Hair Care Tips

Hair Care Tips

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle which includes proper diet and nutrition is a major key to Hair Care Tips beautiful hair. But, unfortunately, we do not always have proper eating habits.

By using hair nutrients and following some general guidelines, you can keep your hair in great condition.

Last Updated - 7th October 2005

General Hair Care Tips

As much as possible, use natural and organic hair-care products. Many commercial shampoos, conditioners, and rinses contain chemicals that in the long run can damage the hair. Daily or regular shampooing, rinsing, and conditioning with natural products can help keep hair healthy and beautiful. Look for hair care products with wheat germ, jojoba, and/or coconut oil, keratin, vitamins such as biotin, panthenol, vitamin A, E and essential oils.

When applying shampoo, be sure to massage the scalp, as this activates circulation and energy flow, and stimulates hair at the roots. As much as possible, avoid using electric hair dryers, hot curling irons and let the hair dry naturally.

Healthy Hair

Good hygiene is important for healthy hair. This includes brushing the hair properly and washing it with a mild shampoo. Good nutrition (a well - balanced diet of fresh foods and lots of water) not only helps one to have beautiful - looking hair but also improves it's texture.

Wash your hair daily or every other day. The extra circulation provided by the shampoo /message stimulates the oil glands to work more efficiently and brings natural oils into the hair. This applies to all types of hair.

Use shampoo that is pH balanced and that is designed specially for you hair type (dry, oily, etc.). Ask your hair specialist to assist you in selecting the right shampoo for your hair type. Always rinse with cool (not hot) clean water for extra shine.

Allow your hair to air dry naturally whenever possible.

Never brush soaking - wet hair, as the hair is quite elastic at this time and can be pulled and stretched to the breaking point. A wide - toothed comb is best for wet hair.

Give your hair a good brushing before bed. This should be done by bending forward from the waist, head down, brushing from the back to front. Brush at least fifty to one hundred strokes. This will help remove dirt, pollutants and damaging particles from the hair in addition to stimulate circulation which will increase natural oils for added sheen and oxygen to the hair and scalp.

Once a week massage jojoba oil with one to two drops of rosemary oil for dry or oily hair and tea tree for hair that show signs of dandruff into the scalp. Leave on over night, wash out the next day.

Hair Type Tips

Dull hair without hair damage in most cases can be the result of a build-up of shampoos, conditions, and hard-water particles. These build-ups can deprive your hair of the bounce and sheen for which you bought the shampoo and conditioner in the first place.

Clean your hair thoroughly to rid it of hair - care products and residue.

Try a shampoo specially designed to remove build-up, or you can use a solution of plain apple-cider vinegar and water. This procedure will restore the acid mantle, which is essential to a healthy scalp and clean, shiny hair.

Rinsing your hair after shampooing with the apple-cider solution of apple-cider vinegar and water (half and half mixture), massage in well, then raise out.

Now apply your conditioner. This should be done every two weeks. This is very important if you wash your hair consistently with hard water, which has more metal ions.

When combined with soaps, these metal ions leave a residue that when left on your hair will make it dull and dry.

Natural Highlights

Chamomile oil and/or lemon extract are the strongest natural highlighter. Just comb the chamomile oil or lemon extract through your hair and let the sun do the rest. When using essential oils and/or extracts, always mix them with jojoba oil. Never apply essential herbal oils or extracts directly on hair or skin.

For a milder, overall lightening, use chamomile tea (brewed in hot water and cooled) and/or lemon juice, and rinse your freshly shampooed and conditioned hair with it, then go out into the sun and let dry.

For reddish highlights, use a rinse mixed with a bit of lemon juice and brewed red zinger tea. With the sun's help you will have natural red highlights. Both teas can be found in health food stores.

Falling Out and Thinning Hair

Avoid using stiff nylon brushes, rollers, pony-tails, and other hairstyles that put great pressure on the hair.

Avoid rough scalp massages and towel dying, perming and hot blow drying (these weaken the hair shaft even more). Let hair dry as naturally as possible or if you must blow dry, use low to medium heat only. Hold the blower at least 6 inches from your scalp.

Use a de-tangle and a wide-tooth comb to untangle the hair. Minimize use of a brush on wet hair. Do not wear hats or wigs on a regular continues basis. Hats and wigs can cut off circulation and oxygen, causing possible further hair loss.

Lightly massage your scalp with the tips of your fingers, always using a circular movement for five minutes when shampooing. This is good for blood nourishment to the scalp.

After shampooing, rub a few drops of a blend of essential oils such as tea tree, jojoba oil, and rosemary into your hair and scalp and message in; do not rinse out unless your hair is oily.

Dry and Brittle Hair

A through brushing of the hair using a slow, gentle, even strokes to minimize pressure on the split ends every day keeps it free from unwanted particles and helps to bring the natural oils from the scalp to the hair split ends. This will make your hair less dry and brittle and will help it to look silky and lustrous.

Avoid sun damages, chlorinated swimming pools by wearing hats and swimming caps.

Avoid shampoos that are extremely alkaline or that contain alcohol.

Keep split ends or dead hair cut. In most cases you cannot repair the damage by treating hair from the "outside-in." Hair has to be repaired from the "inside-out." Keeping the hair healthy and free of dead and/or split ends will help new hair grow faster.

Use the jojoba oil and rosemary mixture on your hair once a week. This can be applied overnight (wear a cap or use a old pillow case) or use as a hot oil treatment under the hair drier

Hair with no Body

The problem with lack of body in your hair is that it leads to three other problems: less elasticity, less flexibility, and less strength. Look carefully at your hair. Does it look limp and flat shortly after you've washed and groomed it? Hairspray can weight it down and make it look flat and limp so use very little. If you use a commercial conditioner that contains a fabric softener such as stear-alkonium chloride or some other quaternary ammonium compound, it will make the hair look flat and limp. It will destroy the body your hair naturally has. Choose a shampoo and conditioner that has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5, that is natural and contains protein. Use a protein pack that contains horsetail and/or sage once a week, or you can add four to five drops of sage to a protein treatment pack.

Dandruff

Dandruff appears in many forms, such as common dandruff, psoriasis, neurodermatitis. Dandruff itches and when scratched falls away easily. Psoriasis is a more difficult disorder where the scales, silver-white in color, cling tenaciously to the scalp. Neurodermatitis is a condition confined to the area at the base of the scalp, characterized by extreme itchiness and common among menopausal and post-menopausal women.

Research indicated that dandruff becomes evident when chemical reaction in the body causes the normal shedding of dead cells to increase, thru making the peeling process, normally imperceptible, much more apparent. Evidence suggest that this chemical change is associated with one or a combination of factors, namely a dietary deficiency, stress, and ill usage of hair preparations. It goes without saying that dandruff is obvious is Nature's cry for help!.

Avoid fry foods, animal fats, nuts, avocado and dairy products. Eliminate refined sugars from the diet.

Use a gentle shampoo and dilute it before using Commercial anti-dandruff shampoos are too harsh can dry out the hair. Besides these shampoos will only take care of the symptoms not the problem.

Use an natural shampoo with tea tree oil and/or rosemary oil. Lightly massage your scalp with the tips of your finger, always using a circular movement for 5 minutes. This is good for blood nourishment to the scalp.

Massage a blend of essential oils of jojoba oil, tea tree, and rosemary oil into your scalp with your finger tips for 5 minutes at least once a week and leave in overnight (use a old pillow case)