet hair is generally weak and elastic which is why you don’t want to brush it when wet. Dry brushing your hair before you get in the shower, or only use a wide-tooth comb when de-tangling freshly washed hair.
As a best practice, always start from the bottom up when detangling hair. This way you aren’t tugging, pulling, and breaking your hair so much.
2. Eat Healthy, Stay Hydrated
Yes, part of having healthy hair is a healthy diet. Just like having dry skin or unwanted blemishes, the culprit of dry, brittle, or dull hair can sometimes lead straight back to an unhealthy diet.
Make sure to stay hydrated, and eat wholesome foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, healthy fats, protein, and vitamins A, B, C, D, and E! Nettle tea is a good place to start for trying to have healthy hair from the inside-out since it is packed with essential nutrients. Consider yourself warned, nettle is an acquired flavor, if you catch my drift.
1. Ditch Hot Tools
About a year ago, my beloved hair dryer finally called it quits on me. In the midst of a pandemic, I didn’t feel it was all that necessary to run out and buy another. This has probably been the best thing I have ever done for my hair.
It’s okay to use a curling iron, straighten or blow dryer on special occasions, but I would say if you want healthy hair, hot tools should not be a part of your daily hair routine. Find ways to practice heatless curls, or just simply embrace the way your hair naturally falls.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and trust, or think my readers will find useful. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
