Because this body part is one of the most prominent, it’s important to make sure that the hair stays shiny and healthy. See, the state of someone’s hair can be a good indication of that person’s health: lustrous hair can mean that someone is healthy and working to stay that way, while dry and wiry hair can mean that that person is sickly.

However, giving your hair the utmost care can be very tricky. With hair care, prevention is definitely better than cure. There are a variety of steps that you can take to ensure that your hair is protected from a lot of environmental elements. There are also different methods that you can follow to maintain your healthy hair, and to nourish damaged strands back to health.

Protection

Constant exposure to sunlight can wreak havoc on your hair. The best way to prevent the sun’s heat from damaging the strands will be to wear a hat, or any form of headdress that can deflect sunlight and heat. However, doing this on a daily basis is very inconvenient and impractical. So instead of putting on a hat every time you go out, use any ordinary sunscreen to protect your hair from the heat of the sun. Mix half a teaspoon of sunscreen with half a cup of water, and use the solution as a hair spray. Spritz it on while your damp hair is still damp, and wait for it to dry before styling.

While dryers and straighteners can help you in achieving a fantastic hairstyle, they can permanently damage your hair in the long run. To minimize their harmful effects to your hair, use just the right settings on the machines, and keep dryers at least three inches away from your hair when using them.

Use this simple trick to gauge whether you are using the right settings in drying your hair: set you dryer or straightener to high, and direct the hot air towards your hand. The setting is too harsh if your skin starts to hurt after five seconds. If you do not want to risk any discomfort on your hand, direct the air towards a mirror instead. If the mirror starts to show small red spots, then the setting is too high to be used on your hair.

There are also different hair care products that you may use to maintain your hair’s health. However, you need to learn how to choose the ones that best fit your hair type. Using these products can protect your hair from damaging elements, but using too much of them can also damage your hair irreversibly. Remember that these products are made of chemical and other synthetic elements that may harm your hair if you use them too much.

Maintenance

Brush your hair regularly. This will loosen and remove dead skin, and stimulate your scalp to produce natural oil, which will nourish your hair. Studies also show that regular brushing can also promote fast and healthy hair growth. Be mindful in choosing the right type of comb or brush to use. Fine and straight hair will look best when combed with a flat-edged comb, while wavy or curly hair can benefit the most from a wide-toothed brush.

Take your time in washing your hair. Use the right type of shampoo and conditioner for your hair, depending on the type of hair you have. Using a shampoo designed for oily hair when you have dry hair will damage it, for example. Choose a mild shampoo that will not cause your hair to over-dry.

Daily use of conditioner will also lock in moisture, and keep your hair as soft as possible. Leave the conditioner on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing it off. This will ensure that your hair has absorbed all the nutrients of the hair product.

Try to air dry your hair as much as possible. If you need to use a towel, make sure to squeeze the excess water out of your hair, instead of rubbing it. Wet hair is weaker than dry hair. Because of this, excessive rubbing and tugging can cause your hair to break and to fall off.

Run your fingers through your hair before you run a comb or a brush through it. Try to untangle as many knots as you can using your fingers. This won’t be a hard thing to do because your hair will be more slippery when it is wet. You can also save your hair from getting damaged by combing it only when it is already dry. Tugging on wet hair using a comb or a brush will also exert too much strain on the strands.

Everything that you do to your body, you do to your hair as well. If you deprive your body of food, which has the necessary vitamins and nutrients, your hair will grow weak. Remember that your diet is responsible for 50% of your hair’s nourishment. Hair that has lost its luster and shine is a good indication of undernourishment, for both your scalp and for the rest of your body. Eat foods that are rich with protein, because they will help you keep your hair healthy.

Finally, visit a hair specialist regularly. This is the best way to maintain the health of your locks. Go for a trim every month to minimize the appearance of split ends. Ask for the appropriate hair treatment, especially if you have started to see signs of weakness on your hair.

Repair

First, find the root of the problem. This is a very important step to keep your hair from getting damaged further. Taking steps to repair the damage on your hair will be of very little use if you do not target the main cause of the damage from the very beginning.

Assess your hair care products routine, and check whether you really need to use all of those products. Discontinue using hair products that give no or very little benefit to your hair. Using too many chemicals will only make matters worse.

A good way to repair damaged hair is to nourish the strands using natural ingredients. There are also different hair products that you may use to minimize the damage on your locks. Different food sources are known to have deep-conditioning abilities. Apply egg or mayonnaise to your hair to add luster to dull hair, for example.

You may also use a vitamin E-rich treatment to make your hair shiny and smooth. There are a variety of natural or synthetic sources for this. Combine this step with the use of a nourishing shampoo to accelerate the repair.

Avoid different activities that can cause extreme hair damage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will do your hair no favor if you continue doing activities that will wreak havoc on your strands. If these activities cannot be totally avoided, use precautions like hair spritzers and other hair care products.

Putting split ends back together is an impossibility. Once the ends of your hair strands have frayed, repairing them is something that we currently cannot do. The only way to get rid of split ends is have them cut off. Visit your hair dresser and get a hair cut. This is a great way to prevent further damage from happening. Remember that the faster you have your split ends cut off, the less chances there are for the condition to worsen.

And finally, condition, condition, condition. Deep conditioning treatments, like hot oil and cellophane, are the best ways to deal with damaged hair. After shampooing your hair, apply the conditioning solution and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. To get better effects, wrap a warm towel around your hair during the process. The heat will help intensify the effects of the products by helping the hair in absorbing the solutions faster.

You may also apply your hair care products before going to bed. Leave it on overnight, and rinse it off when you take a bath in the morning.

Find a deep conditioning product that targets the core of the hair strands. Using products that only deal with damage on the cuticle level will only heal the outer part of your hair.