Want to tame your frizz and get rid of your dead ends? Read this! Here are five tricks you can use to make your hair stronger, healthier, and more vibrant.
If you want to see extraordinary hair, look no further than the Hollywood Red Carpet. Whether it’s Nicole Richie reviving that boho-chic style, Victoria Beckham flaunting a flawless pixie cut, or Megan Fox letting those brown locks flow, one emotion overwhelms you:
Envy.
That luscious, shiny hair simply isn’t possible without good genetics and a professional stylist on speed-dial … right?
Not exactly.
Taming the frizz and evicting the dead ends is as simple as creating a daily hair care routine and overcoming a few hairstyling myths.
Here are five secrets to stronger, healthier hair that’s red carpet ready!
Table of Contents
Time for a Trim!
The long hair community is far from struggle-free. On your quest to add inches for Rapunzel-like locks, you face a seemingly lose-lose situation:
You can either skip cuts altogether, settling for split ends to ensure a half-inch of growth per month, or continue with those bi-monthly cuts, never seeing progress.
No matter how frustrating it is to sweep those hair clippings from the bathroom floor, regular trimmings are the only to keep long hair noticeably healthy.
Now you wonder, “How often, and how much?”
That’s the good news!
Most hairstylists recommend almost-unnoticeable trimmings every 8-10 weeks. Removing one-fourth to one-half of an inch at a time is enough to remove split ends, notorious flyaways, and frizz.
But don’t expect these haircuts to work miracles, either.
While removing the dead follicles will give your hair a thicker, livelier, and less “fried” appearance, it doesn’t make hair grow any faster. Instead, it’ll grow healthier from the roots on down.
Why settle for healthy or long when you can have both?
Turn Down the Heat
Heat-based styling tools are magical, whether you sport curly, wavy, or straight hair. You probably have at least two of these somewhere in the bathroom:
- Blow dryer
- Flat-iron
- Curling iron (or wand)
- Electric volumizing brush
And, why wouldn’t you?
In 30 minutes or less, these handheld devices can transform pin-straight hair into luscious curls. Or give you edgy, trendy waves that scream “digital influencer.”
On the flip side, these miracle workers are also sucking the life out of your once-glimmering, bouncy curls. Heat damage can make your hair visibly brittle (weak), uncomfortably rough, and far knottier than it naturally is.
That leaves you with two options:
One, avoid crispy-looking hair by only styling with heat 1-2 days a week and blow drying on an “as-needed” basis (when you plan to leave the house). Or, spritz a shea butter heat protectant onto your hair to slash heat damage by up to 50 percent.
Wash Those Locks Less Often
The most widespread hair care misconception is that not washing your hair every morning makes you “grimy” or unhygienic.
Yet, falling into that stigma could also mean robbing your naturally dry hair of its limited oils, leading to other problems:
- Dandruff
- Flakes
- Itchy scalp
- More split ends and breakage
… to name a few.
But the other extreme is also problematic. Leaving too many days between washings can cause oily or dirty scalp buildup, clogging your pores and slowing growth.
So, how often should you wash your hair for strong, luscious locks?
- For dry, coarse, or thick hair: 1-3 times per week
- For naturally oily hair: Daily or every other day
- For wavy or curly hair: 1-2 times per week
Of course, these recommendations aren’t an exact science. If you’re breaking a sweat on the treadmill, taking a dip in the pool, or hiking in the rugged wilderness, your hair needs more washing to stay clean and healthy.
Fuel the Gains
The hair care aisle at Target is flooded with “quick fixes” to common woes, including collagen, biotin, argan oil, and jojoba oil-infused conditioners.
But the secret to healthy locks isn’t what you put on your hair; it’s what you put in your body.
A balanced, hair-healthy diet includes nutrients like:
- Protein for keratin production
- Biotin for nurtured growth
- Omega-3 for a hydrated, perfectly oiled scalp
- Vitamin B for tougher follicles
- Zinc for more moisture
A diet rich in beans, nuts, fish, chicken, fruits, and whole grains can be the finishing touch on a “strong” hair game. But if you crave a little extra TLC, you can also take daily supplements for these nutrients.
Find the Right Brush
Don’t worry — we aren’t going to recommend going completely au naturel or not brushing your hair at all. But choosing the right hairbrush and detangling those knots the right way is something that many of us overlook as “not important.”
As it turns out, you might be yanking out still-attached follicles, frizzing your mane even more, or splitting ends until they’re unsightly and puffy.
The culprit might be your current hairbrush. It’s time to buy a new one that’ll support glossy and majestic locks, including features like:
- A soft cushion
- Rounded or balled tips (absolutely no metal)
- A long barrel
But there is no one-size-fits-all solution in the hairbrush arena. The only way to get a salon-worthy blowout without changing out of your pajamas is by using a brush that matches your hair type (i.e., coarse, straight, dry, short).
It also helps to de-knot your hair when it’s dry and at its least fragile, even though the bouncy and smooth brushing while it’s wet is ultra-satisfying. Twice-a-day brushing will also prevent excess tangles that will require hair-tugging detangling.
Conclusion
Stronger, healthier hair isn’t reserved for the Hollywood elite or the rare few who can afford $300/month in haircare products.
The secret is developing a routine.
First, find out what hair type category you fall into and research ways to care for your locks. For example, curly hair thrives outside of the ponytail, and oily straight hair is dry shampoo’s most loyal pal.
The hair repair process is a long, treacherous journey. But, comparing those before-and-after snaps in a few months will make it worth the trouble in the end.
Angus Flynn is the business manager for Chatham on Main. With over five years of experience in the multifamily housing industry, he is one of the most dedicated managers in his field. He loves to help others and takes great pride in working in a community that so many love to call home.
