The Sunday Mail
Dial down the heat
BLOW dryers, straightening irons, hot curlers and other heated styling tools can take a toll on your hair, especially if it is fine and dry.
Too much heat can weaken your hair, resulting in strands that are damaged or frizzy.
To limit damage from hair drying, researchers recommend holding the blow dryer about six inches away from the surface of your hair, and to keep the dryer moving and not concentrated on one spot.
Limit your blow-drying and other heated styling sessions to two or three times a week to give your hair time to recover in between each session.
Set your dryer and other heated styling tools to a lower heat level to reduce the chance of hair damage.
Boost your vitamin intake
Like the rest of your body, your hair needs specific vitamins and minerals to be healthy and strong.
Nutritional deficiencies may be linked to hair loss.
The vitamins and minerals that may be most important for hair growth are:
◆◆Vitamin A: found in sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, spinach, milk, eggs and yoghurt
◆◆B vitamins, especially biotin: found in egg yolk, liver, salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds, as well as dairy products
◆◆Vitamin C: good sources include citrus fruits, strawberries and bell peppers
◆◆Vitamin D: found in fatty fish, egg yolk and fortified foods like milk and orange juice
◆◆Vitamin E: good sources include sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach and avocados
◆◆Iron: found in oysters, clams, eggs, red meat, lentils and spinach
◆◆Zinc: good sources include oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds and lentils
If it is difficult to get the necessary nutrients from the foods you eat, you may want to consider taking a multivitamin that includes these vitamins and minerals.
Go easy on shampoo
Keeping your hair clean is important.
But most shampoos use ingredients that strip away your hair’s natural oils in an effort to reduce oiliness and remove dirt. Unless your hair is extremely oily, you can probably cut back to washing with shampoo two to three times a week, instead of every day.
Washing your hair too frequently may dry it out and possibly weaken the hair shaft.
Also, do not use too much shampoo.
Massage your scalp
Revving up the blood circulation in your scalp may help boost the health and condition of your scalp, and also increase blood flow to the hair follicles.
According to research, a four-minute daily scalp massage may have the ability to increase hair thickness and strength over time.
You can massage your own scalp by applying pressure in circular motions with your fingertips for several minutes.
You can do this on dry hair or when your hair is wet, just before you apply shampoo.
Up the protein in your diet
Getting enough protein in your diet is important for hair growth, as hair follicles consist mostly of protein.
A lack of protein in the diet can result in hair thinning and hair loss.
Try an egg yolk mask
Egg yolk contains the same proteins that make up a strong hair follicle.
The peptides in egg yolk may help stimulate hair growth.
Egg yolk also contains several essential nutrients that have been linked to hair growth and healthy hair, including vitamins A and D, biotin and folate.
Use a cool rinse
Showering with water that is too hot may cause heat damage to your hair, both at the root and on the cuticle.
Steam in the shower can open up the cuticles on your hair, which may result in hair that is dry, frizzy and prone to breakage.
Use aloe vera on your hair and scalp
Aloe vera is rich in vitamins A, C and E.
These vitamins may help promote healthy cell growth, including the cells in your hair.
In addition, aloe vera also contains vitamin B-12 and folic acid, both of which may be helpful in promoting healthy hair.
Swap your towel for a T-shirt
According to hair care experts, rubbing your wet hair with a terry-cloth towel after washing can cause hair damage and breakage due to the friction that is created between the towel and your hair.
You can opt for a microfiber towel.
An easier and cheaper solution is to use a simple cotton T-shirt. The smooth T-shirt fabric will create less friction when drying and, therefore, less damage and frizz.
Try a hot oil treatment
Hot oil treatments are a popular choice for helping to restore moisture to dry, frizzy or damaged hair. A coconut and avocado oil treatment may be especially beneficial. Coconut oil has the ability to reduce protein loss in both damaged and undamaged hair. — Healthline.
