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Taking basic care of your hair isn't hard: Comb it every day, trim it every couple of months, trim split ends, and wash/condition it at least every other day. I have very fine hair that looks oily if I don't wash it daily, so I tend to wash it every day.
- First and foremost, stay healthy. A healthy lifestyle means healthier hair. Stress, sleep deprivation, smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise will make your hair lank, limp, and prone to damage.
- Speaking of damage, avoid using hair products with alcohol since it dries out the hair. Also, don't put hair products directly on your scalp since that'll clog the pores on your scalp. To avoid chlorine damage, wet your hair before entering a pool so your hair soaks up that water as a shield before encountering the chlorinated water. Better still, wear a cap. If your hair comes into contact with chlorinated water, shampoo and condition your hair as soon as possible. Also, don't use hair dryers if possible. If you do, only use the low setting, and don't leave the blow dryer in one place for more than a few seconds or too close to your hair. When towel drying your hair, only pat it dry; never rub it or wring it.
- When combing/brushing your hair, use your fingers first to pick out knots, especially when your hair is wet. Hair is at its weakest when wet, so never run a brush through wet hair. Comb your hair before brushing it to rid it of tangles, beginning at the ends and working your way up. Use only downward strokes; never tease your hair. Also, use a brush with natural animal hair bristles; it's softer and more flexible. Plastic brushes and combs create static electricity. For both brushes and combs, use only those with widely spaced bristles or teeth to avoid damage to your hair and scalp. Wash your brushes and combs weekly with your shampoo.
- Buy shampoos and conditioners that match your hair type; trial and error is the only real way to find what works best for your hair. Try rotating shampoo and conditioner periodically since hair responds differently to different products.
- Use warm, not hot or cold water on hair. Before shampooing, rinse your hair to rid it of dust, dirt, and so on. Massage shampoo gently onto your scalp and work outwards; never rub vigorously since that will damage your hair. Treat your hair like a gentle silk fabric, not a rough canvas. It's not necessary to rinse and repeat; that's just something shampoo manufacturers put on the bottles to make you buy twice as much product. Plus, overwashing your hair will dry it out.
- Use a conditioner to moisturize your hair, make it shinier, less static-y, and easier to untangle. Put conditioner in your hair early on in your shower and then put a shower cap on over it to leave the conditioner in for the rest of your shower.
- Once a week, use a deep conditioning treatment to help keep your hair extra soft and smooth. You don't need to spend a lot; drugstores sell plenty of affordable products that accomplish the same thing as pricier ones.
Simply put, treat your hair gently, and don't go ape with products that don't work. You absolutely do not need to cover the walls of your bathroom in extra shelving to house dozens of different products that accomplish nothing other than blowing out your budget and weighing down your hair with gunk. Shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, and a couple of styling gels or sprays are all you really need.
A couple of brands I recommend are John Frieda, Tressemme, and Paul Mitchell. The latter is pricier than the former two, but it works. Better still, none of the above test on animals, which is arguably the most important aspect of any beauty product. I have never used L'Oreal or Neutrogena since I learned they test on animals. Come on, people, extend beauty to your actions as well as your looks. Vote with your dollar, and promote ethical business.
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