If achieving healthy hair was easy, then, well, I’d be out of a gig.
And the routine that suits your friend or favorite beauty influencer won’t always match up to yours.
While this makes hair care decidedly confusingit also makes it exciting and fun!
You get to spend your entire life building a relationship with your body and hair.
And I think that’s very beautiful.
Overall advice for healthy hair care.
The best and most universal hair care tip is simple: Spend time getting to know your hair.
“I cannot stress studying your hair enough.
“Feel your hair out, document how it reacts.
Essentially, keep a journal for your hair and learn to love it.”
In the subcategories, you’ll get into the subtle but important differences between types4Aand4C.
Hair porosity.
One of the least understood areas of hair care is the porosity spectrum.
you’ve got the option to even take thisquick test to help determine yours.
Hair care routine basics.
The lifestyle factors affecting your hair.
Finally, understand your upkeep.
Do you wash your hair daily or weekly?
Do you like to indulge in masks and hydrating tonics, or do you keep it basic?
Your overall hair goals.
you’re able to’t have healthy hair if you don’t know what your outcomes are.
Do you want to encourage growth and go for a longer style?
Or do you want to maintain color in between hair appointments?
All are worthy endeavors, but they’ll require modified routines to get to keep the strands healthy.
Tips if you heat style.
As you might imagine, repeatedly doing this to your hair can do a number.
Get regular trims.
“Most people seek out a haircut to manage the effects from hot tools,” says hairstylistClay Nielsen.
There’s no treatment that’s going to help.
Understand your limits.
We’re big believers in the less-is-more mentality of beauty.
Of course, every head will have a different threshold of what their strands can take.
Use a heat protectant & be smart.
“It’s not that these are off-limits,” Cochran Gathers says.
“Just be smart about your use of your flat irons, hairdryers, or curling wands.
Ultimately, learning how to use these is more important than not using them altogether.”
A few of her best tips?
Invest in a good protein product, like a hair mask.
They won’t be able to magically repair your strands, but they can certainly help when used regularly.
Read products here.
Tips if your hair is chemically processed.
Find a responsible professional you trust.
Once you find someone who you think might be a fit, listen to their advice.
Be patient when you transition.
We can’t stress this enough: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
At the very least, treat yourself to adeep conditioning maskonce a week.
If you process, limit other types of altering.
In other words, pick your poison.
Most hair typesbut especially curly, thin, or dry haircan’t tolerate too much manipulation.
If you color hair, use toning products.
We would use complementary colors to cancel out unwanted tones.”
The basics ofat-home toningare using violet for yellow, green for red, or blue for orange.
Tips for growth.
If you want all of our tips on hair growth, check out ourfull explainer here.
Regular scalp massages.
Scalp massagesnot only feel great and relieve tension, but they do amazing things for your hair.
you could make yours fancy by using ascalp massager, or keep it simple.
It’s a win-win," says Branch.
Try healthy hair supplements.
- For a full rundown on hair care supplements, we did aguide on how they work.
Be mindful of your scalp & how you’re cleansing it.
“Your scalp will affect the quality of your hair growth.
Pay attention to yourwash scheduleand toss in aclarifying shampoowhen needed.
Hydrate your strands daily.
Hair hydration benefits everyone.
“If your texture is naturally drier, it is even more essential to keep hair hydrated.
Dry hair turns to brittle hair, and brittle hair breaks.”
Tips for dry & dull hair.
But for extra tips, check out ourguide to hydrating hair:
Shampoo strategically.
There are many ways to wash your hair, from pre-shampoo treatments and co-washes to clarifying numbers.
Use these with intention for your hair punch in.
Use cool water.
A tried-and-true pro tip is to use cool water when rinsing.
Sinceheat and humidity make the hair’s cuticle rise3, cold water has the opposite effect.
Alternate between moisture & protein products.
Think of deep conditioners as a five-star meal for your hair.”
It takes time and self-knowledge to home in on what works for you.
However, you don’t have to go on the hair care journey alone.
There are many professionals and there’s a lot of advice to lean on as you strengthen your strands.
