There’s a multitude of reasons that many of us make a goal of getting our hair healthy. Hair is one of the first features people notice about you when you walk into the room. It affects your confidence and self esteem when you leave the house. And achieving it doesn’t have to be difficult. Many just don’t know where to start. That’s why I’m sharing my top ten secrets of how to have healthy hair.
Not unlike yourself, I grew up working against my hair. The curly brown puff ball on my head was the total opposite of the other girls in my school. I was envious of their long, blond, straight or slightly waved locks. Not to mention, they didn’t look like they barely escaped to the electric chair after gym class or going outside during recess.
My stylist had recommended a relaxer to me when I was probably around nine years old. But my mother said ‘absolutely not’, and rightfully so. Thus, my slicked-back ponytail poof era emerged .
Around three years later I was told about the infamous Brazilian Blowout. No frizz, easy to style and manage- what more could a pre-teen ask for? Well… probably for my mother to agree to the price.
However, it was a true blessing in disguise. Before I started doing hair as a career, I was determined to have good hair myself.
‘Good Hair’ is Healthy Hair
Forget what you heard about good hair being sleek, straight, or loosely curled. In the hair community, ‘good hair’ is defined by hair that is healthy, not hair that is chemically overprocessed to fit a certain look.
Healthy hair means hydrated, strong, shiny, elastic. It’s fairly manageable when detangling. And there should be little to no breakage, split ends, or excessive shedding.
It’s achievable for anyone. So, let’s make your hair dreams a reality. Scroll down to the next section to learn how you too can have healthy hair.
How To Have Healthy Hair
#1. Know Your ‘Hairstory’
Not all products have the same effect. And that’s because we all have different hair types. So what may work for you or your friend may not work the same for my hair.
Knowing your hair intimately is the most important factor of learning how to have healthy hair. You’ll need to know your natural hair characteristics like type, texture, density, and porosity.
Additionally, being honest about your chemical history and other hair concerns offers a tremendous advantage on the hair wellness journey.
If you want to learn more information about identifying your hair type, check out this blog post.
#2. Use The Right Products For Your Hair Type
Now that you’ve identified your hair characteristics, you can find suitable products more easily. For example, let’s say you have fine, low porosity curls. Then, you’ll want to stray away from heavy curl creams or oil based hair care.
Instead, you may find that your hair responds better to lightweight sprays, mists, or powders. Likewise, having a proper shampoo for curly hair will ensure you retain weightless moisture while cleansing any product residue to promote body.
Using products that support your tresses and compliment your lifestyle means less maintenance for you in the end. And ultimately, this is a top factor in achieving healthy hair. We’ll get into the details of what products are ‘must-haves’ in your arsenal for ultimate hair health, further below.
#3. Be Mindful Of Product Ingredients
The green movement has gained a lot of traction within the last decade, especially in the world of beauty. And The Hair Huna’s mission is to improve holistic sustainability and eco-friendly choices within the hair and salon industry while reducing waste.
Despite some companies’ recent initiatives to introduce greener and cleaner products, many have fallen into the greenwashing cycle- making false claims like ‘organic’, ‘sustainable packaging’, or ‘ingredients that are good for you and the planet’.
Many products, including color and hair bleach, still use harsh ingredients or chemicals like PFAs, parabens, and sulfates that have long term effects on the health of our bodies. Eventually hair reflects that in the form of loss, thinning, or other scalp conditions. Which leads us to the next factor of healthy hair:
#4. Scalp Health Is The Root of Hair Health
Similar to a garden, your scalp is the soil that needs to be fertile in order for your roots to have a strong foundation. But if your scalp is not tended to, the hair root becomes weakened and fragile. Long hair might place too much stress on the follicle, leading to excessive hair fall or breakage.
Scalp care has only become popular in recent years, noting that it is an extension of skin care, but it plays a vital role in order to attain your healthiest hair yet.
FYI- skin is our largest organ, meant to protect, sense, and regulate. Additionally, if not properly taken care of, the scalp itself can become a habitat issues (like flaking, irritation, even fungus) down the road.
Scalp detoxes and hair oiling can lead to great improvements in your scalp health. Add in scalp massages for stimulation and promoting blood flow to the hair follicles and your hair will be growing like weeds in no time.
#5. Wash It Correctly
You’d be surprised at the amount of clients I have had that didn’t know they were washing their hair wrong. It’s something we all learned to do when we were younger, right? Not necessarily.
For starters, the frequency of washing your hair is not a one size fits all. While washing your hair daily is not ideal, neither is going months in between. Try to skip at least one day in between washes. BUT…if your hair is dirty, wash it.
Between hormones, exercise and other environmental stressors, we come into contact with a lot more dirt and grime as we get older. Not removing those impurities regularly can impede hair growth. That’s why clarifying shampoos can be a real game changer.
If you truly want to achieve healthy hair, this step is non-negotiable. For reference, here’s how to wash your hair the right way.
#6. Hair Masks Are Necessary
Not just because everyone needs a little self-care from time to time. In fact, these are developed to serve all types of hair concerns these days. It’s just a matter of finding the best hair mask for you.
Unlike traditional conditioners that smooth the cuticle (the outermost layer of the hair strand) , these masks are designed to go deeper into the cortex. They only have to sit on the hair for about three to seven minutes- so it’s easy to apply and let sit while finishing up the rest of your shower routine.
If you’re a fan of instant gratification, hair masks produce almost next-to-immediate results for most hair problems.
#7. Protect From The Elements
Free radicals within our environments are said to play a key role in aging tresses by damaging DNA. So unless you’re living in a dark, airless cave, this applies to you too.
Invest in products like metal detoxes, leave-in conditioners, hair serums, and heat protectants to not only lock in moisture, but shield your hair from external damage like UV rays, hard water, and other air pollutants. Plus, if you can limit the use of hot tools in your daily hair routine, those tresses will thank you.
Did you know that even your hair rubbing against your rough fabrics can lead to breakage? The products I mentioned above will add slip to your hair to reduce friction, too. Sleep with a silk/ satin pillowcase or bonnet for added protection. And when you dry your hair with a towel, blot don’t rub (Perhaps, try using a cotton t-shirt to soak up the water).
#8. Healthy Hair Comes From Within
A healthy hair diet is necessary if you expect your locks to live up to their fullest potential. Processed foods and sugary beverages are not the proper fuel your body needs. And this eventually leads to a weakened immune system making your hair a target.
Even so, a lot of the foods in our grocery stores have bioengineered ingredients like seed oils- meaning your body won’t get the naturally occurring, ideal nutrients it needs.
If you can, shop for your produce at farmers markets and meet with your local farmers, hatcheries, or butchers for meats and fish that are processed in a more sustainable manner and offer a boat load of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for the body (omega 3s, B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium to name a few).
#9. Manage Stress
Stress is a main contributor of hair loss or thinning. While it interferes with your day to day life, it can cause long term health issues like metabolic diseases, chronic illnesses and hormonal imbalances. All have a significant impact on your hair growth cycle.
Implement wellness practices into your weekly routine like yoga, meditation, journaling, reading or gardening. These ways of self-connection can significantly reduce stress levels.
#10. Just Trim It Already
Lastly, holding on to dead ends is hindering your growth (and that applies to more than your hair).
Needless to say as the hair cuticle becomes weakened, it may split if not cut every so often.
Once the hair is split, it will continue to make its way up towards the root. This will cause tangles, make hair appear stringy, and make styling extra difficult.
My general rule of thumb for a trim is about every 8-12 weeks. But of course this is dependent on your regular hair maintenance. If you apply heat regularly, receive color services often or have a particular style (i.e. modern mullet, fades, pixies and bobs) you may need to trim the ends sooner to maintain.
Yes, Having Healthy Hair Is Achievable
These methods are tried and true. I was able to safely escape my dreaded ‘ponytail puff’ era, without the use of chemical processes and treatments to create the facade of ‘good hair’.
I’ve learned to embrace my hair and work with her instead of against her. And since being a hair stylist, I have helped many clients do the same.
While it’s not an overnight miracle, washing your hair with earth-friendly ingredients, using the correct products, inviting stress reducing lifestyle changes, consistency and a hint of patience offers great strides in progress.
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