I won’t bore you with the usual advice about avoiding the use of heat on your hair! I live in the real world where we don’t have hours to lounge around letting our hair gently dry in it’s own sweet time. I use a hair dryer everyday and usually finish off with straighteners or a curling wand. Instead I’ll give you some "quick and dirty" tips that you can easily and realistically incorporate into your routine.
1. Use a Comb
I always use a seamless, wide toothed, plastic comb on my hair when it’s wet rather than a brush. Your hair is at it’s most vulnerable when it’s wet so you should treat it like fine vintage lace! Your looking for a seamless comb i.e. you can’t see where two sides of the plastic have combined, because the seam pulls at your hair and causes breakages. I love the Ouchless Detangling Combs from Goody. Another good shout is using a wooden comb.
Image from www.goodyhair.co.uk
2. Use a Boar Bristle Brush
Only on DRY hair!!! The Chanel of boar bristle brushes is the Mason Pearson and it has a price tag to match, however you can find cheaper versions at the likes of Boots. Boar bristles are so much gentler on your hair than plastic bristles and they help to distribute your hairs natural oils from root to tip. This helps condition your hair naturally and makes it super shiny!
Image from www.kaboodle.com,
3. Sleep on a Silk Pillow
Ok, it doesn’t have to be 100% silk, something smooth or satin-y will do! If you sleep on a cotton pillow, as you toss and turn during the night your rubs against your pillow causing damage, similar to when you rub your hair dry with a towel (your supposed to pat it dry gently). I actually use a satin pyjama top as a pillow case and it works just as well!
Image from www.allaboutyou.com
4. Plait your Hair at Bedtime
If the satin pillowcase idea is a bit too mental for you, then try tying your hair into a plait at bedtime. Nothing too tight though, keep it fairly loose. This also prevents damage to your hair while you sleep.
Image from www.ladyspeak.com
5. Use Snag Free Hair Elastics
Again I highly recommend Goody for these! I love their Ouchless Elastics in Cherry Blossom. These don’t have that little metal bit which holds the elastic together as this can pull at the hair causing damage. If you’ve ever had a stripe of damaged hair about halfway down your head it’s probably from using hair elastics with metal bits! Goody have a whole range of snag free products for you to try including hair grips and hair bands.
Image of Goody hair elastics from www.boots.com
6. Upgrade you Heat Tools
Heat tools have come such a long way in the past few years that it’s definitely worth upgrading your equipment if you can afford too. I saved up some of my Boots Advantage Card points recently and bought a new hairdryer and it has made a world of difference. My 10 year old hairdryer still works but the technology in it is dead! The hairdryer in question is the Remington Pro Ionic Ultra and it’s fab. Argos have a fantastic buying guide for hairdryers on their website which is worth a look if you not sure what to go for.
This tip also refers to your straighteners and curling tongs/wands!
Image of the Remington Pro Ionic Ultra from www.feelunique.com
7. Wash your Hair in Cold WaterAs cold as you can stand! Go on be brave! Hot water opens your hairs cuticles and cold water closes them again leaving your hair smooth and shiny. It’s the same as the logic which says you should wash your face with warm water to clean out your pores but then slash it with cold to close them again.
Image from www.pantene.com
8. Avoid Colouring you Hair
I know, I know, you don’t want to hear this and I’m the biggest hypocrite for saying it! I’ve been dying my hair since I was 12! I tried really hard to grow out my natural color but it was just such a hideously boring brown that I couldn’t stick to it. Now I have a yummy, warm brown on it BUT it’s semi permanent. This makes a huge difference!
Permanent hair color strips off your hairs natural color and replaces it with the dye color. Semi-permanent just sits over your natural color. I get my hair cut and coloured every 6 weeks and my semi-permanent has only just started to fade a little by then, and I wash my hair everyday! It’s worth remembering that permanent color fades too anyway!
Semi-permanents can only darken your natural color or add a layer of colour, such as red to create more warmth. They don’t contain any peroxide or ammonia so they can’t lighten your hair. I insisted on having permanent blond highlights through my hair for the longest time but I’m so glad I’ve switched to dark and semi-permanent. This tips not going to be for everyone but I thought I’d put it out there anyway!
P.S. I’ll being doing a little outfit post over the weekend and I’ll show you my new hair color then. You’ll have to agree that it looks shinier and healthier than it was when I was getting damaging blond highlights in it!
9. Deep Condition your Hair (the natural way)
I deep condition my hair once a fortnight with either olive oil or coconut oil but the frequency needed will just depend on your hair type. I work in about a 10p sized amount into my damp hair, wrap it up in clingfilm and chill for about half an hour. Yes you will look completely mental so maybe do it after the postman has been so you don’t have to answer the door! You then wash out with shampoo as normal.
Olive oil improves the strength and elasticity of your hair as well as conditioning it and you can find it in the supermarket (or your kitchen if you already have some!). I always buy the best extra virgin olive oil I can afford.
Coconut oil is used on hair extensively in India (have you seen how gorgeous Indian girls hair is?) as it is made of proteins which repair damaged hair. You’ll see coconut oil as an ingredient in many branded conditioners but why not use it pure and forget all the other junk they put in it? I bought a huge tub of 100% pure coconut oil from Holland and Barrett and it’s lasted forever!
Image from www.tiana-coconut.com (available from Holland and Barrett)
9 is such an annoying number of tips but I couldn’t think of a 10th! I hope you found this useful and not too preachy! If you have any other natural hair care tips to add them please leave a comment below.
Lisa x