There are a lot of people today that do not keep up with their hair. As a result, people find their hair damaged, and looking bad. Use the following tips to learn how to properly care for your hair, so as to look like a well groomed person.
Go ahead and forget the old adage about brushing your hair 100 strokes a day. Over brushing can actually lead to hair loss, breakage of strands and increased oil production. Normal brushing of your hair once or twice daily is sufficient to keep it healthy and free of tangles and build-up.
To keep your hair healthy and free from damage, avoid brushing it while it is wet. Wet hair tends to be a lot more fragile than hair that is dry, making it susceptible to breakage. To reduce the risk of damage, brush your hair prior to getting into the shower or wait until it is completely dry, then comb it.
Protect your hair! If you use heat to style your hair, make sure you take extra care to protect it. While flat-irons, blow-dryers, and curling irons may give you beautiful hair one day, they may leave your hair frizzy and lifeless the next. Always use products that protect your hair from heat, and invest in a ceramic flat iron.
Limit blow dryer use. Hot air from a blow dryer can really damage your hair, so try to let it dry naturally whenever possible. If you use a blow dryer, keep it on the cool setting, and don’t hold it over the same spot of hair for very long. In order to dry hair faster, use a towel to dry it before you use a blow dryer.
Don’t believe everything you hear. While it may be a popular belief that cutting hair will make it grow faster, that is false. However, keeping ends trimmed and free of split ends can make your hair appear longer and fuller. Split ends appear thin and are often difficult to see while healthy ends are thicker, and that volume helps to create the illusion of more length.
Sometimes, it is vital to use styling products to get the look that you want, but do not overuse gels or creams on your hair. Excessive use can strip your hair of its natural ingredients and cause build up which does not look attractive. Limit your use of products for optimal hair health.
Get a haircut every six to nine weeks to keep your hair looking its best. Over time, your hair will break and the ends will split. This creates uneven layers that make your hair look unhealthy and dull. Getting frequent haircuts will help to keep the ends from splitting all the way up to the roots, and help keep your hair shinier and healthier.
Wash your hair when it seems dirty. Some folks insist on washing their hair daily. This could cause more damage than it will help. It could cause your hair and scalp to dry out. Typically, a person’s hair only needs to be washed about two or three times a week.
Wearing a swim cap when swimming may make you feel silly, but it is going to play a big role in how healthy your hair is. If you swim on a regular basis, you must be sure to wear the swim cap. The chlorine will damage your hair more than you could think.
Exercise caution so that you do not remove essential oils from the hair when you shampoo. Though you may have naturally oily hair, applying harsh shampoos that strip oils away may in fact promote additional oiliness. Try using gentle shampoos. Many people will wash with conditioner only, a couple of times a week.
When drying your hair with a hair dryer, you should set it on the coolest setting. Hot air can severely damage your hair, so you do not want to keep the blow dryer blowing on one spot in your hair. Make sure you begin the drying process by patting your hair down first.
People that have fine, limp strands of hair can benefit from a number of specialized products on the market. This starts with the right shampoo. If you have limpness in your hair, apply a less-is-more philosophy, otherwise you will weigh down your hair even more. This means using a volumizing shampoo and a light-weight conditioner.
While hair spray can be a life saver, it’s not something that you should use too much of. Because it keeps your hair so stiff, it can be damaging. Overly stiff hair also looks very unnatural. Only use hair spray when you absolutely need to. You’ll find your hair looks and feels better.
In the summer, refrain from staying out in the sun too long. The sun can have very damaging effects on the surface of your scalp and can also cause your hair to dry and color. Try staying indoors, as much as possible, if you desire to maintain a quality hair care regimen.
If you care about your hair, watch your stress levels. Stress can trigger a condition known as telogen effluvium, causing your hair to fall out. The condition is usually temporary, usually dissipates as your stress levels fall. It can occur multiple times in your life, though, and in rare cases, the loss is permanent.
Don’t linger in the shower longer than necessary. Doing this will strip natural oils from your hair that the scalp produces; that may make a negative impact on how your hair looks. Quick showers will help to maintain great looking hair.
One way to improve your blow-drying experience is to use a leave-in conditioner. This keeps the hair moist. Give your hair a break by allowing it to air dry whenever possible.
With the information you learned about caring for your hair you, should have a better idea on how to manage your hair now. It really is not that hard to keep up with your hair once you get in a routine of managing it. Start today, and before you know it you’ll have lovely hair that will leave the world stunned.