Top Tips For Healthy, Shiny Hair

Rewind about a two years and you'd see I didn't have the best conditioned hair. It felt constantly dry, not very nourished, it was frizzy and dull. Fast forward to now and you'd see I have very healthy hair, that grows quickly, is shiny, healthy and very rarely feels dry. I've made a few tweaks to my lifestyle that have caused my hair health to improve, and I completely swear by them. If you're having issues with dry or lacklustre hair maybe try these things out.

Eat healthy fats. Diet makes a much difference to the appearance and condition of your skin, nails and your hair too. Eating plenty of vegetables and fresh fruits is a must, but there are a few specific things I've found to help me the most and eating healthy fats is one of those. Since including things like coconut oil, almond butter and avocados more into my diet I've found my hair to be far more shiny and feel a lot more nourished. Healthy fats contain a wealth of nutrients, which are fantastic for your body and you shouldn't be afraid to eat them. They contain vitamins that help fight free-radical damage and give the cells in your body a boost. Fatty acids really help to keep your scalp and hair hydrated, and cutting them out would lead to lose in the nourishment of your hair.

Limit your dairy intake. I cut dairy out of my diet a few months ago, and between now and then I've had countless comments on how healthy my skin and hair look. Dairy is essentially milk that comes from a mother cow to make their calf grow big and strong, so it's packed full of hormones and all sorts of weirdness that our body doesn't need....in fact, it seriously messes up the body. There is a link between acne and too much dairy consumption, so it makes sense that it would effect hair health too.

Hydrate. I never used to drink water throughout the day, I'd drink it with meals but I'd very rarely just have a glass of water. When I started becoming more health conscious I upped my fluid intake and now drink at least 2 litres of water a day. Our body is composed of 60-80% water and can quite easily become dehydrated, which directed impacts hair growth and hair health. When it doesn't receive enough water it can't maintain cell health and reproduction, if the hair is deficient in water levels then it will become brittle, dry and rough. Go get a glass of water, or a herbal tea if you fancy soothing warm!

Cut back on the heat. Us ladies like to play around with our hair, we're never happy with what we've got! That means we're constantly applying heat in the form of hair straighteners, waving wands or curling tongs to our locks which effectively singes the hair and over time will cause a lot of damage.
I used to use heat on my hair every single day, but now it's once a week at the very most and I will always use a good heat protecting spray. Now I either put it up (there are so many pretty styles you could experiment with), or I plait it when it's still wet then let it dry and you're left with natural, pretty waves. Give it a go.

Don't wash your hair more than 3 times a week. Plenty of people wash their hair every single day, which is a big mistake. Our hair contains natural oils that are designed to condition and protect our locks, so shampooing every day actually strips these important oils away. It leads to a vicious cycle of over-production of oils and needing to wash your hair more and more. To keep your hair happy and healthy you only need to wash it 2-3 times a week.

Apply shampoo to the roots only. A small blob of shampoo is all we need, and apply it to the roots of our hair only is the best way. Scrubbing the ends can be drying and too harsh for the older hair, and don't forget the shampoo always drips down to the ends anyway.

Massage your scalp. This is something I always do in the shower, as it encourages circulation and really helps detoxification. This will not only help your hair to look healthy, but it really stimulates hair growth too!

What's your top tip for

getting shiny, healthy locks?

I'd love to hear them!

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