How to Start New Healthy Hair Habits: Part 1

If you’re interested in having hair that is manageable and has the appearance of health, how you maintain it is essential. From daily regimens to bi-monthly maintenance, the ways in which you handle your hair and the products you use are key.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you consider what new healthy hair habits you want to develop as you find ways to manage your hair.

1. Are you handling your hair more than necessary?
2. Do you use shampoos that have harsh cleansing agents?
3. Are your conditioners laden with silicones?

These questions are just basic questions, and how you answer them determines a lot when it comes to the health of your hair. Let’s tackle the first three questions, and get you started on your journey of healthy hair.
　
How to handle your hair

• Depending on how you wear your hair, natural or straight; you need to make sure that you are protecting it. This means, wrapping/covering your hair with a silk or satin scarf or bonnet while sleeping. Using a silk or a real satin scarf or bonnet--which is derived from silk is best for your hair. If it’s important to you, make sure to invest in a real satin or silk scarf.
• Wearing your hair in protective styles, (e.g., braids, twists, up dos, etc.), may also be essential if you don’t want to incur breakage or damage by handling your hair too much. Combing and brushing your hair can also cause damage. So make sure that you’re handling your hair only when necessary. Only use a wide tooth comb after washing and conditioning when detangling.

Use a sulfate-free shampoo

• Are you one of those who believes that when your shampoo has a rich, lavish, soapy consistency to it that it means it’s really doing it’s job and cleansing your hair? Not true. In fact, that soapy consistency is stripping your hair of essential oils.
• When searching for the right shampoo, the main ingredient you need to make sure is NOT in it is: Sodium Laureth Sulfate. But really, all you need to do is search for a shampoo that says it’s sulfate-free. Shampoos that are sulfate-free will boast about this on its’ labels.

Use “no cones” (silicones) conditioner

• If you read my last article about silicones, then you know that silicones are not good for the hair. I look at silicones as being a temporary fix, but not a substance that should be relied on as a mainstay in your hair care regimen.
• Silicones can build-up on the hair over a period of time, and you will have to use a harsh shampoo to get the substance out of your hair. It’s kind of like a vicious cycle. It can make you dependent on using shampoos that are not good for your hair.
• There are some silicones that are water-soluble and can be used over a period of time, but if you don’t want to take out the time to learn which ones are OK to use and the one’s that are not, just make sure that whatever conditioner you use does not have a word on its’ label that says “cone” at the end of it. Here’s an example of what a product may have on its’ ingredient list, if there are silicones in it. Dimetihcone.