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And great hair starts with having a personalized hair-care routine.
Delmaine Donson
If youre thinkingwait, I dont have one of those, dont worry!
Its not like youre born knowinghow to take care of your hair!
But if you really want to know how to get healthy hair, ask the pros.
Or have SELF do it for you.
What should a hair-care routine include?
This doesnt mean your hair-care routineneedsto have all of these components.
For instance, you may never use heat on your hair.
But since these are the mainstays of most peoples hair-care routines, were going to cover them all.
Cleansing:For all hair types, the goal of the cleansing should bescalp-centric.
Hair health starts at the scalp, explains Santiago.
So its important to get it completely clean and clear of build-up.
How often should you wash?
That depends on your hair texture as wellmore on this later.
When it comes to products, texture again is key.
Those with finer hair should avoid oils and attempt to find avolumizing shampoo.
Conditioning:Always follow cleansing your hair with conditioner to restore the moisture that shampooing strips away.
For thicker hair, a good deep conditioner is a must.
(Here are heat protectants to try.)
Which brings us to our next point.
Finer hair needs a lighter product, like a mousse, to lift from the roots and add texture.
How do I keep my hair healthy with a daily hair-care routine?
These are signs its time for a wash day.
Or you could apply baby powder.
Carter recommends against it, since wet hair is more prone to breakage.
What are bad habits for your hair?
The texture of your hair should dictate your hair routine more than anything else.
These are just some general guidelines and tips for healthy hair.
Being reactive instead of proactive.
Dont wait until you see something wrong to start really taking care of your hair.
Yanking a brush through wet hair.
Its shaped like a little foot and fits in your palm.
It doesnt pull or tug on the hair and can be used on any texture or length.
Ignoring your hair at night.
you’re able to multitask while you rest.
Its a great time to use products like dry shampoo because they work while youre asleep, explains Santiago.
On the flip side, dont forget you’re free to do damage while you sleep too.
Not getting regular trims.
You wouldn’t believe how many women I see pulling on their split ends, he says.
You’re actually shredding the hair, and creating a more uneven split end thats harder to fix.
Instead, snip it off with very sharp scissors.
And make an appointment to get a haircut ASAP.
Regular maintenance and professional haircuts actually promote hair growth, says Carter.
Dont shampoo your hair daily if it tends to get oily fast, he says.
This leads to excess oil production making it more oily and weighs it down.
I recommend dry shampoo on non-wash days.
(This is why figuring out great air-drying techniques can be so handy!)
Using heated styling tools when the hair is still wet literally fries the hair.
Another major bad habit is heat-styling many days in a row.
So make a run at heat style just once or twice per week, if possible.
And, of course, dont forget the heat protectant!
Detangling the wrong way.
“My biggest pet peeve is when people start at the root when brushing or combing.
you might literally hear the hair breaking!
saysMichael Long, who has worked with Lizzy Caplan and Alexandra Daddario.
Instead, start at the ends and remove the tangles there first.
Then work your way up towards the root.
That way, youre reducing split ends and frizzy broken bits.”
The products instructions are there for a reason.
Aerosol products work best when theyre exposed to air before they reach the head.
The whole point of washing your hair is to break down build-up, explains Santiago.
So keeping an eye on how much product you apply daily is important.
One product a lot of people overapply is dry shampoo.
If your hair starts to look weighed down or starts breaking, youll need to scale back.
But what if youre trying to minimize wash daysandcut down on your dry-shampoo usage?
In that case, reach for products to keep your hair strong and hydrated, like refreshing sprays.
This will accomplish the dual goals of breaking up build-upandrestoring moisture.
Being rough when drying wet hair.
It roughs up the delicate cuticle.
This can lead to dryness and dullness.
“Try fewer washings, less heat styling and blow drying, and more deep conditioning.
Hair looks fuller when its healthier and stronger.”
Bottom line: The less you fuss with and manipulate your hair, the better.
Not considering products like extensions.
Fine hair clients stress their hair out with heat and products to make it appear thicker, says Valles.
Extensions will actually be less stressful to your hair.
Trying to force your hair to be something its not.
That doesnt mean you cant experiment with new looks!
Remember, the goal is knowing how to take care ofyourhair so its as healthy and happy as possible.
