Hair Care Tips For Healthy Hair
Hair is one of the crucial parts of the body that protects our heads, private parts, etc. They also retain heat in the system. Unfortunately, there is a tremendous need for a hair care routine in today’s world, where extensive pollution and unhealthy habits are encouraged.
One needs to take care of their hair in order to keep them strong and healthy. A tough protein called “keratin” makes up almost 90% of the hair, where each hair shaft is made up of three layers, the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla.
In the modern world, because of pollution, our hair gets damaged. Exposure to smoke, dust, toxic gas, lead, nickel, and arsenic can lead to a condition called “sensitive scalp syndrome.” This happens when these materials settle on the scalp and in the hair.
Pollution also leads to the degradation of hair protein, hair surface, and hair cuticles. Avoid prolonged exposure of hair and even skin to pollution.
Listed below are some best hair care tips you need to follow for amazing hair.
Hair Care Routine
A hair care routine makes your hair strong and healthy. If your hair is not strong enough, you cannot style your hair. Even if you do so, you may lose your hair, or it may slowly start degrading.
Follow these hair care tips in your daily life to keep your hair healthy:
1. Do not shampoo your hair daily
Shampoo’s job is to remove all the oil and dirt from your hair. Therefore, it contains ingredients that wash out all the oil and nourishment of your hair and scalp.
Our body produces certain oils to protect and nourish our hair. Each strand of our hair has its own sebaceous gland, which keeps our hair shiny and water-resistant. Washing our hair daily with shampoo will wash away these oils and make your hair go dry and undernourished.
You may have issues like curly hair, dry hair, dry scalp, itchy scalp, and rough hair. To have healthy, strong, and shiny hair, you need to wash your hair only twice or thrice a week.
2. Do not rub or pull your wet hair
Wet hair is fragile and can easily break or detach from the root. People often tend to vigorously rub their hair using a towel after having a head bath. Doing this will damage their hair and roots.
If you already have hair fall or hair breakage issues, do not rub or pull your hair when it is wet. Instead, dry your hair by patting it with a cotton towel to absorb the excess water from your hair.
If you want completely dry hair, you should first pat dry it with a towel and then blow dry gently. Please do not use a high heat setting in the blow drier; it will again damage the hair and scalp.
After towel drying your hair, take a comb or a gentle brush, and comb your hair in the direction it naturally grows or backward. Now, blow dry your hair, keeping the lowest heat setting in the blow-drier. Also, do not keep the blow drier very near to the hair.
3. Stop using harsh styling products
We all know a well-styled hair looks terrific. But, using a harsh hair product will damage your hair and scalp, resulting in issues like hair fall, dry and frizzy hair, itchy scalp, etc.
Silicone-based products use silicone to coat the hair shafts for a shiny finish, but it prevents the nutrients from conditioners from nourishing the hair. Alcohol-based products use alcohol, which removes all the moisture from the hair and makes it dry.
Some protein-based shampoos contain a maximum protein, making the hair less flexible and may break.
4. Do not expose your hair too much
Overexposing your hair to sunlight and wind while traveling and in polluted areas may damage your hair. The UVA and UVB rays can damage the outside cover of your hair, called the cuticle.
Though vitamin D helps create new hair follicles, prolonged exposure can damage your hair. Exposure to wind flowing through the car or bus windows can dry your hair. It may accumulate dirt which may make your scalp itchy.
Exposing the hair to polluted areas such as city traffic, industrial area, etc., can damage your hair. Pollution causes chemical damage to the hair.
5. Do not use hot water to wash your hair
Warm water is the best way to wash your hair as it dissolves the dirt and unclogs your pores. Warm water even increases blood flow to the follicles, encouraging hair growth.
But, when you wash your hair with hot water, it gets damaged. As hot water removes the dirt, it can strip off all the oil in your hair and make it dry and frizzy. Using hot water to wash your hair regularly may cause hair fall.
Hot water can cause burning, which will damage your scalp resulting in itchiness and inflammation. Haircare tips are usually about things to do, but these are some things that you need to stop doing,
Hair Care Routine
1. Oil your hair 2 to 3 times a week
Oiling your hair is one of the first hair care tips to protect the hair from wear and tear. It prevents the hair from drying. Oil protects the hair follicles from surfactants (surfactants emulsify oil and dirt on the hair and scalp) from filling the gap between cuticle cells.
Lipids are an oily substance found in the hair which helps in keeping the hair healthy and shiny. Oiling the hair help replace lipids in the hair. You can use many hair care oils such as coconut oil, sesame oil, argan oil, almond oil, amla oil, and Bhringraj oil.
Coconut oil is best for conditioning your hair. It has a low molecular weight, due to which it deeply penetrates the hair and repairs the damage.
Sesame oil helps in reducing frizziness and preventing split ends. It also provides deep conditioning to the scalp. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which keep dandruff away.
Argan oil contains vitamin A, C, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, which helps condition and strengthen the hair. Almond oil contains vitamin E and biotin, encouraging hair growth.
Bhringraj and amla oils help reduce heat in the body, which helps in lowering greying of hair and hair fall.
2. Use a Mild Shampoo
Oiling your hair isn’t just enough. You have got to wash it to keep your hair and scalp healthy. Shampoo your hair the next day or 2 to 3 hours after oiling.
Shampooing the hair will remove all the dirt and oil, keeping your head clean. Use mild shampoos that contain fewer chemicals and more neutral ingredients. Use shampoos that are paraben and sulfate-free.
Some shampoos are just paraben-free. You can use them for a while, but not regularly. Though sulfates remove oil and dirt very efficiently, they are cancer-causing ingredients.
You might now have many problems if you use them once in a while, but they are not suitable for your scalp and skin. Parabens are often related to hair loss. They can cause itchiness and drying of the scalp.
3. Use a Natural Conditioner
Using a shampoo dries out oils from the hair leaving it dry. It would be best if you used a conditioner after shampoo because it replenishes the oils and texture of the hair.
There are many types of conditioners for different purposes. But, you have to use an instant conditioner after you shampoo. Using a conditioner rich in chemicals has the potential to damage your hair.
Use a regular conditioner if you have normal hair. Use a rich, moisturizing conditioner if it is dry and frizzy. If you need more volume for your hair, use a volumizing conditioner. Use a deep conditioner if your hair is deeply damaged.
4. Use a Hair Serum
Using a hair serum is almost similar to using a conditioner. Conditioners are kept for a while on the hair and then washed off. But serums are kept overnight or even applied after washing your hair and left all day long.
The benefits of using a serum are:
- Frizz-free hair
- Smooth hair
- Shiny hair
- Repairs damaged hair
- Detangles hair
- Maintains the natural state of your hair
- Protects from environmental conditions
5. Let Your Hair Breathe
Your hair needs to be free from all the chemicals and styling products for some time. Using all kinds of hair products will damage your hair. As a hair care routine is needed, leaving your hair completely free is essential.
Let it breathe, wash your hair with just water, dry it, and leave it. Do this when you are at home. This will give your hair a break from all the torture. This is a natural healing process for which the body heals itself. This hair care tip is often overlooked.
How to Stop Hair Fall Immediately?
Hair fall occurs due to several reasons. Genetics is one of the most common reasons for hair fall in men. It happens as one age. There is a specific, predictable pattern in this type of hair fall. This may occur in women too, but in a different way than in men.
Men tend to lose hair in patches or receding hairlines. Women tend to have hair thinning. Another reason can be certain medical conditions when the immune system is disturbed.
Hair fall may also occur due to your lifestyle and poor hair care. As mentioned above, one should follow those hair care tips for healthy hair. People living in villages need not follow all of those points mentioned.
Their lifestyle contains the proper exposure to sunlight, water, soil, air, and space. They follow a natural routine that includes organic food, being with nature, and less stress which keeps them and their hair healthy.
Follow these instructions to stop hair fall:
1. Massage your hair with oil
Massage your scalp, i.e., your hair roots, at least twice a week. Massaging the scalp will increase the blood flow, strengthen roots, and enhance hair growth. This will stop hair from falling off.
2. Avoid certain hairstyles
Avoid tying your hair too tight. Go for some hairstyles that are smaller in length. The smaller the length of the hair, the lesser will be the tension on the roots. Hairstyles like man buns, ponytails, etc., have a tendency to cause hair fall.
3. Avoid heat treatment
As mentioned above, heating your hair can damage it. Heating the hair also heats the roots, and they become weak. Heating also causes brittle hair, which may break easily. Avoid heating your hair every now and then. Get a haircut that requires no heating.
4. Avoid hair styling products
Hairstyling products contain harsh chemicals which make the roots vulnerable. Also, the outer coating of hair gets weak. The natural protection of the inner layer of hair is compromised during the process.
As you apply the styling products, they hold your hair in place, which restricts the flexibility of your hair. This makes the hair brittle and the roots weak, which may cause hair to fall.
Ensure to wash your hair at night or after you return home so that the product does not stay on until the next head bath.
5. Eat nutritious food
Include protein-rich foods, fruits, green vegetables, vitamin-rich, and iron-rich foods. Our diet is one of the most critical factors for our health. If you suddenly see your hair falling out, check your diet. (1)
6. Use a hair fall serum
A hair fall serum helps you regain the strength of the roots and the hair. You may apply it at night just before going to bed for a few days, and you may notice a gradual decrease in your hair fall. (2)
7. Use an anti-hair fall shampoo
As you must wash your hair and keep your scalp clean, you should use shampoo. If you use harsh shampoos, it may worsen the situation. So, use an anti-hair fall shampoo. It will mildly act on the scalp leaving it healthy. (3)
8. Keep your scalp clean
Keeping your scalp clean is one the most important things to stop hair fall. The dirt, oil, and sweat will clog your hair follicles, resulting in a reduced supply of blood and nutrients, leading to poor hair growth and hall fall.
9. Use a conditioner
As mentioned above, use a mild conditioner. This will keep your hair tangle-free and manageable reducing breakage. It will also nourish your hair with essential nutrients, which will help grow them.
Make sure you apply the condition on your hair and not on your scalp. Applying conditioner to the scalp will clog your hair follicles. And wash your hair with normal temperature water to achieve clean hair and scalp.