Healthy Hair…A Crash Course

So often we overlook care for our hair. We are constantly trying to keep our bodies healthy, our family healthy, and as a result, hair sometimes falls by the wayside. So we thought we’d provide a quick crash course on ways to keep that mane healthy! 

First, an anatomy lesson:

Hair growth begins in the hair follicle, and once it leaves the follicle, it is technically dead. Since there is no biochemical activity keeping the hair shaft alive, it is that much more important to take good care of your hair. Each person’s body chemistry and genes determine how fast/how long will grow, and we all know what it’s like to have major hair envy over those genetically blessed individuals.

Hair is made of a protein called keratin, there are countless shampoos and products boasting the benefits of keratin for our hair, but really, having healthy hair is more about how you take care of it, not always what you put on it.

The best tips for healthy hair:

–Handle with care. Hair can be stretched up to 30% of its length before it snaps, so be gentle and don’t tug too hard.

–Keep it cool. Heat styling tools will damage your hair faster than anything. Try and use the cooler settings and definitely use a silicone based heat protectant on your hair before applying heat.

–Be salon smart. Split ends are every woman’s nemesis. Make sure you are getting a trim at least every 10 weeks, or else your hair will keep breaking further up the shaft.

–Soft. Make sure you are conditioning your hair regularly. Keeping more moisture in it will keep it stronger and healthier. Plus it feels so wonderful.

–Don’t shampoo every day. Shampooing every day is the fastest way to dry out your hair. The natural oils your scalp produces should be present to foster healthy hair growth.

–Gently brush your hair. Be sure you are always gently brushing and never pulling. We know knots can be the bane of our existence, but refrain from pulling your hair like a mad woman. Your luscious locks with thank you.

–Be smart with styling. Give your hair a break every once in awhile. As we’ve said before, heat styling every day takes a toll on your hair. Be the nice kid on the playground and offer to let it rest a couple days a week.

Having a great head of hair isn’t unattainable (although we still don’t understand the science behind Kate Middleton’s mane… serious hair envy), it just requires some TLC and attention (we promise we are just talking hair… nor a relationship, but you get the idea.