Looking to get your hair into a healthier place but don’t know where to begin? Don’t worry, I got you. While hair health is dependent on a lot of factors, I personally believe that there are some hair care tips that work across the board.
For a bit of context, my hair is very fine and straight, dyed from brown to blonde and also long (reaching below my bra strap). As someone with sensitive skin and delicate hair, I can’t use all the trending products you can find online to spruce up my hair routine, so over the years, I’ve figured out the best way to take care of my hair with these simple and affordable hair-care hacks.
Don’t overwash your hair
Now, this one depends on your personal preference and on the type of hair you have, but it seems that the general rule for people with long hair is that you don’t need to wash your hair every day. It seems that every 2-3 days is a good rule of thumb for hair-washing, as overwashing can strip your hair of its natural oils, causing a domino cycle of your scalp overproducing oil to compensate for the loss, leading to an even oilier scalp—ugh!
Don’t use a regular hair elastic
Wearing a tight ponytail or bun is one of the easiest ways to rip your hair and get premature split ends. I have been an avid scrunchie user for years now and I find that I have way fewer split ends in that mid-zone around my jawline because I’m not ripping an elastic band in and out of my hair. If you also do sports and need a more durable option, I recommend checking out Lululemon sport scrunchies. Right now, their 3-packs sell for $24 CAD.
Don’t brush wet hair
Guilty! I am definitely not perfect when it comes to this rule, but I am trying to get better—I promise. Brushing wet hair is definitely the default, and for people with naturally curly or wavy hair, this is actually the way to go. The reason I’ve been trying to to stop doing it was because I read that wet hair is the most susceptible to breakage for people with naturally straight hair like mine. Yikes.
Do use a heat protectant
I’m not going to sit here and tell you to never touch a hot-hair tool ever again. Blowdryers, curlers, and straighteners can all be a gal’s best friend (with the right preparation). Normally I air-dry my hair, but there is the odd time that I’ll use heat to dry my hair in a hurry or to style it for an event. On those occasions, I always make sure to use a heat-protectant spray to keep my dyed hair healthy, hydrated, and happy. Heat protectant isn’t foolproof, but it gives your hair some armour against those high temperatures.
For the past few years, I’ve been using the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil on my hair and it’s always left my hair soft and frizz-free!
Do use a satin pillowcase
One of the biggest differences I noticed with my hair, especially when I used to sleep with it still wet (sleeping with wet hair is a big no-no I realize now), was the difference of using a regular pillowcase and a satin pillowcase. You can find these on Amazon or in some general goods stores for pretty cheap nowadays, between $20 and $30. Now I find that my hair is way more glossy and less tangled.
Do use a wet brush or comb to detangle damp hair
Not that I have anything against a regular hair brush, but if you are looking to really step up the health of your hair, investing in a comb or wet brush is an investment you can’t miss. Personally I use a wet brush as I find my hair gets way fewer knots using it than a regular one.
Do condition your ends regularly
If you’re not conditioning your ends after shampooing then what are you doing? Shampooing essentially strips your hair of all the grease and natural oil and it’s begging you to hydrate it after. Sometimes though, even a mid-shower conditioner isn’t enough. As the weather gets colder and drier, I’ll use a hair oil between washes to hydrate my ends and protect them from the cold.
Do an oil hair mask
I promise it’s not as weird as it sounds! All you need is some argan or coconut oil or any other suitable hair oil. All you have to do is take your unwashed hair the night before you shower then take your oil of choice and lather it between your fingertips, before starting at the ends of your hair and lightly working it in. You don’t need to do your whole head—personally, I skip the middle section—and then I do a little more along my roots. I also like to focus on the area around my temple as those are the face-framing pieces on which I tend to use the most hot tools on. Then, I sleep with my hair in a braid overnight and wash it like normal in the morning. The hair mask adds intensive moisture to my hair and I find that from all the dyes and heat I put on it this has been a real game-changer. I do this roughly every other month, or if my hair is feeling extra dry on the ends (like in the winter months) I’ll do it every few weeks.
Do brush your hair before you shower
It only takes a few seconds and will totally save your hair in the long run. By brushing your hair before you shower, you are making things easier for you post-shower! Less detangling wet strands means less room for breakage to occur!
Do pat dry your hair
Aggressively rubbing your hair to dry it, or “towel-drying” your hair isn’t the best way to keep it healthy because it takes your fragile wet hair and adds friction to it. While more time-consuming to pat dry your hair, you’re saving it in the long run. You know what they say, short-term pain, long-term gain, right? By not rubbing your hair you’re giving it less opportunity for split ends and premature breaks.
And that’s it! Pretty simple right? This is in no way an exhaustive list because I could totally add some more extreme examples like pre-wetting dyed hair before going into saltwater, but I figured we could save that for another time. For now, I hope you enjoy some healthier, happier hair!