Making sure your hair is as healthy as possible is about more than just which shampoo you use. A multitude of different factors affect how shiny, sleek and strong your hair is. Some of it's natural you have to work with the locks you were born with, but a lot of it has to do with how well you care for those locks. Here are the hair care tips and healthy habits to start right now for your healthiest hair ever.

In the age of blowout bars, extreme dye jobs, and perms, it's not a question of if your hair is damaged but of how bad the situation really is. Before you start feeling hopeless because you'd sooner sell your soul than give up your flatiron, consider that even wrecked hair can be revived with a few sneaky little adjustments to your routine.

If you're constantly coveting perfect hair, turn away from all those pricey fad treatments that do more to drop money than treat your strands. Instead, pick up some daily healthy habits that will actually make a healthy hair.

Wash daily if you live in a city with pollution or humidity, or work out daily. Wash every few days if you live in a rural environment away from pollutants, or an especially dry climate. And if your hair is normal or combination, with dry ends and oily roots, you should split the difference and wash every other day.

Listen to your hair. As long as women are using quality products, they can benefit from more frequent washing. It reduces split ends, provides great moisture, and gives hair an overall clean and shiny look.

Cleanse hair with shampoo and conditioner

It is very igood to shampoo your hair because it helps clean your scalp. When you shampoo, pay attention to the scalp and not the ends of your hair. You should also know the right amount of shampoo to use, depending on the length of your hair.

This is because over applying shampoo makes the hair dry by removing all the essential oils responsible keeping your hair moisturized and giving it that natural luster. How frequently you need to wash your hair will vary based on its texture, but once or twice a week is perfect for most people.

Condition your hair using a high quality conditioner after shampooing to revitalize your strands with moisture. Dry your wet hair with a clean towel before applying a conditioner. Apply the conditioner with special focus on the ends of the hair and not on the roots.





Dry Hair With A Microfiber Towel

Regular terry cloth towels can wreak havoc on your hair, even if you're not rubbing it (which, BTW, big mistake in its own). Opt to use a microfiber towel on your hair — it's super absorbent and won't create as much friction. A DIY idea for avoiding friction from terry cloth: squeeze dry your hair with paper towels.





Brush hair gently

Diet, although important, will only strengthen newly forming strands, not hair that has already grown. Using the wrong brush is one of the most common causes of breakage, and advises using a brush with plastic, rounded prongs. Brushing hair from the ends and gently working your way to the top of the head also helps avoid snapping strands.





Give Your Hair A Trim

Ensure you get your hair regularly trimmed. Have it trimmed by a professional barber or stylist. Short hair should be trimmed every four to eight weeks, while the recommended time period for trimming for medium to long hair is 6 to 12 weeks. If going the professional route is not your preference, it is possible to do it yourself at home with a little bit of practice. All you need is a pair of scissors to get you started with your at-home trims.





Hair trimming aids the hair with its growth. It might sound counterproductive, but this is very true. This is because regular trims help remove damaged hair and split ends, promoting further hair growth from the roots. Trimming your ends will make your hair softer and more flexible, thereby preventing breakage.





Use an At-Home Gloss Treatment

Coloring my hair at home is something I swear I will never do, because that's one area in which I have zero faith in myself. However, I also don't enjoy shelling out the cash to touch up my highlights as often as I should. Enter: the tinted hair gloss. It's much easier, there's a significantly lower risk for making a major dye mistake, and it's cheaper. Plus, it's actually better for your hair, too, glossing repairs, while dye damages.





Use A Boar Bristle Brush

Using a boar bristle brush conditions hair and improves its texture, as opposed to plastic brushes, which are much harder on strands. They're not made for major detangling, though, so do that with your wide-tooth comb first. If you've got thick hair like yours truly, a nylon and boar bristle combo brush will be more effective, while people with thin hair can go for straight-up boar bristle. Oh, and that 100-strokes-a-day nonsense? Unnecessary — and over-brushing can actually damage hair.





Get enough protein

Hair is made of keratin, a protein, not getting enough protein in your food can make hair to dry, brittle strands, Very recommends adding chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products and eggs into your foods. Good sources for vegetarians and vegans are legumes, nuts, tofu and quinoa. Iron and complex carbohydrates are also important.





Air could dry hair

Hairdryers and heated styling tools can leave hair brittle and lacking in shine. Heat can, in a sense, cook the hair. Think of it like a piece of steak – it starts out nice and soft and flexible, but when you cook it, the steak changes texture and becomes hard. Similarly, hair transforms when exposed to heat over time. Allowing hair to air dry when possible, and if using a hairdryer, to use a protective spray or serum and to start off on the lowest setting before gradually increasing the heat.





Exfoliate your scalp

Cold weather can exacerbate dandruff. Shampoos containing zinc pyrithione or salicylic acid are recommended to treat dandruff. For a cheaper option: pour sea salt flakes into shampoo and rub energetically into the scalp pre-shower.





Have regular trims

It is essential to get rid of split ends before the damage travels upwards. A trim every six to eight weeks. Even though it is less obvious than with straight hair, Afro hair needs to be trimmed regularly to ensure you have better curl definition.





Manage stress

Stress can cause hair loss. Exercise, a healthy diet, meditation and prioritising sleep all help to de-stress body and mind.





Hydrate grey hair

Grey hair is often finer and more fragile, but can look coarser due to oil glands producing less sebum as we age. Using a hydrating and moisturising conditioner and oils such as argan and jojoba as part of a routine to soften hair and counteract dullness. Purple- and blue-toned products are also designed to brighten grey hair.