Your hair is often the first thing people notice about you. Its style, its color—and yes, even its condition. We’re all trying to keep our hair feeling healthy and looking great. But with so many products available and so much conflicting advice, how do you know what really works? Our tips for maintaining healthier hair are based on science, and best of all, they’re easy to do as often as you need to.
1. Use a Gentle Conditioner
Healthy hair often looks healthy because of the conditioner you’re using. A good conditioner gently smooths the cells closer to the cuticle, filling in gaps that could make it look frizzy or damaged. Chemicals called cationic surfactants hold the otherwise loose or frizzy parts of each hair strand close together, giving you a glossy and shiny look. Avoid conditioners with high amounts of paraffin or other thick, gloopy ingredients, as these actually can make the hair look heavy and dull.
2. Eat Your Way to Healthy Hair
You are what you eat, and that’s just as true for your hair. Your hair has a huge amount of protein in it, and that means you need to keep the protein levels up in your diet to keep your hair looking shiny and healthy. If you switch to a low-protein diet for any reason, you could see that your hair becomes weak or brittle, or it could even grow slower. Other dietary factors include the intake of iron and vitamin C. Low iron levels can affect the blood supply to the hair follicles. In extreme cases, this can cause hair loss. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, so these nutrients work together to help keep your hair looking and feeling great.
3. Use a Swim Cap for Healthy Hair
Swimming is a great form of exercise, as it works muscles all over the body and can be low impact for those that need a workout that’s gentle on the joints. But pool water is not gentle on the hair. The chlorine used to keep pool water safe and clean strips away protective oils from every strand of hair. This leaves it more prone to sun damage, breakage and split ends. Avoid chlorine damage by always wearing a swim cap. If you can’t wear a swim cap for any reason, look into healthy oils you can coat your hair with and limit the time your hair is in the pool.
If your hair is not as healthy as you’d like and you’re experiencing hair loss, contact Custom Hair Tampa by today for solutions.
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