Overall health is important to all of us. We want to feel great, but we also want the side-effect of looking great, too. Whether it’s our skin, our nails, or our hair, our relative health makes itself visible through how we look. And no matter how much time or money we spend at the salon or on the best hair products, our hair can let us down, looking tired, frazzled, and unhealthy. So, how to get healthy hair that looks and feels as great as the rest of our body? Here are a few ideas:

Tip #1

Start with Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is great as a pre-shampoo rinse because it has been shown to be a clarifier, breaking up and rinsing away product buildup on the scalp. That buildup can block up follicles, which can lead to dandruff and even hair loss. Rinse with apple cider vinegar before shampooing is a natural way to help clean your hair.

Tip #2

Shampoo Less Often

The shampoo is also great for cleaning off the natural oils in your hair that help keeps it healthy-looking. Try only shampooing every other day to give your hair some downtime. And try to pick a shampoo without sulfates, which really drys out the hair.

Tip #3

Shampoo the Roots, Condition the Ends

Focus your shampoo attention around the roots of the hair to avoid creating dried-out, flyaway hair, while still cleaning your hair. And once you’ve rinsed, focus your conditioner on the ends of the hair. Conditioner introduces some conditioning agents that aren’t as needed next to the scalp but helps make the ends of the hair shaft shiny and healthy-looking.

Tip #4

T-Shirt, not Towel

Old t-shirts make a great alternative to traditional towels.  This is because your deep, absorbent cotton towels may feel great next to the skin, but they can be rough on your hair. Rubbing with a towel can damage the cuticle. T-shirt material will still help dry your hair but will be much more gentle.

Tip #5

Cool the Heat

Heat styling, like blow-drying and straightening, can really damage the healthy look of your hair.  Heat can change the color pigments in your hair, damage the keratin protein that gives your hair its elasticity, crack and damage the hair, and if you use heat styling products on wet hair, it can dry the hair from the inside out which causes the moisture to burst through the shaft as steam. So limit the heat styling, and when you do, use a protective serum on your hair to limit the damage.

Tip #6

Loose, Gentle Ties

Another way to reduce damage to the hair is to avoid tight hair ties. Skip anything that pulls tightly on your strands, and instead go for soft, loose ties, like a cloth-covered scrunchie. Tight elastic ties can pull and break your hair.

Tip # 7

Silk Pillowcase

There are those of us who have a really good thing going: we wash our hair the night before and let it air dry overnight, avoiding head damage. But one suggestion to make it extra gentle on your hair is to use a silk or satin pillowcase. These smooth materials are kinder to your hair when you toss and turn at night.

Tip #8

No Tight Braids

Going to bed with loose hair can cause knots and tangles that need serious brushing the next morning, so trying your hair into a side braid can help. But don’t make the braid too tight. When it is stretched or tugged, instead of shifting it’ll break. But if you do a loose braid you’ll avoid the tangles and the breakage, helping keep your hair healthy.

Tip #9

Nourish from the Inside Out

It may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes we need to be reminded that our hair is not primarily nourished by exterior products but from the inside out. We need to eat a nutritious, healthy, balanced diet to support healthy hair. With busy lifestyles, this may be much easier said than done. For those of us who may find it hard to ensure we’re eating a balanced diet, there are daily vitamin supplements, like Nature’s Way Hair Skin Nails Vita Gummies for Adults to top up your intake. Daily vitamins not only help your hair stay healthy, they help the rest of your body, too.

Tip #10

Brush Well

There is a right way to brush. Starting at the roots can just tighten any existing tangles, so start at the tips of the hair, and work your way up. Use a brush with flexible bristles and gently work out any knots. And try not to brush when your hair is wet to limit breakage.

Tip #11

Protect Before Swimming

Pool chlorine is very damaging to the hair. Protect your locks by conditioning before you swim, and then make sure you use a swimmer’s shampoo and conditioner to get the chemicals out of your hair and replace the moisture lost.