Have you ever noticed how your hair seems to set the tone for the entire day? When your hair is a dull, frizzy mess, it can be tempting to throw in the towel on everything else (for instance, your skin care routine or the stylish outfit you had planned to wear). But when your hair looks incredible, you feel unstoppable and in control.
Clearly, our hair has a big impact on our mental health — hence, it deserves a top spot in our self-care routines. So, if you’ve been neglecting your hair lately, consider this your friendly reminder to show your tresses some love.
Whether it’s eating the right foods, experimenting with hair oil or treating your hair to plastic-free shampoo and conditioner, there are plenty of ways to practice self-care for your hair. Ahead are a few simple tips for taking care of your lovely locks.
Get regular trims
A fresh cut can make a huge difference — both to your hair health and your self-esteem. Besides making hair easier to style, getting regular trims also helps reduce the appearance of split ends and dry, damaged hair.
The easiest way to stay on top of haircuts? Book your trim at the end of every appointment. That way, you won’t forget and go too long without a snip.
Detox your scalp
Hair experts often say that a healthy, flake-free scalp is the secret to healthy hair. If you have excessive buildup on your scalp from hair products, it could be blocking your hair follicles and negatively impacting the health of your hair.
The solution? Give yourself a scalp “detox,” a method that involves removing excess buildup by buffing away dead skin cells and unclogging the pores on your scalp. It sounds fancy, but in reality, giving yourself a scalp detox could be as simple as brushing your hair to remove debris from the scalp. If you use a lot of product in your hair, you can also rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar.
Try a new shampoo
Tired of using shampoo products that don’t work? Ditch bottled shampoo and try a shampoo bar instead. Unlike detergent-based shampoos that strip your hair’s natural oils, these mighty bars are packed with hair-loving ingredients that offer a gentle cleanse. They’re also travel-friendly (hello, camping trips) and last much longer than liquid shampoo.
Best of all, they’re good for the environment. Shampoo bars come with much less packaging waste and zero plastic, so you can get gorgeous hair without harming the planet. Want to get super-soft and shiny hair? Follow up with a gentle conditioner bar.
Learn how to create a new hairstyle
If you style your hair the same way every day, why not switch things up a little? Get yourself out of a hair rut by taking the time to learn a new hairstyle. From super-slick buns to messy top knots, YouTube has a trove of easy-to-follow hairstyle tutorials that will take your hair game to the next level.
On top of boosting your self-esteem, learning a new hairstyle can help you get ready faster in the morning. Sure, it might take you a little while to perfect your new style, but hey — practice makes perfect, right?
Revitalize dehydrated strands with a leave-in treatment
Dealing with brittle strands and broken ends? You’re not alone. Between hot tools, dye jobs, blow drying and the summer sun (yes, the sun can damage your hair!), almost everyone has some degree of hair damage. Fortunately, that’s where a leave-in conditioner can help.
Beneficial for all hair types, leave-in conditioner provides extra moisture to dehydrated strands and helps protect hair from damage. Simply apply your leave-in treatment to towel-dried hair and that’s it! For best results, it’s best to apply your leave-in treatment on a weekly basis.
Tip: Looking for ways to save money on hair care products? Conditioner bars that are formulated with plant-based ingredients can usually double as a leave-in treatment for your hair.
Splurge on a gentle hair dryer
Is your hair dryer on its last leg? Resist the urge to buy the cheapest replacement hair dryer you can find. Cheap hair dryers are poorly designed and tend to overheat quickly, causing damage to the hair cuticle. Instead, invest in a high-quality hair dryer that won’t fry your strands. Professional hair dryers provide better heat control and blow dry hair faster, which limits the amount of heat on your strands.
If you’re having a hard time justifying the price of a high-end hair dryer, think of it this way: You’ll be saving yourself time and money in the long run. Besides helping you get ready faster in the morning, quality hair dryers typically last much longer than the cheap hair dryers you get at a local department store.
Eat foods that promote healthy hair
All the hair care products in the world won’t help your strands if you’re fueling your body with junk food. If you want to give your hair (and your body in general) a healthy boost, skip the empty calories and focus on eating a well-balanced diet.
Specifically, reach for foods that are high in protein — like beans, tofu and nuts. Your hair needs protein to remain strong and shiny, so make sure that you’re getting enough protein based on your body weight and age. Nuts, fish and cruciferous vegetables are also chock-full of nutrients that can boost hair health, so eat up!