Updated October 2022 By Dr Jonathan Palmer
How To Look After and Love Your Hair
Four easy ways to get healthy, beautiful hair that looks great!
We all love our hair. We want it to look great and to be healthy. Whether you have curly, straight, or wavy hair that is coarse, medium or fine, these simple little tips and tricks can help you have healthier, more beautiful hair. These are in no particular order:
1) Use conditioner every time you wash your hair. Ideally, massage it into your hair and leave it in for 2-5 minutes if you have time. Leaving your conditioner on allows for deep nourishing absorption, giving the product time to work. We recommend using conditioners containing added oil (e.g. coconut or argan oil) to give your hair an extra health boost.
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Two great conditioners we regularly use ourselves will help reduce split-end formation and increase hair health. Head & Shoulders spent decades honing their formulations and make excellent conditioners. They’ve got the right combination of oils and other ingredients that boost hair health, leaving it feeling soft and more manageable. They also, in our opinion, make your hair smell great. Definitely worth a try.
Pro Tip: Experiment with oils by adding a little to your favourite conditioner. All you need is a couple of drops of oil mixed in with your conditioner in your hand. This way, you can get the benefits of the oil you want (we would suggest coconut oil to start) with the conditioner you like.
2) Incorporate hair masks into your routine. Hair masks are fully loaded with hair oils and other natural ingredients that boost hair health and help bring out your hair's natural volume and beauty. Hair masks can be used as conditioners every time you shower or as a deep conditioning treatment for your hair used twice a month or so.
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We use these excellent hair masks ourselves. They are fantastic and give your hair a nutrient boost -exactly what it needs. We use the coconut mask in particular, which smells great and boosts hair health due to that all-important coconut oil. Let us know how you get on!
3) Reduce chemical hair treatments where possible. Of course, many of us straighten and colour our hair, but any reduction in the number of times a year we chemically treat our hair will positively impact our hair health. The worst chemical treatments include 1) Hair dying with peroxides and sodium hydroxide and 2) chemical straightening treatments, e.g. using thioglycolates.
If you want to permanently colour and chemically straighten or curl your hair, you should avoid carrying out these treatments at the same time. Good scientific evidence shows a more significant negative effect on your hair health. Leaving about two weeks for your hair to recover before starting the second treatment will lessen the damage to your hair.
When choosing a dyeing product, use weaker hydrogen peroxide solutions; For example, use 20 vol instead of 30 vol. More diluted peroxide mixtures are kinder to your skin and hair, giving you better control during bleaching.
Try to avoid straightening and dyeing products that contain sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is very harsh on both your hair and skin. Product alternatives will include chemicals such as ammonium thioglycolate or guanidine hydroxide. These still work well and will do less damage to your hair.
Straightening your hair with heat (although temporary) is better from a hair health perspective than any chemical straightening product. When using straighteners (flat irons or curling irons), it is worth noting that what you see is only steam (water) leaving your hair. The lost water is easily replaced when you wet your hair. When buying straighteners, try to use trustworthy brands to help ensure the heat is adequately regulated and adjustable, so your hair does not burn. Do not straighten your hair when it is wet. Heating wet hair can cause massive damage from the excess water boiling within your hair fibres.
We suggest pre-treating your hair before using straighteners with specially formulated heat protection products or specific natural oils.
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Straightening your hair with heating tongs doesn't need to be massively destructive to your hair, causing the sort of blisters shown above. The solution is a temperature-controlled curler or straightener! Experiment with the temperature and the length of hair contact time to discover the lowest heat settings you need to get the look you want. Get the look without the damage!
4) UV damage can build up during the summer months, having permanent adverse effects on your hair. Oils such as coconut oil can strongly protect against UV damage. Therefore, we recommend using oils regularly or during holidays in sunny locations.
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We at HairKnowHow have used both the coconut and argan oils ourselves for over a year, and they work very well, either on their own (by applying a couple of drops into a spray bottle with some water and then evenly spraying onto your hair) or when adding them to your favourite conditioner. Let us know how you get on.
5) Try only to brush your hair when detangling or styling, and do not brush your hair when it is wet. It has been observed in the laboratory that both wet and frequent hair brushing cause increased cuticle damage and hair breakage. This type of damage can result in a decrease in hair health and increased frizz. Allow your hair to air dry as much as possible or use a towel.
Try not to brush your hair too hard. If you find tangles a problem, gently tease the strands apart. It is worth taking the time to brush your hair carefully, and if sticky stuff is getting in your hair, then tie it up out of the way.
Brushes and combs are one of the most overlooked factors in hair health. We would recommend staying away from hairbrushes with metal bristles, even those with plastic ball ends, for comfort. Use brushes with a flexible bristle and base for greater movement. Metal-toothed brushes increase both hair breakage and cuticle loss.
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Two great detangling brushes for those with frizzy tangly, or knotted hair. The type, number and arrangement of bristles help reduce the stress placed on hair during brushing and untangling. We have a lot of experience with these brushes. They will serve you well whether you use them for detangling or as part of your everyday styling regime, and we highly recommend them to you. Suitable for all hair types. Let us know how you get on.
Tip: Run your fingers through your hair first before reaching for a brush or comb! Your hands will have a better feel for knots and tangles so that you will reduce breakage and cuticle loss.
We hope you found some of these tips helpful. We will be adding new tips soon, so check back for updates!
In the meantime, if you would like professional advice on the best products and grooming advice for your hair or would like help getting the most from your hair, please consider our hair analysis options below.
Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions you would like answered about your hair or have any hair concerns about your hair porosity or split-ends.
The HairKnowHow team.
