Routine Refresh: Steps to Stronger Hair!

 

Know Your Hair Type and Concerns

It's essential to understand your hair type (straight, wavy, curly, kinky) and any issues you want to address like:

  • Dryness

  • Damage from dyeing/bleaching

  • Oily scalp

Knowing your hair texture and concerns will help guide your routine. For example, curly hair may require more moisturizing, while straight hair needs less. 

If you have damage from colouring, you'll want to avoid over-washing and use a conditioner made for treated hair. Knowing your hair type and scalp condition lets you customize your routine.

Cleanse Regularly

Shampooing is key for removing buildup from styling products, dead skin cells, excess oil, and pollutants. 

How often you shampoo depends on your hair type:

  • Oily hair may need shampooing daily or every other day

  • Dry or damaged hair only needs shampooing 1-2 times per week

  • As you age, your scalp produces less oil, so that you can reduce shampooing

When shampooing, focus on the scalp rather than the length of hair. Massage shampoo into the scalp thoroughly before rinsing.

Shampoos for different hair types:

  • Colour-treated: Sulfate-free to maintain colour

  • Dry/damaged: Extra hydrating and nourishing

  • Oily scalp: Clarifying to remove excess oil

  • Curly: Cleansing but not stripping of natural oils

Conditioner is necessary after every shampoo to smooth, detangle, and replenish moisture. Apply conditioner to ends and length, avoiding the scalp.

Rinse-out conditioners provide instant softness and manageability. For extra hydration, use a leave-in conditioner or deep conditioner weekly.

Deep conditioning treats like hair masks can intensely nourish and repair dry, damaged strands. Leave on for 10+ minutes before rinsing out.

Regularly cleansing and conditioning suited to your hair type keep hair healthy, shiny, and clean.

Moisturize and Detangle

Proper moisturizing and detangling help minimize frizz, dryness, and breakage.

After shampooing and conditioning, apply a leave-in conditioner to damp hair. Leave-ins provide lightweight moisture and protection for strands. They make hair smoother, softer, and easier to detangle.

Alternatively, use a dedicated detangling spray before brushing or combing. These sprays contain conditioning agents that lubricate and loosen knots.

Apply a detangling serum to wet or dry hair before brushing for extra slip. Serums offer frizz control while leaving hair ultra-smooth.

Use your fingers to gently work the leave-in conditioner, spray, or serum evenly through the hair. Start at the bottom and work upwards to avoid breakage.

Use a wide-tooth comb or wet brush designed for detangling to brush through the hair gently. Avoid ripping or tugging motions. Work in small sections for best results.

Regularly moisturizing and detangling is necessary for thick or curly hair types prone to tangles. It helps prevent damage and hair loss when brushing.

Detangle hair starting at the tips and working up towards the roots. Never detangle dry hair, as this can cause breakage.

Moisturizing and proper detangling reduce frizz, increase shine, minimize breakage, and make hair easier to style. It's an essential step for healthy hair.

Deep Condition Weekly

Treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment 1-2 times per week for an intensive moisture boost.

Deep conditioners, also called hair masks, work deeper than regular conditioners to repair damage and make strands ultra-soft and smooth.

Look for a deep conditioner formulated for your hair's needs:

  • Dry, brittle hair: Intense, nourishing formulas with oils, butter, and hydrolyzed proteins to repair damage

  • Colour-treated hair: Rich, pigment-protecting masks to boost shine and prevent fading

  • Curly hair: Super hydrating masks to enhance definition and cut down on frizz

  • Damaged hair: Reconstructing hair masks with repairing ingredients to mend split ends

To deep condition:

  1. Apply a generous layer of the hair mask from roots to ends after shampooing.

  2. Put hair in a shower cap or wrap it in plastic and apply gentle heat.

  3. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes.

  4. Rinse out thoroughly.

Weekly deep conditioning strengthens strands, smooths frizz, replenishes moisture and improves manageability. It leaves hair ridiculously soft without weighing it down. For best results, pair your deep conditioner with a heating cap to allow deeper penetration.

Make deep conditioning a weekly ritual for strong, healthy hair. It provides intensive nourishing that regular conditioners can't match. Your hair will feel amazingly soft, shiny, and supple.

Protect Hair from Heat Styling

Hot tools like blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners can damage hair and cause breakage if proper precautions aren't taken.

Any time you use heat styling, it's essential to prep hair with a heat protectant first to prevent frying and singeing.

Heat protectant sprays and creams create a barrier that seals in moisture and blocks excessive heat from penetrating the hair shaft. This helps minimize:

  • Dry, brittle hair

  • Split ends

  • Breakage

  • Frizz

  • Dull, fried look

Apply a heat protectant to clean, towel-dried hair before blow drying or using hot tools. Even air drying can cause friction damage for some hair types.

Concentrate the protectant on mid-lengths and ends where damage is most likely, but avoid getting too close to the roots, making the hair look greasy.

Let the heat protectant dry thoroughly before applying heat. This allows it to set and adequately shield strands.

The right heat protectant allows you to style hair with hot tools while preventing damage. It's the first line of defence against environmental aggressors like UV rays and pollution.

Protecting hair from heat is one of the most important things you can do for overall hair health and shine. Only use heated styling tools with safeguarding strands first!

Stimulate and Clean the Scalp

A healthy scalp is key for optimal hair growth and quality. Here are tips for keeping your scalp stimulated and clean:

Scalp massages boost circulation to the head and remove dead skin cells and product buildup from the follicles. This helps strengthen strands and can promote growth.

To massage your scalp:

  • Use your fingertips to make small circular motions over your scalp for 2-5 minutes. Apply light pressure.

  • You can do this on dry or wet hair before washing.

  • Use a natural oil like coconut or almond oil while massaging for an added nourishing boost.

In addition to regular scalp massages, use a clarifying shampoo once a month to deep cleanse the scalp. Clarifying shampoos remove product residue, hard water minerals, and environmental pollutants that can clog follicles.

Look for clarifying shampoos with ingredients like:

  • Apple cider vinegar

  • Bentonite clay

  • Charcoal

  • Salicylic acid

When using a clarifying shampoo, focus on massaging it into the scalp. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

Stimulating the scalp through massage and cleaning it with occasional clarifying washes will remove dead skin cells and debris that can inhibit follicle health and hair growth. Remember scalp care as part of your routine!

Use Lightweight Products in Summer

When the hot, humid weather hits, it's time to switch up your hair care routine. The products you use in the summer should change along with the seasons.

In summer, opt for lightweight, low-residue formulas that won't weigh hair down or leave it looking greasy. The heat and humidity already make hair prone to frizz and flatness.

Lightweight summer products:

  • Shampoos: Clear, gel-based cleansers that thoroughly cleanse but don't strip away moisture

  • Conditioners: Non-greasy detanglers and frizz minimizers that provide movement and softness without buildup

  • Stylers: Light creams, foams, and gels that control frizz and flyaways without being heavy

  • Oils and serums: Non-greasy, fast-absorbing oils that tame frizz and add shine without making hair limp

  • Sprays: Dry texture or volume sprays add grit and lift at the roots to prevent flatness

  • Mousses: Airy, whipped mousses boost body and movement without weighing hair down

The summer requires a complete overhaul of your hair products to ones formulated explicitly for humidity resistance and lightweight moisture.

In addition to product changes, alter your styling approach:

  • Let hair air dry instead of blow drying to prevent frizz

  • Pull hair up more often into buns, braids or ponytails

  • Use gently heated tools only when necessary

With the right lightweight products and techniques, you can beat the frizz and keep your hair bouncy despite the humidity.

Trim Regularly

Getting your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks is key for maintaining healthy, vibrant locks.

Regular trims serve several benefits:

  • Remove split ends - Split and frayed ends continue travelling up the hair shaft, causing more damage if not trimmed.

  • Reduce breakage - Trimming off weak; broken strands helps minimize knots and future breakage.

  • Refresh haircut shape - Subtle trims keep your hairstyle looking neat and shapely.

  • Boost thickness - Thin, straggly ends are removed, giving the illusion of fuller hair.

  • Encourage growth - Removing damaged, dead ends allows hair to grow longer and faster.

  • Enhance shine - Chopping off dull ends reveals the healthy, glossy hair underneath.

  • Maintain moisture - Dry, porous ends soak up conditioner and oils before they reach the rest of the hair.

How often you should trim depends on your hair:

  • Curly hair: Every 8-12 weeks

  • Fine hair: Every 6-8 weeks

  • Thick or damaged: Every 6 weeks

  • Slow-growing: Every 8 weeks

In between trims, search and destroy splits using point-cutting scissors. Trim just the individual split ends instead of cutting all hair.

Regular trims, even just 1/4 inch, are the best way to maintain healthy, damage-free hair. Take your time with the ends being extremely frayed and split!

Choose Natural Styling When Possible

While hot tools and chemical treatments have their place, it's best to embrace your hair's natural texture and limit harsh styling when possible.

Here are tips for low-manipulation, natural hair care:

  • Air dry - Allow your hair to air dry instead of blow drying to prevent heat damage. Blot hair gently with a microfiber towel or old t-shirt to remove excess moisture.

  • Sleep on satin - Use a satin pillowcase at night. The smooth fabric minimizes the friction that can cause bedhead tangles and frizz.

  • Protective styles - When possible, opt for low-maintenance protective styles like braids, buns, or ponytails to give hair a rest from daily styling. This helps retain length and moisture.

  • Gentle handling - Be gentle when brushing and handling wet hair. Use a wide-tooth comb and avoid ripping through knots.

  • Soak up the sun - Get natural sunlight to boost hair growth and shine.

  • Scalp massage - Use your fingertips to massage your scalp and increase circulation.

  • Natural oils - Nourish hair with organic oils like coconut, olive, almond, or argan oil. Avoid mineral oil.

  • Hair masks - Treat your hair to weekly deep conditioning masks for intense moisture and strength.

Allowing your hair to take a break from harsh chemical treatments, dyes, and daily hot tool use gives it a chance to rejuvenate. Embrace your natural textures and care for your hair gently.

Eat a Balanced Diet 

What you eat affects the health and growth of your hair. A nutritious, balanced diet provides the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients hair needs to thrive.

Important Hair Nutrients

Here is the table converted into easy-to-read bullet points:

Protein: Benefits: Strength, growth | Food Sources: Meat, eggs, beans, nuts

Iron: Benefits: Oxygen circulation | Food Sources: Red meat, greens, beans

Zinc: Benefits: Tissue growth, repair | Food Sources: Oysters, nuts, seeds

Vitamin A: Benefits: Sebum production | Food Sources: Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach

Vitamin C: Benefits: Collagen formation | Food Sources: Citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli

Vitamin D: Benefits:  Growth cycles | Food Sources: Sunlight, fish, dairy

Vitamin E: Benefits:  Scalp circulation | Food Sources: Nuts, seeds, spinach

Biotin: Benefits:  Keratin production | Food Sources: Eggs, salmon, avocados

Omega-3:Benefits: Scalp health | Food Sources: Fish, walnuts, flaxseed

Tips for Hair-Healthy Eating:

  • Eat lean protein with every meal for growth 

  • Snack on nuts and seeds for zinc and vitamin E 

  • Eat yellow and orange produce for vitamin A 

  • Drink citrus juice for vitamin C 

  • Pop a daily multivitamin to fill any gaps 

Feeding your body a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients ensures your hair has everything it needs to grow thick and strong. Aim for a balanced diet with plenty of hair-loving foods.

Conclusion

A solid hair care routine is the key to consistently healthy, beautiful hair. You can customize a regimen that meets your strands' unique needs by being aware of your specific hair type and scalp condition.

A good hair care routine includes cleansing and conditioning suited to your hair, protecting it from heat damage, moisturizing sufficiently, and getting occasional trims. It's also vital to stimulate the scalp, alter products by season, limit harsh styling, and eat a balanced diet.

Key takeaways:

  • Shampoo and condition hair suited to your texture

  • Deep condition weekly for extra moisture

  • Apply a heat protectant before hot tools

  • Detangle gently with the right tools

  • Trim split ends every 6-8 weeks

  • Do scalp massages and clarifying washes

  • Use lightweight products in summer

  • Allow natural air drying when possible

  • Get enough protein, vitamins, zinc, iron, and omega-3s

Committing to a solid, customized hair care routine pays off with hair that's shiny, strong, and healthy from root to tip! Consistency is key.

 
David McAlinden