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Collegiette Beauty: Essential Hair Care Tips

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at VCU chapter.

Stop
washing your hair every day.
Excessive washing makes your hair dry and strips it of its natural oils. Start out by washing every other day and once your hair gets used to it (yes, you can train your hair), start washing every two days instead. Your hair will become much healthier and easier to work with.

It’s also a good idea to use a clarifying shampoo once a week. It will get rid of all of the product build-up in your hair and leave it shiny and fresh. Rinsing your hair with cold water after conditioning also gives your hair an extra shine.

After you wash your hair, it’s okay to let it air dry but don’t sleep on wet hair. Also, don’t leave your hair in a ponytail, bun, braid, etc. while it’s wet. As crazy as it sounds, a sort of fungus can start to grow on your scalp when it stays moist for a long period of time. It will build up and cause dryness and itchiness. A good remedy for this is also to use a clarifying shampoo or a dandruff shampoo.

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Preventing Split Ends
Natural hair is healthy hair. The less you use heat products like blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons, the healthier your hair will be because the heat causes a lot of damage to your hair. However, if you’re going to use heat products you should use finishing and heat protection products before you style your hair. They protect your hair from some of the damage and also help your hair stay smooth and shiny throughout the day.

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Hair Growth
Try to get a trim about every 6 weeks. Even though your hair grows from the roots, it needs to be healthy everywhere in order to grow properly. Split ends stunt hair growth and they aren’t pretty.

Taking a vitamin B-12 supplement pill once a day promotes healthy hair and hair growth. It’s also en energy supplement and is beneficial to your nervous system, so you get extra benefits.

Use a loose-toothed comb as much as possible. It is gentler on your hair than a hair brush, but when you need to use a hair brush, use one with the plastic-tipped, spaced bristles because those are gentler on your hair than the original plastic, rough bristles with no tips.

Playing with your hair and massaging your scalp stimulates your roots and encourages hair growth. It’s also super relaxing!
 

Sarah is from Lynchburg, Virginia but has lived in Richmond since attending Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012 where she studied Mass Communications with a concentration in print journalism. She began contributing to Her Campus at VCU as a freshman and was developed to lead the chapter as Campus Correspondent for two years where she increased membership by 65% and brought the chapter ranking from bronze level to platinum level. She enjoyed attending both the mid-atlantic conferences held with the chapter at the College of William & Mary and Her Conferences held in NYC.  Sarah currently works in the tech industry in marketing. She has a background in communications, hospitality and nonprofit consulting. She still loves attending VCU basketball games and also loves live music. In her free time, she likes going on long walks with her dog, tending to her house plants and cycling around downtown. Fun fact: she has never owned a car and is a community advocate for public transit. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn.
Chelsea is a Her Campus alumnae and the Cofounder and former President and Editor-In-Chief of Virginia Commonwealth University's Her Campus chapter. Chelsea has diverse professional experience thanks to her many internships in college. Her experience includes working in the research department at Viacom's MTV, assisting the CEO of a boutique jewelry brand in NYC, and working at an English tourist magazine in Japan. Beyond her professional life, Chelsea is inspired by fashion, finance, all things Harry Potter, her dream of working for a company she loves, and her travels. Chelsea turns to Sailor Moon episodes and Harry Potter soundtracks when life gets tough. Also a good amount of shopping, traveling, and making memories with loved ones will maintain her status quo.Connect!LinkedIn Instagram: @chelsskubo