Whether your hair is long or short, curly or straight, you need to know how to take care of it properly so it can look at its best. To take care of your hair, you really need information more than you need expensive products. Read on to learn the basics of hair care.
Go ahead and forget the old adage about brushing your hair 100 strokes a day. Over brushing can actually lead to hair loss, breakage of strands and increased oil production. Normal brushing of your hair once or twice daily is sufficient to keep it healthy and free of tangles and build-up.
When shampooing your hair, make sure that your hair is completely wet before applying a quarter-sized amount. This minimizes breakage due to tugging and tangling, and it helps the shampoo to effectively cleanse each strand. Do not lather for more than 30 seconds, and rinse with a blast of cool water to seal in moisture.
Take a daily multi-vitamin. One of the best ways to ensure healthy hair growth is to take in a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins. Taking a daily multi-vitamin will supplement your dietary intake to ensure that your body’s needs are met or exceeded. Select a high-quality vitamin designed for people of your age and gender.
Avoid products that are not formulated for your specific hair type. Various hair care products exist on the market, and within those are variations for each type of hair, whether oily, dry, sun-damaged or even, colored. Making the wrong decision in products can have negative effects on your hair and make your existing issues worse.
A soft, smooth pillowcase can help you keep your hairstyle, as well as, your hair. Sleeping on a pillow covered in a textured fabric or low-thread count cotton pillowcase can actually pull your hair and cause it to fall out. Use a smooth pillow-covering, wherever you lay your head and help keep your hair where it belongs.
Look for hair products that offer sun protection to protect your hair from the sun. Continuous sun exposure can undo all the good you have done for your hair. Protecting your hair from the sun will make it last longer and preserve its color.
Limit the number of chemical services you have done on your hair at any given time. If you opt to go with coloring, avoid processes like perms. When your hair is subjected to this kind of chemical over-treatment, you can have a long road ahead to get your hair back to a healthy state.
If you’ve had your hair colored, make sure you wait two full days before using shampoo. To keep color looking rich and bright, you need to give your hair cuticles time to properly seal after dying it. By getting hair wet, it reopens the cuticle, letting the color slip away. You’ll be happy you waited when you see your shiny, healthy hair.
Don’t use bleach on your hair. While bleach can give you great sun-kissed highlights, it also wreaks havoc with your hair structure and makes it dry and brittle. When your hair is dry and brittle, it will break easily and will be difficult to brush. Even the most expensive hair conditioners can’t revive bleach damaged hair.
Wet your hair before you jump in your pool. If you allow your hair to absorb fresh water before jumping in, it will not absorb as much of the damage causing chlorine. Your hair will not dry out as badly if you take this step each and every time you swim in chlorinated water.
Always wait until hair is dry before you brush it or comb it. If you use a comb, do not use the kind that have teeth that are very close together, and if you use a brush make sure it has flexible bristles that are soft. Start at the bottom, combing out any tangles, and work your way up towards your scalp little by little.
To keep your hair from drying out, don’t forget about protecting it from the sun, just like you would with your skin. Just like skin, hair is susceptible to sun damage, so be sure and pick up a reliable product that will provide your hair with protection. In a pinch, use the sunscreen lotion you have for your skin, because it’ll keep your hair safe, as well.
Don’t be rough when you use a towel to dry your hair. This can cause your hair to break and split ends to form. Just use the towel to squeeze out the excess moisture instead. Once you have done that, pat the hair dry with the towel. Try not to use rough towels; softer ones are better.
Hair care principles help you take care of your hair regardless of what type of hair you have. Now that you’ve read this article, you should understand what you need to do in order to keep your hair looking at its best. Good luck, and enjoy your new, healthier hair.
