by BR Tabatha
It's been called our crowning glory, but honestly, more often than not I've thought of the hair on my head as a thorn in my side. The frizz, the dryness, the tangles, the oil, the 'what do you want from me? BLOOD?' moments as I've tried to style it into some sort of semblance of normality. Turns out I - along with many of my friends and fam - wasn't treating my hair right, and that some beauty basics would make a big difference, like these...
Give your hair a good rinse.
It's amazing how left over product can build up in our hair, which is why after shampooing and conditioning you need to give your hair a good rinse. And by good we mean 'rinse, then rinse more, and rinse again.' Then rinse again for good measure. For extra rinsing action get your fingers into your roots and get wriggly with it to ensure all residue is removed.
Trim those ends!
Myth buster alert! Trimming your hair does not make it grow any faster than usual. Hair tends to grow 1/4 to 1/2 an inch on average a month of its own accord. What a good hair trim will do is make your hair look fresh and healthy by removing split ends (which only serve to make your hair look dry, damaged and unkempt). Determined to leave the length on? Eventually the split ends will split further up your hair shaft, meaning you'll need more hair trimmed down the track, so a little trim now will lead to longer, healthier looking hair later!
Be a blow drying pro!
The best thing you can do for your hair is to step away from the hairdryer (and heat tools) as much as possible but, let's be honest, there are times a girl needs to get her glam on and a quick blow dry is a must. In that case before you hit the go button, gently towel dry or air dry your hair as much as possible to remove moisture. Next, pop heat protectant on your hair. Finally? Stick to the medium heat setting in order to not fry your locks, then hold the dryer at least 6 to 8 inches away from your hair and direct the air blast down the shaft from the root to prevent frizz. Want some air in your hair? Flip your head forward while drying to get that 'just walked out of a salon' look.
Be brush smart!
As tempting as it is to channel our inner-Rapunzel and get gleaming, glorious locks by brushing our hair a million times, doing so can cause unwated breakage and frizz. So stick to brushing your hair when you need to - basically, when you're getting ready for the day or night. Hopped out of the shower? Back away from the brush and opt for a wide tooth comb to work the knots and tangles out of your mop.
Easy does it with the towel!
Anyone else have 'fond' memories of their mother towelling their hair in such a way that it left you feeling like your head had just been in a lettuce spinner? That hardcore hair drying isn't great - it'll ruffle the cuticle, cause tangles (cue more memories of mum yanking my hair with the brush while trying to get out said tangles), and increase frizz and damage. The better way to dry your hair post-shower? After squeezing out the excess water, wrap your hair in a microfibre towel for ten minutes (a little longer if you've long locks) then blot/squeeze the water out. Don't have a microfibre towel? An old t-shirt will also do the trick!
Use the right product for your hair type.
Ever tried putting marula oil on fine, dry hair? Our BR Kellie has because it was all she had on hand after running our of her usual argan oil, and she would recommend you don't... Unless that greasy, limp look is something your aspire to. If you want to get the best out of your hair, choose products that are designed for your hair type. For example curly hair tends to be on the dry side (oil doesn't travel down the kinky hair shaft as easily as on straight hair) so products aimed at curly hair will often be creamy and moisturising and contain ingredients to soften the hair and minimise frizz, helping the oils travel more easily. Whereas products aimed at oily hair will be light and gentle so as not to weigh your hair down. Luckily brands are, on the whole, excellent at specifying who their product is aimed at, so read those bottles carefully and give your hair the love and care it deserves.
They're the basics, but they work to keep your hair looking fine!
So, do tell, what tips and tricks do you have that keeps your hair full of health?
Chat away below!
I blow dry and use straightener but my hair copes well as split ends minimal but I use heat protector's I've just started using Fudge Shampoo it makes hardly any difference to my hair colour eventhough I left product in for 10 mins today (5 mins first time). Used the fructis hair food after and didn't like it weighs my hair down too much. Really disappointed with how my hair has turned out! Need some highlights