As top stylists & barbers in Kelowna we are often asked by our clients what they can do to get healthier hair at home. Some of you are guilty of mistreating your tresses; heat damage, using cheap crappy products that dry out or build up on the hair, or just general neglect.
Who doesn’t want a head full of luscious healthy hair? If you’re dying of hair envy and looking for ways to get Rapunzel-esque tresses here are a few tips to help you meet your #hairgoals.
Skip the shampoo every other day
When you wash your hair daily, you strip the natural oils from your scalp causing it to over-produce its natural barrier leaving your hair feeling greasy. Of course then you feel the need to wash again, and so the vicious cycle continues. You should actually only be shampooing your hair every other day for optimal health. When in the shower on your in-between days, wet down your mane and give yourself a nice scalp massage (just like if you were lathering up) to increase circulation and help stimulate your hair follicles. Can’t make it a day without feeling like a grease ball? Try using a dry shampoo to soak up excess oil and give your hair a style-able texture. We recommend Evo Water Killer dry shampoo.
Condition often to soften
Would you ever skip moisturizer and sunscreen on your skin? No way! So why would you do it with your hair? You should treat your scalp in the same way you treat the rest of your skin, with regular skin care including moisturizer. Even if you are skipping shampoos (as advised above) you should still be applying conditioner daily, this is especially important for long hair. For those of you who are worried about weighing down your vivacious volume, fret not. There are plenty of good quality conditioners that will effectively penetrate the hair, moisturizing deeply without adding weight. Cheaper drug store variety conditioners tend to coat the hair rather than treat it, leading us to our next tip.
Use professional hair care products
For the sweet love of rainbow unicorn kittens, we cannot stress this enough!! How many times have we done an amazing colour in the salon only to have you go home, use your drug store brand shampoo and conditioner and then come back complaining about how your colour is faded and your hair is dry. Seriously, there is a MASSIVE difference in the quality of ingredients used in salon quality hair products and the stuff you pick up at Shoppers Drug Mart. Bare minimum you should be using a good quality shampoo and conditioner like something from Redken or Evo, but there are many, many more. You really want to take you hair game up a notch? Use a good quality heat protector when you style (all you ladies with flat irons, you listening?) and finish off with the right styling aids for your hair type. Ever wonder how we make you so amazing whenever you come to the salon? It’s partly because we have the right tools at our disposal.
Be gentle to avoid breakage
Wet hair is very fragile and breaks easily; when wet, the shaft and roots of your hair are more prone to sustaining damage. Always pat dry. Do not ever rub. You might dry your hair faster but the amount of hair that breaks is not going to help you achieve illustrious locks. Also be careful when brushing, start from the bottom and work your way up. If you brush straight down, you’re pushing your tangles into one big tangle! Also, over brushing results in the frizziness so try to chill ok? Avoid using super tight hair ties and ripping them out of your post-hangover messy bun, and if you want to be on serious damage control avoid teasing your hair; even if it creates a lot of volume, it ruins the hair texture.
Eat your fruits & veggies
I know, we sound like your mom nagging you to eat your broccoli at dinnertime. But for real there are many benefits to eating healthy, one of which is glorious hair. Certain nutrients like vitamins, iron and proteins are essential for your hair growth and health. Lots of leafy greens and healthy fats make for shiny, flowing locks.
Get regular hair cuts
We swear this is not a ploy to get you to come see us more often, even though we love seeing you regularly. The truth is if you want to maintain healthy bodacious hair you need regular trims. It’s much easier to prevent split ends than repair them, so even if you just have a tiny little quarter of an inch snipped off you will be doing your part to maintain a lustrous mane. Your hair only grows a quarter of an inch to one inch a month. So if you have long hair, be aware that some of the bottom ends are really old and might need a trim to stay healthy looking.
Fabric Matters
This might seem weird, but these are some extra pro-level tips to take your hair game to the next level. Did you know that cotton absorbs moisture and could be robbing your hair and skin while you sleep?? Try sleeping on a sateen (cotton coated in polyester) pillowcase; it’s cooler, so you won’t sweat as much or tangle and roughen up your hair. Also, you should be drying your hair with an old t-shirt, not a terry cloth towel. We kid you not: a cotton tee is gentler on your hair than a towel; they don’t rough up the cuticle as much, so you don’t have to work as hard to smooth the hair and make it look healthy.
These are our top picks but you can find even more amazing healthy hair ideas here: