For most woman, it doesn’t matter what makeup you wear as long as you have great hair. I know that when my hair looks good I’m more likely to feel confident with no makeup than I am with makeup and a bad hair day. Our hair becomes dull and lifeless, leaving a frizzy mess through the wear and tear of this world. To keep your hair shiny, soft, and amazing follow these ten hair secrets.
1. Brushing your hair
We tend to not think about the damage we do when our hair meets the brush. My curly hair causes me to use more force out of frustration than I need to. The best way to not take damage is to start at the base of your neck where the ends of your hair fall. Get the knots out of the length, and then continue from the roots. For those who have curly hair, only brush it before you get into the shower. This removes knots and makes your hair softer.
2. Conditioner
The kind of conditioner you use is also a huge indicator on how your hair will turn out. Think of shampoo and conditioner as being like your body wash and lotion. You should never use one without the other. Choosing your conditioner is as simple as knowing your hair type. For thin hair, you want to look for one that has the consistency of Vo5 while thicker haired people need something like Tresemme. The reason is that the thicker the conditioner, the more moisturizing oils it will add to your hair. You don’t want your hair to feel like you poured grease in it, but you also don’t want it to be dryer than a desert.
3. Letting conditioner sit
Lotion goes on your skin and stays there while it soaks in and nourishes. Many people don’t give conditioner that opportunity because it gets rinsed out. This is by far the easiest way to have better hair because it’s quicker and yields results instantly. Next time you get into the shower shampoo your hair first. Follow by adding your conditioner, and then do something else such as shaving. It also helps to keep a comb close by and comb through your hair while it’s soaking.
4. Towel Drying
Along with brushing our hair, we don’t think about the damage that towel drying does. Most people flip their hair over and quickly rub the towel around their heads. The act of the back and forth motion splits your hair in half and causes split ends and static. When I dry my hair, I move the towel in a downward motion, soaking up all the water. When I get to the bottom, I release the strands and start back at the top. This dries my hair without splitting, damaging, and setting my hair day up to be bad.
5. Leave-in Conditioners
For those who have thicker hair and need the ultimate amount of hydration, leave-in conditioners are a good choice. It’s like putting the cherry on top of a banana split. Leave-in conditioners offer the same effects that lotion has on skin.
6. Wearing your hair up
Hair ties are a girl’s worse nightmare when it comes to their hair. When wanting your hair out of your face, it’s easy to pull it back in a hair tie. However, placing it in a bun or ponytail can be very damaging. Showering and applying massive amounts of heat to your hair are the only ways to make their indents go away. Also it can cause split ends to not only be at the ends. Unfortunately, most jobs require us to wear our hair up. What you can do is use clips or the small plastic hair ties that children use. Bobby pins are a good option, too.
7. Haircuts
The removal of dead ends is necessary for the overall health and well-being of those luscious locks. And let’s face it, your hair always feels a lot smoother and prettier after someone’s played in it with scissors. Regular hair cuts will keep the damage that you cause away and make you feel good about yourself.
8. Hair Treatments
It can be very beneficial to use a hair treatment geared towards making your hair healthier. I don’t buy them because they have just as many chemicals as my conditioner does. What’s the point in that? I’d rather just stick to my conditioner. What I like to use is pure coconut oil. You can buy it in the beauty department as well as the cooking isle. When heated up in a bowl, it smells like a sugar cookie and goes onto your hair easily. Coconut oil doesn’t feel slimy or uncomfortable. It’s really good for your skin, so you can rub the excess oil on your hands, arms, and legs. Leave it in for as long as you want and follow with a shower.
9. Chemicals
Let’s face it: chemicals will be the ultimate destruction of our hair. Shampoo, conditioner, mousse, hairspray, and more contain chemicals. The best way to ensure your healthy hair stays healthy is by not using them. However, if you choose to, be sure to follow the previous steps and you should be fine. I also hope that you choose to continue washing your hair.
10. Heat
Some straighteners and curling irons can get to 400 degrees, plus some. While your hair looks phenomenal, it’s also being burned to death. It’s better to use your flat iron less, or not at all if you can. I stopped using mine because I realized my curls looked better than they used to. If you absolutely can’t go out without using one on your hair, set the heat lower.
Obviously, we can’t do all of these things. Everyone uses flat irons and dyes their hair. Not to mention the fact that our environment makes every effort to set us back. The important thing to remember is that there is something you can do about it, and that starts with you. Everyone deserves to have happy, healthy hair.
