In the age of do-it-yourself TikTok tutorials by social media personalities like Brad Mondo and extreme dye jobs, it can be challenging to separate the good from the bad. And let’s face it; bad hair days are not strictly for the film cameras; they’re a common occurrence in our daily lives too!
But they’re not to be laughed at: studies show that those afflicted tend to avoid the public, with 53% of people taking a sick day at work and a further 50% cancelling a date. Ultimately, when our hair looks good, we feel good, and the decrease in self-esteem it causes is far less frequent.
However, our hair is susceptible to damage twenty-four-seven, especially as we grow older from dullness, thinning, frizz, breakage and even hair loss. Due to this, it can require much effort to keep all these worries at bay.
Although we cannot snap our fingers and have instantly shiny, healthy locks, there are several rules not to break if you want to maintain a good hair routine. From using an old t-shirt to dry your hair to treating yourself to weekly scalp treatments – we list several rules to follow below.
Take Preventive Measures To Minimize Your Chances Of Hair Loss
A prominent hair-related worry for all sexes is the fear of hair loss, breakage or thinning. For many, hair loss, thinning, or breakage won’t be a fear until much later in the ageing process, but for others, it might become a worry much sooner than anticipated. Around one-third of women suffer from hereditary hair loss conditions like female pattern baldness or alopecia, which can make hair loss a reality much sooner than expected. It can be characterised by gradual hair thinning or random patches of baldness over the scalp.
However, several hair loss treatments are available to slow down the spread of these conditions, from cosmetic procedures to medical treatment, before it becomes a more severe problem. One of the most popular ways of treating hair loss is through prescription drugs like finasteride and minoxidil.
Yet depending on the severity of the patient’s symptoms, they might find that one drug stimulates hair growth better than another. Or wish to try alternative medications like dutasteride, which, although unlicensed in the UK, has been used as a hair loss treatment for many years and can be obtained through online pharmacies like Oxford Online Pharmacy. Find the most effective treatments for hair loss using their site, read their informational guides about hair loss, and much more. Consider contacting them today to organise a consultation so that a GMC-registered medical professional can start creating your hair loss treatment plan to keep your hair healthy, shiny, and thick for as long as possible.
Dry Your Hair Without Damaging It
Although it might come as a surprise, you should never dry your hair with a regular cotton towel as they can cause more damage to your hair. Despite towel-drying being one of the most popular ways to dry wet hair, whether at home or in the hairdresser’s chair, the texture of towels can worsen your split ends and create small craters in the hair shaft which can cause frizz and weakening.
Typically, a cotton-blend towel is one of the most popular ways of drying hair because they are usually compromised of a cotton/wool blend which is highly absorbent and sturdy. Due to this, they are excellent for absorbing excess moisture and can be used for many years before needing to be replaced. However, they are often made with a looser framework, which can cause even more friction on your hair when used.
So, even if your hair is in tip-top condition and you take pride in this knowledge, it is best for your hair care routine if you throw the towel in (literally!). Yet, this begs the question, what can you use to dry your hair instead? The answer lies inside your chest of drawers – and we’re not pulling your leg. The old, cotton Black Sabbath t-shirt you usually reserve for bedtime is much gentler on your hair than a cotton towel.
Instead of chucking them out when they’ve got a tear or donating them to your local clothes bank, keep your old cotton t-shirts on hand when you need them. Your old cotton t-shirts are best for this task since they’re softer; they don’t damage the hair cuticle as much as a towel would, meaning that you don’t have to spend as much time ensuring that the hair keeps looking smooth, shiny, and healthy.
Pay Attention To Your Shampoo And Conditioner
While you cannot change all the environmental factors that can wreak havoc upon your hair, you can control what shampoo and conditioner you use. Ultimately, you want to add a gentle shampoo and conditioner combination to your hair care routine that suits your hair type. But you might be thinking – hair type? What’s that?
Generally, your hair type tells you everything about your hair, whether it’s oily or dry, curly, straight, and much more. Once you know what categories your hair falls into, you can start shopping for an appropriate shampoo and conditioner. You can figure this out by using online hair quizzes that will determine your result depending on how you answer the questions.
It is best to steer clear of sulphates and parabens (if you can) because although they’re used for preserving and lathering your locks, they can irritate and increase the likelihood of hormonal disruptions over time. Instead, you’ll want to focus on a ‘cleansing’ shampoo and conditioner with the lowest combination of detergents.
Avoid Using Heat To Style Your Hair
Curling, straightening, waving, or crimping are popular ways of styling our hair, which can help us experiment with different styles and make us feel better about ourselves, if only until it drops out! However, these hairstyles are usually achieved with the help of straighteners or curling irons since the heat they produce helps the hair to conform to the shape we’re trying to achieve.
Yet, using heat on our hair without the proper protectant can cause the shape of our keratin strands to change, which, if continued, can lead to weaker hair that is more susceptible to damage. Due to this, it is essential that you don’t use heat on your hair too frequently, yet it can be tempting not to follow this rule when you have plans you want to look good for.
However, just because you want healthier, shinier hair doesn’t mean your style has to suffer because of it. Hundreds of ways to style your hair without heat have been passed down throughout the ages when heatless styling was the norm! Whether you braid your damp hair before you go to bed or DIY a sea-salt solution to spray on your locks to give yourself tousled, beachy waves, there are hundreds of heatless styles to choose from.
Plus, not only are heatless styles healthier for your hair because it protects your strands from the damage that traditional styling accessories can cause. But in some cases, they’ve fared better than the originals and provided results that have lasted long into the day (or night!).
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