Hair reflects your health: Hair acts as an indicator of your overall body health. If you're not getting enough vitamins or nutrients, you may find that your hair is brittle or breaks easily. Taking care of your hair will help, but make sure to see a doctor to discuss ways to improve your diet and other health factors.
Vibrant, healthy hair means that your body is producing enough vitamins and nutrients that ensure the body is operating at its peak condition. Unhealthy, dry and frizzy hair may be a sign that you may need to change your diet or hair care routine in order to promote your overall health and well-being.
Wash oily hair more frequentlyHow often you wash your hair should be based on how much oil your scalp produces.
If your scalp is oily, you may need to wash it as often as once a day. If you have chemically treated hair, your hair may be drier, so you may want to wash it less frequently. As you get older, your scalp makes less oil, so you may not need to shampoo as often. But if you see flakes in your hair, you may not be shampooing enough. This can lead to dandruff and other scalp diseases.
People with oily hair or who use hair care products daily should consider washing their hair once every 1–2 days. People with dry hair can wash their hair less frequently. Those with textured or coily hair should only wash it once every 1–2 weeks.
Concentrate shampoo on the scalpWhen washing your hair, concentrate on cleaning primarily the scalp, rather than washing the entire length of hair. Washing only your hair can create flyaway hair that is dull and coarse.
Avoid using shampoo directly on your scalp, instead mix it with some water. This will ensure that the shampoo spread evenly throughout your scalp. Secondly, you end up using much lesser shampoo than you would had you applied it directly.
Use conditioner after every shampoo unless you use a '2-in-1' shampoo, which cleans and conditions hair
Shampooing removes dirt and oil from the hair, but it can leave the hair rough, frizzy, and unmanageable. Using conditioner after cleansing with shampoo is thought to help this issue.
Conditioners smooth and detangle the hair, which, therefore, helps reduce breakage and split ends — and that's precisely why New York City-based hairstylist Chuck Bass recommends conditioning every time you shampoo in order to add moisture back, as well as to soften and detangle.
The only downside to using a 2-in-1 is that the hair can begin to feel heavy over time, says Cardona.
Occasionally alternating to a clarifying or exfoliating shampoo rather than a conditioning shampoo will let you reap all the benefits of silicones without the unwanted buildup.
Concentrate conditioner on the tips of the hairBecause conditioners can make fine hair look limp, they only should be used on the tips of the hair and not on the scalp or length of the hair. It can make your hair look weighed down. Instead, focus on applying conditioner to the ends of your hair only. Your ends get damaged over time, making them drier and more porous than the rest of your hair. Very coarse or curly hair, on the other hand, tends to benefit from all-over conditioner. Apply the product to the ends of your hair only. Focus on the oldest, most damaged sections. Using conditioner on the scalp and roots can lead to over-conditioning.
Choose a shampoo and conditioner formulated specifically for your hair typeFor example, if you color your hair, use a shampoo designed for color-treated hair. If your hair is damaged or chemically treated, consider a “2-in-1” shampoo. Regardless of cost, many shampoo and conditioner brands provide the same benefits.
Shampoos not only work on your hair strands but affect your scalp too. Therefore, you should identify which type of hair and scalp you have and choose your shampoo accordingly. There are a wide variety of shampoos and conditioners available in the market to address your specific hair concerns.
Pro tip: Hair is made of protein so including protein foods in your diet is essential for maintaining healthy and strong hair. Inadequate protein in your diet is likely to lead to dry, brittle hair, so including protein foods at each meal will help your body make the most of it.