I only shampoo my hair twice a week.
If I had heard that two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have believed it and might have even been slightly disgusted. But if she could see the difference in health between her hair and mine, she’d be thankful.
In the past year and a half, I’ve been prioritizing my hair health with a strict routine. If you’re someone who’s been meaning to get started on their hair-care journey but isn’t sure where to start, here are the four key steps to the path towards stronger, longer and healthier hair.
- Hair Cut
-
If you’re someone who loves their length and is scared of a big chop, I completely understand. It can be nerve-racking to sit down in that salon chair, not knowing if you’re destined to walk away with 10 inches of hair missing from your shoulders.
But the first step of your hair care journey requires you to leave behind all the split ends and damaged hair that’s dragging you down. And this isn’t meant to punish you; split ends are sneaky villains that will only worsen. If you don’t cut them off at the source, you run the risk of having them travel up the hair shaft.
This housekeeping step gives you a fresh, healthy base of hair, safe from worsening split ends, breakage and thinning. This chop is maintenance; there is no number of fancy products that can save these damaged ends, so the best thing you can do for your hair is say goodbye to split ends.
- Determine Your Hair Type
-
Now that there’s a strong foundation of healthy hair, it’s time to find the right set of products to keep it that way. Hair product recommendations depend mostly on hair type. There are a few factors that contribute to determining which products are best for you.
First is hair texture. This is determined by the diameter of the individual strands of hair. Fine hair texture has thinner individual strands, while coarser hair has thicker strands.
The second evaluation factor is hair porosity. Hair porosity can be revealed with a simple at-home test. Place a strand of hair into a clear glass of water. Hair porosity is revealed based on whether the strand sinks to the bottom of the glass, remains at the surface or floats somewhere in the middle.
Hair that sinks to the bottom has high porosity, meaning it acts as a sponge and easily absorbs hydration. Hair that remains at the surface, typically finer hair, has low porosity. Hair that floats somewhere in the middle has medium porosity.
The last factor to consider is curl patterns. This can be determined simply by washing your hair and allowing it to air dry without product. You can evaluate your exact curl type using a curl type chart.
Determining hair type is the best way to care for your hair and find products that are effective. Having nice shampoo doesn’t mean having perfect hair, it’s all about finding the right kind of shampoo for your specific needs.
- Finding The Right Products
-
Now that you’ve determined your hair type, you can evaluate the types of products that are right for you. Heavy conditioners with oils and butters are better suited for high porosity coarse hair.
Hair with high porosity can easily absorb and retain these harsh moisturizing products. I recommend looking for products with rich emollients like shea butter, strengthening proteins like keratin or oils like castor and coconut.
As for fine low porosity hair, look for light weight products with humectants like aloe vera or glycerin. Lightweight water-based conditioners are recommended for fine, low porosity hair.
I have medium porosity hair and try to keep it hydrated with a weekly deep conditioning mask.
Don’t be afraid to invest in high-quality products for your new hair chapter. Washing your hair infrequently results in long-lasting products. With high-quality products, a little goes a long way.
I’ve been working on the same bottle of shampoo for the past few months!
- Establishing A Routine
-
The final step, and arguably the most difficult, is to establish a hair wash schedule. If you wash your hair every day, start by limiting yourself to every other day. And disclaimer, this doesn’t mean skipping your daily shower, simply skipping your hair wash.
It may be uncomfortable for the first few months. But just remember, the oils naturally produced by your scalp are crucial to strengthening your overall hair health. They work hard to protect your scalp from dryness, hydrating your hair, adding shine and strengthening individual strands.
One thing that helps me to keep up my hair wash schedule is to blow-dry my hair after each wash. When I do this my hair tends to last for a few days before getting oily. And trust the process. You might be someone who’s prone to an oily scalp; don’t let this deter you from a less frequent hair wash schedule.
After a few months I started to notice a change in my hair behavior. It’s stronger and lasts up to three days before feeling dirty.
Lastly, you can accompany this hair wash routine with a daily collagen or hair, skin and nails vitamin. This will ensure you have balanced nutrient levels that will strengthen your hair from the inside out.
Hair is hard. And sometimes hair damage can feel hopeless. But evaluating your hair and identifying it’s specific needs makes all the difference.
Let this be your sign to prioritize your hair health. Your future self will thank you.