Luscious locks don’t happen on their own. You need to proactively take steps to keep your hair healthy and looking fabulous. When you routinely see the same stylist, they will get to know what works for maintaining your hair and can best advise you, but there is some general advice we can share to help you have more good hair days than bad!

10 Professional Tips for Healthy Hair

1. Know Your Hair Type 

The most important key to healthy hair is knowing your hair type: 

• Appearance: straight, wavy, curly, kinky, coily
• Structure: fine, medium, coarse
• Porosity: low porosity, balanced porosity, high porosity
• Scalp Moisture: dry, oily, balanced

How often you should wash and condition your hair, the types of products you should use, and how to best style your hair are all based on your hair type. Different professional hair products are specifically formulated to work with your hair’s natural chemistry and help you achieve the look you desire. Your stylist can help you identify where your hair falls within each area above. If you want to try to determine your type on your own, read our blog How to Determine My Hair Type. 

2. Keep Water on the Colder Side

Who doesn’t love a warm/hot shower? But if you want to encourage a healthy shine, you should mind the temperature. Cool water helps:

• Preserve your hair’s natural oils and close the cuticles for shinier hair
• Minimizes breakage for smoother hair
• Improves blood circulation, which encourages hair growth

3. Treat Wet Hair Carefully

Wet hair is more susceptible to breakage, so you need to pamper it to minimize breakage and frizz: 

• Detangle your hair before you wet it
• Gently shampoo and condition
• Dry hair with a soft t-shirt or microfiber towel by blotting or squeezing
• Don’t twist your hair tightly or rub vigorously

4. Minimize Heat Styling

Too much heat – high and/or often – can damage hair. Try to let your hair air dry as much as possible before blow drying it. Use a heat protectant spray before applying heat to your hair, as well as professional dryers that have ionic technology to infuse moisture and ceramic straighteners and curling irons that evenly distribute heat. If possible, spread out your use of tools (i.e., use a hair dryer one day, then a straightener the next) to try to cut down on the heat your hair gets.

5. Cut Hair Frequently

Over time, the older ends of hair start to weaken and split, causing hair to appear dry, brittle, uneven, flat, and dull. These ends cannot be restored; the only way to prevent further damage is to trim them off.  Cutting your hair frequently will help keep split ends at bay, helping hair appear fuller and encouraging growth. 

6. Get Scalp Treatments

The health of your hair is a reflection of your scalp. Clogged follicles, irritation, lack of circulation, and other scalp issues can impact hair growth, cause hair loss, and negatively affect the overall health and appearance of your hair. Just as with the skin on the rest of your body, your scalp needs to be deep cleaned, detoxed, massaged, and stimulated. A scalp treatment can address a range of hair issues.

7. Protect Hair from the Sun

It’s important to shield your hair from the sun’s damaging rays. UV rays can cause hair to be dry, brittle and dull, and lead to breakage. If you’re going to be out in the sun for periods of time, use a heat protectant product/hair treatment with SPF or wear a hat.

8. Eat a Balanced Diet

What you eat impacts the health of your hair, which is mostly made up of protein. The following foods are good for your hair: meat, fish, eggs, beans, avocados, spinach, berries, sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and other veggies with beta carotene. 

9. Sleep on a Silk Pillowcase

Skip the cotton and opt for silk pillowcases. Sleeping on silk reduces the amount of friction between the hair and the fabric, helping to minimize breakage.

10. Prep Hair for Bed

To protect your hair from damage or frizz while sleeping, avoid leaving it down or putting it in a ponytail with a tight hair tie. Instead pineapple your hair using a cloth scrunchie or loosely braid it.