6 Healthy Hair Care Tips

While everyone’s hair is different in type, texture, thickness, and sensitivity, you’ll find that all types of hair need proper care to remain healthy and grow.

It’s crucial to understand your hair and scalp before you decide to try new treatments or products. You can start by seeking the help of a dermatologist to determine your hair type, appropriate treatments, and the hair care routines that are most suitable for you.

In the meantime, if you don’t have time to set an appointment yet, here are six tips for healthy hair care that anyone can practice.

1. Maintain a healthy diet and stay well hydrated

A healthy diet provides your body with the necessary nutrients to function correctly. Your hair is no exception to this. According to experts, what you eat or don’t eat has a significant impact on the health of your hair. Good foods provide the necessary nutrients and vitamins to nourish your hair, as your follicles are made of amino acids and proteins.

To keep your strands healthy, you should ensure that your regular diet contains a good amount of protein-rich foods, such as dairy products, eggs, fish, whole grains, walnuts, and green veggies. Also, make sure that the balance of the food you take in is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Staying hydrated is equally important if you want to maintain a healthy scalp and shiny hair. Hydrating hair oils and products may help, but they’re not quite as effective as drinking adequate amounts of water daily.

2. Clean your hair and scalp regularly

A good diet helps make your hair healthy from within, but keeping your hair clean on the outside is just as crucial. Dust, dirt, and oil buildup can clog the pores on your scalp and hinder the healthy growth of your hair. 

There’s no set standard for the interval at which you need to shampoo your hair, but there are aspects of your life that can help you determine your cleansing routine. For example, if you work out daily, you might need to make shampooing a part of your daily routine, especially if you have an oily scalp. 

3. Use heat sparingly 

If you don’t have to style your hair with heat, it would be best to skip it altogether. Excessive heat promotes hair breakage and damage. If you expose your hair to heat often, your hair will take much longer to recover from the damage, and it may be a long while before it can return to its previous healthy condition. If you want to prevent dry hair and split ends, you should limit the amount of heat you use on your hair.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t use heat on your hair at all; rather, you should be cautious about how often your hair is exposed to it. Here are a few things you can do to avoid or minimize heat damage:

• If your hair is fine, consider air drying it instead of using heat to dry it. 
• If your hair is thick, you can use heat to dry it, but leave it alone for at least a week before washing and drying it again. 
• Prepare your hair properly before heat styling by cleaning and conditioning it, ensuring that it’s hydrated well to prevent drying and breakage. 
• Use a heat protectant to create a barrier between your hair and the heat tool. 
• Buy and use heat tools that allow you to adjust the settings to help you better regulate amount of the heat you use. 

4. Take care of your scalp 

Some people tend to concentrate on the strands and forget about the scalp, especially if it doesn’t show any apparent need for care. However, it’s important to take care of it as well. Make it a routine to massage your scalp regularly to promote proper blood circulation and stimulate your hair follicles. You can do this after washing and detangling your hair. You may also want to consider using a hair mask to keep your scalp hydrated.

5. Always detangle from end to root 

For your hair to look its best and grow well, you’ll need to give it a considerable amount of TLC (tender loving care), especially if it’s curly. That involves detangling it carefully as needed rather than allowing it to get tangled or knotted.

When detangling, it’s best to try and work your way from the ends and move up to the roots. Remember to detangle with your fingers first before you start using a comb. This will help to reduce hair breakage. 

6. Avoid stress 

It’s not easy to avoid stress and keep yourself relaxed constantly, especially when you can’t seem to get your hair care routine right. However, it’s not healthy to let the stress get to you.

Whatever you’re worrying about, whether it’s your hair or some other issue in your life, the stress will often show in your skin. That includes your scalp, and when it’s not in the best condition, your hair will be adversely affected. That’s why it’s important to take care of your stress levels if you want your hair to grow well and be at its best.

Achieving healthy hair often requires deliberate effort. Take the time to learn more about your hair and its qualities so you can make better decisions regarding what products or treatments to use.

Seek to be healthy from the inside out by eating a balanced diet, avoiding stress, and keeping your strands and scalp clean. Remember, you don’t have to walk the journey alone – a dermatologist can help point you in the right direction toward healthy hair.  

Call us today for any questions, or to book an appointment!

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