Your hair is fragile. If you do not treat it well, it becomes brittle, prone to breakage, and yes, may even fall out! The last thing you want is to damage your hair or lose it prematurely, especially if you are genetically predisposed to balding. For shiny, beautiful hair, you must make proper hair care part of your daily routine.
Wash
There is little more relaxing than a steaming hot shower on a cool morning. Unfortunately, piping hot water wreaks havoc on your hair. High temperatures pull out the natural oils from your scalp, leaving your hair dry and dull. Try to wash your hair in lukewarm, even slightly cool, water. If you can’t stand the thought of turning down the heat for your entire shower, at least use cool water for the few minutes it takes to wash your hair.
When you shampoo your hair, make sure to work the shampoo in your scalp, not just the strands of your hair. A healthy scalp grows beautiful hair.
Condition
Many men think that the only hair care necessity is shampoo. While shampoo removes dirt and impurities from your hair and scalp, it also removes the natural oils that keep your hair healthy and shiny. Because of this, it is important that you follow shampoo up with conditioner. Conditioner puts moisture and oil back into your hair and helps keep it strong. If you have long hair, conditioner also helps keep it tangle-free.
If the thought of an extra step in your morning routine is too much for you, start with a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner and work your way up to separate products.
Dry
When you step out of the shower, your first instinct may be to vigorously rub your wet hair with a towel until it is nearly dry. Resist this urge. Your hair is the most susceptible to damage when it’s wet, so this is when it should be treated most carefully. Use a towel to gently pat any excess water droplets from your hair. From this point, if you can, allow your hair to air dry.
If you are in a rush, you may need to blow it dry. Only use a blow dryer when necessary, as it places concentrated heat on your hair strands, making them more susceptible to damage. When you do blow dry, use the coolest setting on the blow dryer, as well as a heat protectant spray, to avoid excessive heat damage.
Trim
Once hair is damaged, it cannot be repaired. Although many manufacturers claim their products can repair damaged hair, this is not entirely accurate, since hair is not living and cannot repair itself. The only way to fix damaged hair is to cut it off.
Fortunately, damaged hair often manifests as split ends, which can easily be removed with a simple trim at the barber shop. To keep your hair thick and healthy-looking, get it trimmed every six weeks, even if you are trying to grow it out.
Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
