Keeping your hair healthy can be a tough task, especially if you constantly blow dry, straighten, or curl your hair. You want your hair to match the pictures in the magazines of women whose hair cascades down their shoulders in impossibly shiny waves that flow in the wind. Although we’ve never seen anyone’s hair do that beyond the waxy pages that contain shampoo ads, here are some steps to getting your hair as close to the magazines as you can:
1. Trim your split ends – split ends not only ruin your look, but can also ruin your hair. When the protective cuticle that surrounds the ends of your hair and keeps it in one piece is destroyed, the strand can literally split, sometimes into two or more different strands. Despite misleading shampoo and conditioner claims, split ends cannot be repaired. The only way to get rid of those little devils is to chop them off. So, make sure to get your hair trimmed often to avoid getting too many split ends.
2. Change your shampoo and conditioner randomly – like medicine, your hair can become “immune” to certain shampoos or conditioners if you use them for too long, making your time spent in the shower a waste. Change brands and types of shampoo and conditioner after every bottle for the best results.
3. Protect your ends – as hard as it may be, opt out of blow drying, straightening, or curling your hair as much as possible. These heat devices damage your hair each and every time you use them! They ruin your hair from the inside out, often causing split ends and making hair look frizzy. For those times when you can’t avoid using a blow dryer, curling iron, or straightener, use a heat protecting product to save your hair from those rascal split ends.
4. Temperature – although having a steamy shower feels great on your skin, especially during the winter, hot water is not the best for your hair. Cold water cures all! Warm and hot water steal vital moisturizing agents from your strands, making this tip is vital during dry seasons. If you absolutely cannot take a cool shower, at least give yourself a burst of cold water and the end of your shower to seal the cuticle, which adds a sleek finish to your lovely locks.
5. Deep conditioner – use deep conditioner about as often as you put on a face mask–about every week or every other week, especially during the winter. Leaving conditioner in for an extended period of time will make your strands look healthier and shinier as well as restore the vitamins and nutrients that have been taken away while curling and straightening your hair.
6. Keep it down – keeping your hair up in a tight bun or pony tail can cause breakage. Instead of putting your hair up in your usual tight bun, try a lose one or use different products to hold it, like bobby pins or headbands, to keep your hair from breaking due to the constant pressure your hair ties put on it.
7. Tuck it away – cold days pose a huge threat to your hair. Always try to wear a hat, hood or scarf when you go out in cold weather to keep your hair warm. If it gets too cold, your hair will lose moisture. Have you ever showered in the morning and left the house with wet hair? In the winter, it is essential that you dry it or tuck it completely away before you go outside! Otherwise, your hair could freeze; not only causing breakage, but the damage caused by frozen hair also makes it much rougher.