5 Hacks for Healthy Hair

Recently, I’ve been getting an unbelievable amount of comments on my hair and how suddenly it seems to have grown a huge amount. There are a few things I have changed about my haircare and overall lifestyle in the past couple of months that I believe have produced this change in my hair health. If you’re interested in learning how to grow long, healthy hair then keep reading for my 5 Hacks for Healthy Hair.

1) Air Dry Your Hair

This is by far the best tip I can give. I used to wash my hair in the morning before work and blow-dry it before I left so it would dry straight and smooth. However, (out of laziness, more than anything else, if I’m being completely honest) I started washing my hair at night a couple of months ago and allowing it to air dry overnight. It is since I’ve made this change that I’ve noticed a huge change in my hair health. Not only does it look healthier, it also seems to be growing faster. In the past month, I’ve had a crazy amount of comments on how long it has gotten all of a sudden and this is the tip I have given each person. I wash my hair a couple of hours before I intend to go to bed, allowing it to air dry while it is down for a little before doing anything else to it – including brushing as it is harmful to your hair to brush it when it is soaking wet, since it allows for more hair breakage and pulling.

I then put my hair into two french braids so that my hair is contained while I sleep and not being pulled/broken while I toss and turn on my pillow. This takes me less than five minutes to do at night since (as you can see from the picture below) I do not attempt to make it look neat and tidy due to it being only for drying and styling purposes.

I then take my hair out of the braids just before I leave for the day the next morning and throw it around a little until it sits the way I want it to. I do not brush my hair through as this would make it frizzy and detract from the smoothness of the loose curls the braids have produced. I am left with healthier-looking hair and – as a bonus – this boho, effortless style for the day!

2) Brush Before You Wash

This has made a huge difference to the amount of hair loss I experience when washing my hair. If you do not brush your hair before washing it, as you pull your fingers through it in the shower to distribute your shampoo and conditioner, you risk pulling hair out along with it. However, if you brush your hair before washing, you are left with a smooth, detangled surface to easily apply your hair products. Furthermore, when it comes to brushing your damp hair before styling it, it will also be less tangled, meaning you will experience less hair loss at this point too.

3) Oil the Ends

My friend was playing with my hair the other day – as any normal, 22-year-old would do – and was shocked to discover that she could not find a single split end. I put this down to the fact that every time I wash my hair, I apply some form of oil to the damp ends before I pop my hair into those braids. My personal favourite is Argan oil, which you can pick up from most high-street drugstores, or even Amazon, and it will last you months as you require only a small amount each time you use it. I brush my hair through and then take a pea-sized amount of oil and gently massage it into the ends of my hair, before running any excess product through the rest of my hair to give it some extra shine. This will keep the ends of your hair moisturised as they are less likely to benefit from any of the natural oils your scalp produces, itself.

4) Drink More Water

Isn’t this just the answer to all life’s problems? Drink more water! Just like every other part of our body, our hair needs to be hydrated and this means from the inside as well as out. I aim to drink at least three litres of water a day – not including the three mugs of green tea I consume; one after each meal.

5) Feed Your Hair

Another cliche, you might think, but our outward appearance is overwhelmingly determined by what is going on inside our bodies. Therefore, we must fuel it with the correct nutrients and minerals if we want to glow from the outside too. I have recently made a conscious effort to include much more fruit and veg and this has made a huge difference to my hair, as well as my skin. However, the most important part of our diet when it comes to hair is protein! Hair is made up of 95% protein, meaning you have to feed is this essential component in order to keep it healthy. As I am vegan, I aim to include some form of pulse or bean in each of my meals and snack on nuts throughout the day. I also have a protein shake most days to ensure I am reaching my recommended daily intake of protein – around 60g.

So there you have it, my 5 Hacks for Healthy Hair! I hope you try some of them out and experience the great results I have. Let me know what you think in the comments below!