Hair is a surprisingly delicate part of our body. Men and women who follow some basic hair care rules will have strong and healthy hair. Taking good care of our hair can prevent problems, such as split ends. You wouldn’t believe the number of people our hairdressers talk to who come in with damaged and poorly maintained hair but are confused as to why it won’t grow any longer! Check out our hair care hacks to keep your hair nourished and beautiful.
Basic Hair Care
Our team of hairdressers in Sutton Coldfield have a number of interesting hacks to help you keep your hair healthy (but make sure you never discount the basics). Our trained stylists see so many customers come into the hair salon who clearly ignore the basics. This makes a cut and colour or other hair design routine that much more difficult to carry out.
So many of our customers can be guilty of this, expecting their hair to almost look after itself. Many often blame those cosmetic add-ons, pollution and many other things for hair loss and damage, but little do we know that the manner in which you are taking care of your hair could also wreak havoc if not done right and ruining an otherwise effective hair care routine.
Washing Frequency
One of the biggest problems is that some people think you need to wash your hair every day. Many brands have even started selling ‘daily moisture’ or ‘daily cleanse’ hair products, making you think you need to wash your hair every day. It’s a sneaky marketing trick! Washing your hair every day is definitely unhealthy for most people’s hair.
Shampoo cleans the hair with gentle chemicals called surfactants. These are soaps that remove surface debris from the scalp and hair. Many shampoos also contain compounds called sulfates, which produce a rich lather that removes oil from the hair.
However, some of the oils in your hair are important as they help your hair protect itself from damage. Removing the oils from your hair leaves it drier and much more prone to damage. Therefore, it is advised you don’t wash your hair every day. Whenever you do wash your hair with shampoo, you should always apply some conditioner on the ends.
Washing Routines
How often you wash your hair isn’t the only issue. We see many customers who clearly don’t wash their hair properly when they decide to. A hair wash is methodical; it should be performed with the utmost care, keeping some crucial points in mind. Let’s look at a good basic washing routine:
- Remove styling products before the wash – use a comb or hair cream.
- Rinse with lukewarm water firstly – water that is too hot is bad for your hair.
- Pre-condition longer hair – longer hair needs more care, especially at the ends.
- Lather with moderate amounts of shampoo – overuse will damage your scalp.
- Rinse, condition and then rinse again – only apply conditioner when shampoo is removed.
- Dry the hair – Make sure you don’t rub your hair too hard with a towel as wet hair is sensitive and prone to breakage. Instead, dab and gently squeeze excess water from your hair with a soft towel.
Diet and Lifestyle
Not only do you need to look after your hair directly but you also need to consider your overall health. A well-balanced diet rich in calcium and iron will help reduce or prevent hair loss. Also, due to the fact that hair is comprised mostly of protein, a diet rich in protein is essential. If you are not consuming enough protein in your diet, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak.
Iron is an especially important mineral for hair and too little iron is a major cause of hair loss. The hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient-rich blood supply. When iron levels fall below a certain point, you may experience anaemia. This disrupts the nutrient supply to the follicle, affecting the hair growth cycle and may result in shedding.
Vitamins also help support a number of functions. For example, vitamin C helps the body absorb more iron. This then helps the body fight off hair loss. Omega-3 helps keep your scalp full of healthy oils whereas vitamins A helps the body to make sebum, which is an oily substance created by our hair’s sebaceous glands and provides a natural conditioner for a healthy scalp.
Our FAvourite Weird Hair Hacks
Now you understand the basics, we’re going to shock you with some of the strangest products that help your hair! Some of these are ingenious ways to use household items and others some lesser known products that you can use on your hair. You may think a professional hairdresser would never suggest you put these things in your hair, but there’s science behind all of them!
Food Items for Moisturising Your Hair
What foods are good for your hair? The first example we have is an egg mask for your hair. You probably never expected a hair stylist to tell you to put eggs in your hair, but you’d be surprised by the benefits it provides. They really help with moisturising your hair.
Eggs have been known for their ability to replenish hair and restore softness and shine. The egg whites will make your hair a lot stronger, which will help it grow faster since the ends won’t be breaking off. Though the consistency may seem off-putting, crack a few egg whites into a bowl, apply to damp hair and gently comb through.
Mayonnaise is another crazy example of an everyday product that can help your hair. It’s a great deep conditioning alternative for those days when you really want to pamper your hair. Massage a generous amount of mayonnaise on your damp hair from mid-hair shaft and comb through to the ends. Focus more on the ends as they are the oldest part of your hair and can use the extra loving. Let the mayonnaise mask soak into your hair for 20 minutes.
We recommend wearing a hair cap to lock in the goodness and keep the mess from getting all over your house. Then wash and style as usual, and the result will be super glossy locks!
Oils and fats are great for your scalp and general hair health. This makes olive oil and avocados also a great product substitute in when looking for deep conditioning alternatives.
Saturday Night Beers in Your Hair
Not only does food help your hair but some liquid nourishment is available. Instead of drinking a cold beer on a Friday night, you could treat your hair to a drink. Drenching your hair in a good beer can add both strength and shine to dull and limp hair.
The malt and hops found in beer are loaded with protein, which nourishes and strengthens hair. The nutrients found in beer can even help repair dry, damaged hair to its former lusciousness. Just mix it in with some water (maybe some apple vinegar too so you get rid of the smell) and rinse away!
Dish Soap and Hair Colour
Whether you’re bored with your recent hair colour or unhappy with the results, sometimes ditching a certain shade is necessary. Just add a drop of washing-up liquid to your shampoo and you could be able to lighten your hair up to two or three shades from the new colour. This all-natural, citrus-scented soap is the one to do it with because it has soothing aloe extract and surfactants so it won’t damage your hair. Bonus: It also has no artificial fragrance, colours, or preservatives.
Tame Baby Hair with a Toothbrush
A toothbrush is a surprising tool which is a fool-proof way for you to finally control frustrating baby hairs and cowlicks. The gentle and tiny bristles on this meant-for-tots brush will take the humidity-fighting, extreme-hold hairspray and apply it directly to the hairs that never seem to stay. This spray dries quickly and won’t leave your hair feeling gross and sticky, so you’ll never have to worry about one strand throwing off your day again.
Get Professional Hair Care in Sutton Coldfield
These hacks are all great for basic maintenance of your hair but a professional hairdresser is always the best option for when you want real change. We offer a number of great hair treatments that will leave you with luscious looking hair. We are professional hairdressers in Sutton Coldfield who have years of experience with hair transformations. We’re bang on trend when it comes to the latest hairstyles and our mission is to have people walking out of our salon and turning heads! We have salons all across Birmingham including directly in the Birmingham city centre. Book your appointment today!
