No matter how you care to wear your locks, you want hair that is strong and healthy. Here are ways to help keep your hair in peak condition. 

Treat Hair Gently

Severe styling treatments, such as the use of curling irons, may help you achieve the look you want…but can damage your hair in the process. So can pulling your hair into tight buns, ponytails, etc, which tends to yank on the roots. Go with more relaxed styles, at least every once in a while.

Brushing distributes your hair’s natural oils more evenly and stimulates the scalp. When selecting a hairbrush, pick one that has natural, not plastic, bristles. 

Dyes can take their toll on your tresses. If you want to color your hair, head to your local health food store for plant-based options; look for products that use extracts such as aloe, birch, cinchona, echinacea, meadowfoam, rhubarb, walnut and witch hazel. And always perform a 48-hour sensitivity test on a small patch of skin first before using.

Also, try not to use too many haircare products at once, aside from shampoo and conditioner; throwing in volumizers, anti-frizzers and such can cause buildups that don’t do your hair any favors.

Speaking of shampoo: Be sure to not overwash—twice a week is plenty, using lukewarm, not hot, water. And let your hair air-dry versus using a dryer.

Add moisture in the form of coconut oil. Best way: rub it into your hair (not down to the roots, which can promote oiliness) and wrap with a towel. Then enjoy a movie before washing it out.

Finally, use a satin pillowcase at night to avoid hair breakage.

Use Natural Hair Care Products

When you do wash your hair, use products that aren’t full of harsh chemicals.

Natural products “won’t strip your hair of its own natural oils so that you need to wash more frequently or leave a chemical buildup that makes your hair dull and weighed down,” explains beauty product formulator Stacey Dugliss-Wesselman, author ofThe Home Apothecary (Quarry). “If you follow a natural regime based on your hair type you will find that your hair may actually feel cleaner and healthier, and have more volume.”

She adds, “Don’t be afraid to experiment. I don’t know many women who haven’t tried a million different shampoos brands over the years, so why not do the same with naturals?”

Massage Your Scalp

Enjoy going for massages? Give your scalp the same treatment.

Researchers say massage gently pulls on the hair follicles, triggering the production of thicker hair. Massage also promotes exfoliation and circulation. 

To massage your scalp, use your fingertips and move them in small circles.

Consume Hair-Healthy Nutrients

Hair may not be living tissue, but the follicles that produce hair certainly are…which means they depend on good nutrition to do their best work.

“Just as with every other part of your body, the processes that support strong, vibrant hair depend on a balanced diet,” says beauty nutritionist Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, author ofThe Beauty Diet (McGraw-Hill).

Drayer is a fan of wild (not farm-raised) salmon, along with other types of fish and shellfish. In addition, fish, eggs and meat supply protein.

Other foods supply vitamins and minerals your hair needs to look its best. Make dark green vegetables, nuts and seeds a regular part of your diet. In addition, you can try supplementing your diet with MSM, evening primrose oil, ginkgo and flax seed.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare professional. Consultation with a doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner is strongly advised, before starting any regimen of supplementation, a change in diet or any exercise routine.  Individuals who engage in supplementation to promote health, address conditions or support any structure or function of the body assume all risks.  Women who are pregnant, especially, should seek the advice of a medical doctor before taking any dietary supplement and before starting any change in diet or lifestyle. Descriptions of herbs, vitamins, nutrients or any ingredients are not recommendations to take our products or those of any other company. We are not doctors or primary-source science researchers. Instead, we defer to the findings of scientific experts who conduct studies, as well as those who compile and publish scientific literature on the potential health benefits of nutrients, herbs, spices, vitamins or minerals. We cannot guarantee that any individual will experience any of the health benefits associated with the nutrients described. Natural Organics will not be held liable for any injuries, damages, hinderances or negative effects resulting from any reliance on the information presented, nor will Natural Organics be held accountable for any inaccuracy, miscalculation or error in the scientific literature upon which the information provided is based.