How To Keep Your Hair Healthy
Whether it’s a short-cut bob or a wild, curly mane – every woman wants to keep her hair healthy. So that your hair will shine every day and stay soft and supple over the long term, I will tell you my twelve most important tips on how to keep your hair healthy.
1. Wash yo
ur hair properly: Less is more
Your hair looks greasy, so quickly take a shower? Stop! Washing your hair too often dries out your hair and stimulates your scalp to produce more sebum. The result: your hair looks greasy again even faster. I therefore advise you to wash your hair only about every two to three days.
In order to permanently escape the vicious cycle of oily hair, you should wean your hair from being washed too often. To do this, you should lengthen your usual hair washing rhythm step by step by avoiding washing your hair for a day longer than usual. So your hair can “grease out” and the sebum production regulates itself. Yes, it takes a lot of effort, but your hair will thank you for it.
2. Use mild, silicone-free shampoo
There is a huge selection of hair shampoos in the drugstore. But not all of them clean and care for your hair in the best possible way. The wrong care products can even damage your hair.
Your hair care shampoo should meet the following characteristics:
- Mild surfactants: Surfactants are responsible for reliably removing grease and dirt particles from the hair and scalp, but can also irritate the scalp. If a shampoo contains extra mild surfactants, it cleans reliably and at the same time protects your skin.
- Without silicones & parabens: Do not use shampoo with artificial additives such as silicones and parabens. These are deposited on the surface of the hair and in the long run ensure that care substances can no longer penetrate the inside of the hair.
When washing your hair yourself, a hazelnut-sized portion of shampoo per hair wash is sufficient. Lather up the shampoo, distribute it in your hair and massage it lightly into the scalp. Then wash it off thoroughly.
3. Don’t shower too hot
As pleasant as a hot shower can be for your wellbeing, water that is too hot for your hair is not a good idea. The problem: The high water temperatures dry out your hair and make it brittle. It is better to wash your hair with lukewarm water to protect the valuable cuticle of your hair.
4. Do not rub your hair dry
Especially when it is wet or damp, your hair is very sensitive and breaks more easily. For this reason, you shouldn’t rub your hair vigorously dry after showering, but rather dab it gently with the towel.
5. Comb your hair instead of brushing it
When wet, gently detangle your hair with a chunky comb instead of using a brush. That protects your hair structure! Leave-in conditioner or detangling sprays also make your hair easier to comb.
6. Blow dry your hair properly
Just like water that is too hot, too high a blow-dryer temperature also damages the structure of the hair. Here the hair care tip applies: It is better to blow-dry a few minutes longer instead of risking broken hair.
Before blow-drying, you should let your hair air dry for about 15 minutes. This closes the outer cuticle and the hair is less vulnerable. Set your blow dryer to the lowest to medium temperature and a high fan setting to dry your hair. Keep the hair dryer at least 20 centimeters away from your head.
Caution: If you have fine hair, I recommend that you turn down the fan speed. Otherwise, the hair will quickly become tangled.
7. Start a pampering program with conditioner & hair serum
If you want to take good care of your hair, you should pamper it too! There are numerous care products for this. But what is the difference between conditioner, hair serum and Co.? I will 
explain it to you:
- Rinse / Conditioner: This care product increases the ease of combing, suppleness and shine of your hair and prevents matting. You should use a conditioner after every hair wash. When choosing a product, however, make sure that it does not contain any harmful substances such as parabens or silicones.
- Important: Always rinse your hair well after use. If any conditioner residue remains in your hair, it will become greasy faster.
- Treatment: A nourishing hair treatment penetrates the hair and provides moisture. You should use them about every two weeks after you wash your hair regularly.
- Hair serum / hair lotion: A hair serum is the intensive care for your hair. After shampooing, it is massaged into the damp or already dry scalp. The active ingredients ensure more moisture, protection of the hair structure and a healthier scalp.
8. Avoid 2-in-1 products
Some hair care products advertise being a shampoo and conditioner in one. But be careful: Both products have different tasks. While shampoo is supposed to clean your hair of dirt with mild surfactants, the conditioner ensures good combability and shine. Many 2-in-1 products cannot meet these two requirements.
9. Have your tips trimmed regularly
Many women do not like this hair care tip. But even if you would like to let your hair grow for as long as possible – a regular visit to the hairdresser is part of proper hair care. The hair stays healthy and split ends are removed. Here it is usually sufficient to shorten the hair ends by one to two centimeters every eight to ten weeks.
10. Braid your hair for the night
This hair care tip is particularly interesting for women with long hair: To prevent your hair from becoming tangled at night, it is worth braiding your hair in a loose braid. So you don’t have to detangle your hair for hours after getting up, but can start styling straight away.
11. Provide extra care in summer and winter
In summer it is the sun or the salt water on a beach holiday, in winter the dry heating air and a lot of blow-drying – so take special care of your hair during these times and pamper it with an extra portion of care.
Special hair treatments or care products with integrated UV protection are particularly suitable for intensive care. You should also avoid exposing your wet hair to direct sun on hot summer days. Otherwise the UV radiation will damage your hair structure and make it dry out faster.
12. Style your hair carefully
Sharp-edged metal clips and tight hair ties with metal fasteners destroy the cuticle of your hair and make it break more easily. Therefore, always make sure to use hair clips with a gentle coating or with a fabric cover.
Also, don’t tie your hair in a ponytail or bun too often. The hair is otherwise often squeezed in the same place and the tying up puts more stress on the hair roots.
Thank you for reading this entry and I hope you learned some methods on how to keep your hair healthy.