A beautiful head of hair is a universal sign of beauty and vitality. Thick, healthy locks not only enhance your appearance but also boosts your confidence tremendously. While genetics play a role in having good hair, hair care counts a lot more than you’d think.
Here are facts about hair care everyone should know.
Sulphate Is Bad For Your Hair
A lot of hair shampoos contain sulphate. The reason for this twofold. Sulphate is why the foamy texture occurs when you mix your shampoo with water. This way you can spread the shampoo over a greater area of your head.
The second reason is that sulphate helps the active ingredients in shampoo to better get rid of oil and dirt in hair. But, here’s why you should use a sulphate free shampoo bar instead. The hair needs to keep some of its natural moisture and oils to stay healthy and prevent dryness. It turns out sulphate is too good at its job, stripping away too much of your hair’s natural oils and moisture.
Plus this chemical causes problems like eye irritation, flaky scalp, skin irritation. You should particularly avoid sulphate in your shampoos if you fall in the following class of people:
People with sensitive skin and skin conditions
People with dry scalps and frizzy hair
People with dyed and chemically altered hair
Wet Hair Is Extremely Fragile
There’s a common misconception that you should comb your hair while it’s still wet because it’s easier. The opposite of this is true. Wet hair is fragile. Do not brush your hair while it’s still wet. Here’s why.
Hair is protected by keratin cuticles that protect the hair shaft. Water loosens the keratin cuticles and weakens the natural protective barrier of the hair. The effect is that the hair fiber becomes more sensitive because of increased porosity, and so is susceptible to damage. This is why combing your hair while it’s wet and thus weakened results in breakage.
Instead, gently dab your hair with a towel to squeeze out the water to dry it out. Do not wrap it up with towel turban style. This causes your hair to knot up. Leave your hair to dry then comb it with a soft brush.
If you’re short on time and need to detangle quickly right out of the shower or just after washing it, leave the conditioner in your hair and use a wide-tooth comb to gently detangle by starting at the tips and working your way to the roots.
Cotton Pillowcases Are Bad For Your Hair
Here’s what your cotton pillowcase is doing to your hair:
It’s knotting up your hair. The rough cotton fibers of the pillowcase mean your hair can’t move around freely as you toss and turn. This results in a tangled snarled mess that’s a nightmare to brush out without causing breakage.
It’s thinning your hair. The constant rubbing of your hair against the rough fibers will break your hair in the long run and lead to thinner hair
It’s drying out your hair. Cotton is a great absorbent. While this is usually a good thing, it’s bad for your hair. Your hair needs moisture and oils to remain supple and prevent dryness. Cotton pillowcases absorb the hair’s natural oils and moisture
The much better pillow option for your hair is a silk pillowcase. Silk pillowcases do all the things that cotton pillowcases can’t. Their soft material means there’s no rough friction, thinning, breakage, or drying out. Plus silk pillowcases are fantastic for your skin too and known to prevent acne and reduce wrinkles.
Rice Water Is Good For Your Hair
Research shows that as far back as the ancient Heian era in Japan, rice water was effectively used by the ladies of the court to achieve beautiful floor-length hair. Asian women have been using rice water to grow long, healthy, shiny hair for centuries.
The benefits of rice water are plenty, including the starch in the rice that strengthens hair, the improved scalp health from the vitamins, amino acids, and other minerals, the hydration that boosts shine, and perhaps best of all the antioxidants that aid the growth of hair follicles.
Here’s how to make rice water for your hair:
Rinse and strain the rice to remove any dirt or impurities because you don’t want that in your hair.
Mix the strained rice in a medium-sized bowl with water until the water becomes cloudy.
Strain the rice but obviously, keep the water.
Put the rice water in a plastic container, cover it and let the rice water sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. This allows it to ferment so that all of the vitamins and minerals can really come out.
Refrigerate the rice water until you’re ready to use it.
When you’re ready, fill a small container, like a travel-sized shampoo bottle or a small jar, with rice water to apply it easily. But keep the rest in your fridge or else it may go bad.
Your Hair Is What You Eat
Eating a balanced diet with the right proportions of nutrients and vitamins is the key to beautiful, healthy hair. A poor diet on the other hand will definitely result in hair loss.
Here are some foods to eat that will do wonders for your hair:
Eggs are a great source of protein and biotin which grow hair follicles
Berries are loaded with beneficial compounds and vitamins like vitamin C that promotes hair growth
Fatty fish like salmon, herring, and mackerel have nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids that aid in hair growth
Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A, which is linked to good hair health
One medium avocado (about 200 grams) provides 21% of your daily vitamin E. Vitamin E is great for healthy hair growth
Oysters are one of the best food sources of zinc, a mineral that helps support the hair growth and repair cycle
Spinach is a healthy green vegetable that’s loaded with beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which will aid in hair growth
Sweet peppers are an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, one yellow pepper provides nearly 5.5 times as much vitamin C as an orange. Vitamin C aids in hair growth
Shrimp are a great source of protein, B vitamins, zinc, iron, and especially vitamin D. A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of shrimp provides 38% of your daily recommended vitamin D intake. Studies have linked vitamin D3 deficiency to hair loss
As is evident by these hair facts, taking care of your hair is simple, but necessary. Thick, shiny hair doesn’t just happen.