9 Lifestyle Changes You Need To Make If You Want Healthy Hair
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The more you understand your hair, the better you can work towards maintaining it. Hair strands consist of three types of layers: a medulla, a middle layer referred to as the cortex, and the outer shell, the cuticle. Your cuticle is what makes your hair shiny and silky. Its structure is usually smooth, reflective, and flat. When your hair is damaged, the cuticle gets raised, chipped, and fragile. This can make your hair lose its luster and tangle more easily. Your hair is like a delicate piece of fabric, and you need to eat healthily, follow a good lifestyle and avoid using harsh chemicals to protect it from damage. Just as you wouldn’t wash your special cashmere sweater with harsh bleach and detergent, you shouldn’t mess with your hair either. So, care for your hair with the same level of TLC and watch it shine. Here are nine lifestyle changes you need to make if you want your hair to improve in health:
1. Eat Clean And Healthy
The harsh reality of life is that you indeed are what you eat. If you follow a diet that is rich in nutrients, your hair follicles will thank you! A healthy diet can help your hair look shiny, grow thicker and not break as easily. Leafy vegetables are a great source of iron and can help strengthen and build your hair. You can also find Vitamin D in hair supplements.
2. Keep Your Health In Check
When your body is not at its optimum best, it can show up in the quality of your hair. You need to get regular health checkups and make sure that the rest of your body is in good working order. Ensure that your doctor has tested you for thyroid dysfunction, and make sure that your thyroid is not overactive.
3. Monitor Your Stress Levels
It’s vital that you avoid getting too stressed out. This is because stress can have a terrible effect on your body and your hair. If your mind and your body are both stressed, energy will be diverted from making thick and lush hair. Stressful events like being hospitalized, delivering a child, or going through a loss in the family might trigger a specific type of hair loss known as telogen effluvium. Once your levels of stress reduce, your hair will go back to its normal state (1).
4. Avoid Heat And Styling Tools
Styling your hair with heat tools can have a terrible effect on your hair and can strip it off its natural oils. Try avoiding heat products as much as you can. Make sure that you deep-condition your hair and eat foods that are rich in biotin and other healthy hair supplements. If you overwork your hair by using heat tools and product buildups, it can eventually start to take a toll on your health. Avoid using hair dryers and try towel drying your hair as much as possible.
5. Pay Attention To What Your Hair Is Telling You
It’s important to note that your hair is unique and different like everyone else’s, and what may work for the rest of your family or friends may not work for you. You need to pay attention to how your hair reacts to the products and practices that you follow. Adjust your products based on the effect that it has on your hair. Make sure you avoid eating foods that are detrimental to the health of your hair.
6. Try A Keratin Treatment
What many people might not know is that keratin is not just for smoothing hair. Keratin can help give your hair strands the boost they need to become more resilient. Specific keratin treatments can help thicken your hair and improve its appearance.
7. Brush Your Hair Well
In the end, nothing really beats the natural oils your scalp produces when it comes to moisturizing your hair. It’s crucial that you brush your hair with a wooden hairbrush. Opt for brushes that contain boar bristles or are a combination of nylon/boar instead of using metal and plastic. It’s also essential to be extremely gentle while you are combing your hair. A good hairbrush might be expensive, but trust us, it will be fully worth it. Ensure that you keep your hair brushes clean and primes, and don’t let the bristles collect grime and dirt.
8. Start Taking Cold Showers
Sure, the idea of a nice hot bath sounds super appealing but trust us when we say that cold water is better on your hair than hot water. Coldwater will not damage your hair as badly as hot water does. Hot water can weaken your hair strands and strip them off their natural oils. A cold water shower can help seal your cuticles and boost shine.
9. Skip The Sulfate
It’s important to note that sulfates absolutely do not belong in your hair products. These potentially damaging chemicals give shampoos suds but can also dry out your hair and strip it off colors and sebum. Sure, investing in sulfate-free shampoos might be a little more expensive than you are used to, but it’s totally going to be worth it.
We guarantee that if you make the right changes and avoid using certain types of products, your hair will start to look healthy and shiny. Sure, it might be a little challenging to get your hair back to its best so fast, but we guarantee that your hair will look incredible in no time! Do let us know all of your thoughts on this article in the comment section below!
