Have Great Hair

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every day was a good hair day? Fortunately, no matter what your hair type is, your locks can look healthy and lustrous in any situation. In this article, you'll find some general steps that you can follow to always have great hair. The article also contains specific sections on caring for different hair types. Follow all the steps or just choose those that apply to you to have great hair

Steps

General Hair Care

1. Wash your hair correctly. If you can, try not to wash your hair every day. Daily baths and showers will strip your hair of its natural oils. That being said, if you apply products such as hair spray, mousse, gel, anti-frizz products etc, these build up in your hair and inhibited the distribution of hairs natural oils. It's advisable to wash hair products out of your hair as regularly as is required. If you never use hair products, you may get away with never using shampoo and just rinsing your hair occasionally.
   • Massage your scalp with the shampoo, not with conditioner. Do this for about 40 seconds before washing it out. If you have oily hair, repeat the process once more (with the shampoo, not conditioner). When you massage the top of your head, the circulation increases and it also helps prevent dandruff. Use a sulfate and silicone free shampoo if your hair is curly or wavy.
   • Pour conditioner into your hand and rub from the tips of your hair to the roots. If you want softer silkier looking hair, leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes before you rinse it off.
   • Try to wash your hair on the coolest setting that is comfortable or at least try giving it a final rinse of cool water. This seals the hair cuticles (the outermost layer of the hair shaft) and locks in moisture, making it shinier. Hotter water may be used occasionally to wash hair if you have very oily or dirty hair. Either way, try rinsing in cool temperature water for the final rinse.
2. Dry your hair carefully with a blow dryer. Blow dryers can be more benefiting than air-drying if you use them correctly. When you blow dry your hair, put it on a cool setting and hold distance it away to protect it from any heat. If you hold the blow dryer too close, the water in your hair can heat up and damage your hair. This is why hair dryers are known to be bad, but if you use it correctly it is very good. If you can, avoid drying your hair with heat as much as you can; it will only damage your hair.
   • Avoid wringing your hair with a towel after you get out of a shower. Wet hair is more fragile, and wringing it could cause your hair strands to break or fall out.
   • Use some heat protection spray when you blow-dry your hair. You should also use protection spray when you use hot rollers or a flat iron or a curling iron or GHD type straighteners.
3. Avoid brushing your hair while it's wet. Wet hair is stretchier and has a tendency to break. Also, don't brush your hair too much. People say that brushing your hair 100 strokes a day will make it smoother -- but it will only cause breakage to your hair.
   • When you do brush your hair, try a natural bristle brush like a boar bristle brush. These brushes distribute oils throughout your hair to make it softer and shinier.
   • Only use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair. Apply leave-in conditioner or detangler to make your hair more pliable.
4. Give your hair some special treatment from time to time.
   • Apply a deep conditioning treatment. You can use deep conditioning treatments like egg oil, olive oil, argan oil, avocado oil or coconut oil.
   • You can also purchase a hair mask or hair cream and apply it.
   • Use a natural treatment like olive oil, mayonnaise and an egg or a soak in full-fat milk. Leave these treatments in for 2 to 3 hours and rinse them out thoroughly without applying shampoo or conditioner. You can do this once or twice per week if you see good results.
   • Use a leave-in conditioner at least once a week. Leave-in conditioners penetrate deep into your hair cuticles to heal them more completely.
   • Try a spray leave in conditioner/ detangler after you shower. The conditioner will make your hair more pliable and manageable.
5. Go easy on styling products. Styling products can dry your scalp if you use it directly at the scalp. Try not to use it often, but if you must, apply to hair strands and not the scalp. Then, style your hair at most 4 times a week to avoid damaging it.
6. Accessorize your healthy, gorgeous hair. Clips or barrettes can compliment beautiful hair. Coordinate them with your outfits or your personality. If you use elastics, use fabric-covered elastics to prevent breakage and tangles.
7. Eat healthy foods that will keep your hair strong and lustrous. Your diet can also prevent hair loss.
   • Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, promote healthy skin, hair, and nails. You should eat some of these foods, which are rich in omega-3, every day:
     • Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish
     • Flax seed oil
     • Walnuts, almonds, and milk
   • Vitamins B-6, B-12, and folic acid are also important to your hair. You can always take a multivitamin to get more of these nutrients, but you can also add foods rich in these vitamins to your diet.
     • Vitamin B-6: bananas, potatoes (both white and sweet) and spinach.
     • Vitamin B-12: meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.
     • Folic acid: citrus fruits, tomatoes, whole grain and fortified grain products, beans and lentils.
   • Protein also promotes healthy hair. Eat a daily serving of fish, chicken, eggs or soy.

Caring for Straight Hair

1. Use the right shampoo and conditioner to keep your straight hair from becoming fine and limp. Preferably one that adds volume (especially if your hair is naturally fine). If regular shampoo doesn't work for you, try a sulphate and silicone free shampoo.
2. Brush your hair with a large flat paddle brush. The brush will not only tame your strands but also polish your hair and smooth it.
3. Use styling products that have a finish. To make your hair look glossy, apply a light volumizing mousse before you blow dry. If you need hold, use a flexible-hold hairspray.
4. Pick the right heat-styling tools. If you need to flat iron your hair, choose a tool with variable heat settings. Use the lowest heat setting that effectively irons your hair to avoid heat-related damage.
5. Use a curling iron or curling wand, as to suit the best type for your hair if you want to create a wavy appearance in your hair.
6. Avoid daily heat styling. A simple braid or an elegant one can be worn on days when you don't want to or shouldn't style your hair. Occasional hot rollers are okay, but you should mostly embrace your straight locks.

Tips for Curly and/or Wavy Hair

1. Use shampoo and conditioner specifically designed for curly hair. Make sure your shampoo is sulfate-free and silicone-free, because sulfates can dry out curly hair even more, and silicones can build-up on curly hair. Silicones are okay for your hair as long as you use a shampoo with Cocoamidopropyl Betaine or coco-betaine, and that the shampoo does not actually contain silicones.
2. Wash your hair only as needed, to preserve your hair's natural oils.
   • Massage the shampoo into your scalp and let the suds run down to your ends.
   • Put conditioner in at the midpoint of your locks and work it down to the ends. Comb it in with a wide-toothed comb, if necessary. Scrunch your hair to help define the curls.
   • Rinse your hair with warm or cool water to keep it from drying out.
3. Blot your hair dry with a 100% cotton t-shirt, microfiber towel, or even paper towels, not rubbing/roughing your wet hair with a towel.
4. Apply a deep conditioning treatment weekly. Then, apply a monthly hot oil treatment to give your locks a glossy shine.
5. Avoid brushing your hair. Brushing will break your hair cuticles and cause frizz. Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to pull out tangles.
6. Put a leave-in conditioner on your hair before you style it. Style your hair when it's wet and try not to touch or scrunch it while it air dries.
7. Skip any styling products that contain alcohol. Sprays that contain sea salt are great for defining curls, but make sure it also contains conditioning ingredients, as sea salt can dry your hair.
8. Try not to sleep with wet hair. If you have to, then braid or plait it in three or more sections. Also, sleep on a satin or silk pillowcase to minimize frizz.

Perms and Relaxers

1. Perm or relax your hair no more than once every six weeks. Both perms and relaxers change your hair by changing the chemical bonds. For this reason, permed and relaxed hair is really vulnerable to breakage and damage.
2. Minimize heat styling and blow-drying. Also, try not to dye your hair, if you're also chemically styling it. These processes can increase the risk of damaging permed or relaxed hair.
3. Avoid relaxing your hair or getting a perm, if your scalp is irritated.
4. Use color with caution. Coloring permed or relaxed hair is possible, but it can damage your hair. Try clip-in weaves for highlights instead. If you need color, wait at least three days but no more than seven days for your appointment or talk to your stylist about what's healthiest for your hair.

Coloring Your Hair

1. Do your own dye job at home. You can do this easily if you're doing a quick coverage of gray hair and if the shade varies only slightly from your natural color. Anything more complicated should be handled at a salon.
   • Rub petroleum jelly around your hairline to keep the dye from staining your skin.
   • Set your timer per the directions on the dye package. Wash the color out immediately and all at once when the timer goes off.
2. Get color at a salon.
   • Deep condition your hair a couple of days before your appointment. Moisturizing your hair will help it to hold color better. Also, if you can hold off, don't shampoo on the day of your appointment.
   • Bring a picture. You can tell your stylist "strawberry blonde," but he or she might have a very different vision of what that means than you do. A picture clarifies what you want.
3. Take great care of colored hair.
   • Keep your hair healthy and moisturized. Dry hair loses color quickly.
   • Protect your hair when you head outside in the sun. Wear a hat or a scarf, or put your hair into a braid or a knot. You can also use products that contain SPF.

Great Hair for Men

1. Use any kind of shampoo. For most male hairstyles, no particular shampoo is better than another. If you have dandruff, look for some shampoo containing ketoconazole, salicylic acid, tar, zinc or selenium sulfide.
2. Decide whether or not to condition.
   • If you have straight, short hair, you can skip the conditioner or use a shampoo/conditioner combo.
   • Curly, wavy or long hair, on the other hand, probably does need to be conditioned. Experiment with different brands to find something that you like.
3. Protect your scalp from the sun. If you have thin spots, either rub sunscreen on them or use a spray sunscreen to keep your scalp from burning and peeling.
4. Care for thinning hair. You can try an over-the-counter hair regrowth product or talk to your doctor about a prescription. Disguise thin spots by using extra-body conditioner and putting a dab of styling gel over the spot.
5. Go easy on styling products. Don't use more than a dime-sized blob of gel. Once your hair is in place, you can finish it off with a bit of wax on the tips for definition and shine.

Tips

• Always remember to brush your hair loosely and gently. Brushing your hair harshly would make it faster but it is also very hard on your hair.
• Thoroughly rinse and wet your hair before you go swimming so that it doesn't absorb the chlorine. Do the same thing afterward to get rid of chlorine. You can also swim with a cap to protect your hair.
• If you have curly hair, don't straighten it all the time. It will damage your hair in the long run.
• Don't use heat regularly.
• Try to use a wide tooth comb while your hair is wet. Moisturize your hair afterwards.
• If you have curly hair then use conditioner more than shampoo because it's good for curly hair.
• Loosely tie up plait or put long hair in a turban at night so it does not tangle as much.
• Scrub the shampoo and layer the conditioner.
• If you have straight hair and want to curl it, avoid using a curling iron which can damage your hair but instead use rollers.
• It's okay to use hot tools in moderation, but using them too often can cause damage to your hair.
• Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase. Cotton pillowcases make hair look dry; they suck out the moisture and can cause frizz. Avoid going to bed with wet or damp hair.
• Learn how to trim and cut your own hair. Some hairdressers will cut too much leaving you feeling worse for wear. There are some great tutorials on YouTube.
• If you have dandruff, try washing your hair with lemon juice mixed with water.
• If you do have to sleep with wet hair, don't put it above your head on the pillow, or you will wake up with a big lump in the back of your head. Try putting it up in a bun, braid, or if you can't put it up then just pull it to the side.
• Use a clarifying shampoo once every week to get rid of product build up.
• Always brush your hair before sleeping. If your hair is curly or wavy put it up in a bun or ponytail. If your hair is natural or smooth leave it down.
• If you have black hair, do NOT dye it blonde or brownish reddish. It'll make you look pathetic and that you are trying too hard to look pretty, which people often find unattractive.
• A hair brush with wooden bristles is very good for your hair, so purchasing one of these would be a good idea if you are prone to split ends.
• Only use products that are right for your hair type. Thin, thick, or normal and curly, straight, or wavy are the hair types.
• Change your shampoo every now and then otherwise it will stop working.
• Try different hairstyles. This will also you in keeping your hair strong and healthy.
• Be determined and satisfied with who you are. Look at your natural beauty.
• Don't blow dry or treat your hair with heat too often or it may damage your hair.
• Don't scratch your head.
• Let your hair dry naturally.
• When you use hot tools like straighteners, make sure that you use some heat protector to make sure it doesn't damage your hair.
• For wavy hair it's best to use a shampoo and conditioner that has olive oil and natural minerals so that it won't weigh down your hair.
• Don't sleep with a bun. If you do, your hair won't dry and it will be wet in the morning.
• Shower with cold water to make your hair extra shiny and soft the next day!
• Actually putting conditioner on your roots causes more hair loss due to the heaviness of the product smothering the roots of your hair. If you want thick healthy hair put your conditioner on the lengths of your hair. It's shinier, thicker, and there is little to no hair coming out when washing or combing after your shower.
• If your hair has dandruff and you wash your hair at night, make sure your hair is dry before you go to bed.

Warnings

• No one knows for sure what causes dandruff, but experts agree that you should wash your hair more often if you have dandruff (just make sure to use a good conditioner). If you're still struggling with this problem after more frequent washing, talk to your doctor. You may not have dandruff; you may have psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis, which will require prescription treatment.
• If you notice your hair is becoming dry, wash it less often to restore the natural oil balance. Wait until your hair becomes oily at the roots before you wash it.

Things You'll Need

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Heat Protection Spray
• Boar bristle brush
• Wide-tooth comb
• Deep conditioning treatment
• Hair mask
• Olive oil
• Mayonnaise and eggs or full-fat milk
• Diet rich in omega-3s, Vitamins B-6 and B-12, folic acid and protein
• Volumizing mousse and flexible hold hairspray (for straight hair)
• Paper towels
• Deep conditioning treatment, hot oil treatment and sea salt spray (for curly hair)
• Hat or scarf for sun protection
• Spray on sunscreen for hair
• Gel and wax (for male styles)

Related Articles

• Straighten Your Hair
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• Make a Messy Bun
• Make the Most of Your Wavy Hair
• Disguise a Bad Hair Day
• Make Curly Hair Look Great

Sources and Citations

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