"Try this! Try that! Get healthier hair for only $9.95!"
If you're tired of people trying to sell you the latest hair care solution, don't worry. That's not what this post is about.
On the contrary, we want to share some natural hair care practices that won't cost you a penny. After all, hair care has been around a lot longer than hair care products. In fact, since hair is part of our bodies, hair care is as old as the human race itself!
To that point, we're going to show you some very simple ways to boost your hair health completely free of charge. Try this all-natural hair care routine and see for yourself what a difference it makes.
1. Keep It Trimmed
We're all for growing your hair out. But there's a right and a wrong way to go about it.
Specifically, you should never stop trimming your hair completely. This causes the ends of your hair to become unhealthy.
Then, split ends and other hair damage spreads to the rest of your hair, toward the roots. In fact, it spreads about as fast as your hair grows. At that point, growing out your hair only extends the part that's damaged and unhealthy.
The obvious solution is to trim off the damage and start growing healthy hair again. You should trim your hair every 6-8 weeks to keep it healthy and strong.
2. Avoid Heat
On the other hand, if you want your hair brittle and inflexible, expose it to high heat over and over again. High-heat styling methods are basically a way of torturing your hair into submission.
The heat "cooks" the flexibility right out of your hair so it will stay how you want it. Obviously, this is as good for your hair as it sounds.
Curling irons are okay once in a while. If you keep your hair trimmed at the same length, you'll trim the damage out soon enough.
But if you're growing your hair out, you shouldn't use such treatment, ever. And speaking of things you should never do, never use an electric hair dryer again.
The bottom line is, high heat damages hair, period. The more you expose your hair to it, the more damaged it gets.
Find alternative methods of keeping your hair where you want it. Or, better yet, consider other styles that your hair type will conform to without harsh treatment.
3. Be Gentle With Your Hair
Along those same lines, try your best to be generally gentle with your hair. When you brush, for example, brush slow and gentle, not hard and fast.
Brush the tangles from the tips first. Then, start a little higher up and brush out to the tips. Keep working your way higher until you can gently brush all the way from the roots to the tips.
Furthermore, avoid overexposure to UV rays and harsh chemicals. And don't keep your hair in a tight hairdo for several hours. This will cause your hair to break.
4. Don't Wash It Too Often
People often forget that shampoo is a chemical treatment, too. Don't get us wrong: you definitely need to keep your hair clean.
But washing it too often can strip your hair of all its natural, protective oils produced by your scalp. To avoid this, don't wash your hair every day. Instead, try to wash it every 2 or 3 days.
5. Eat Hair-Healthy Foods
As you know, the foods you eat affect how your body functions. This includes hair production.
Thus, there are certain foods you can eat that will promote the growth of strong, healthy hair. These are mostly foods that are high in healthy oils, like omega-3s. Some examples include:
- Nuts and seeds
- Berries
- Eggs
- Fatty fish
- Avocados
- Sweet potatoes
There are also vitamin supplements you can take that include the same hair-healthy nutrients as these foods. For example, vitamins D, E, and the B vitamins are good for healthy hair growth.
6. Apply Hair-Healthy Oils
Some nutrients can be applied to your hair topically, namely essential oils. Best of all, there are centuries of research on the specific effects of these oils. In other words, you can choose certain oils for any particular hair problem you're dealing with.
For instance, lavender oil helps you control dandruff. Almond and jojoba oil help keep your scalp moisturized. And coconut oil is known for softening your hair and enhancing its shine.
The other benefit is that these natural products are incredibly cheap, especially compared with the average hair care product.
7. Wrap It Overnight
Lastly, here's an easy trick to preserve your hair's natural body and beauty. Keep your hair wrapped up at night.
Depending on how much you move around at night, your unwrapped hair doesn't get as much rest as you do. It goes out in all directions and gets crumpled, crushed, tangled, and possibly even gnawed.
Keeping your hair wrapped overnight prevents this. Plus it saves you from having to spend a lot of time and effort re-brushing it in the morning. Silk or satin pillowcases/hair covers are the best option.
Try These Natural Hair Care Practices
The key word in hair care is "care." So stop cooking, stretching, and starving your hair. Be nice to it with these natural hair care practices.
We have so many more awesome hair care tips to share with you. Next, read our guide on The Best Winter Hair Care Products You Can Get and Give.