With the unprecedented situation we found ourselves in last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the world was faced with lockdowns and quarantines. And while those seemed like the perfect measures to curb away the threat of the virus, they proved to be the cause of another issue – that of stress pandemic.
While desirable in small amounts, once it goes chronic, stress can lead to numerous changes in our bodies and lives, and they aren’t the good kind of changes. One such example is telogen effluvium, also known as hair loss which has been on the rise since 2020.
Whether you’ve been dealing with this kind of issue or not, this certainly calls for getting aware of and looking for ways to ameliorate your nutrition and de-stress. And of course, showing your beautiful hair the love and attention it deserves with the proper hair care products that will make a difference to its health, strength, and natural shine.
Choose the Right Shampoo
Same as when shopping for skincare, you need to be careful when choosing a shampoo and ensure the one you pick is ideal for your hair type. This is important to remember because what’s great for oily hair isn’t going to work well for normal, dry or combination hair.
Moreover, if you want to be sure you’d get the best results possible, it’s advisable to also pay attention to the ingredients. Not surprisingly, products with organic ingredients have become the trend in recent years knowing the immediate desired effects they provide.
Besides cleansing your hair from the dirt and debris, shampoos from luxurious brands available at the well-stocked beauty retailers, in the likes of Akin, Joico, Label.M, and Paul Mitchell, recondition and nourish it at the same time too. Now this is the type of hair care you want to have in your collection considering it’s known for the amazing natural ingredients such as plant extracts full of vitamins, minerals, and proteins!
Once you’ve found your ideal product that’s great for your well-being in general, it’s crucial to be aware of how to use it properly for best results; to ensure your hair’s health, and prevent it from getting brittle or oily, it’s necessary to only apply shampoo to the scalp (i.e. the roots). This is where the oil production is, along with the dead skin cells.
The amount of the product mainly depends on the volume and length of the hair, though on average it comes to two teaspoons per wash. For deeper cleansing, it’s best to shampoo twice. Now, when it comes to how many times per week you should wash it, two to three is ideal if you want to maintain the hair’s natural oils intact. However, individuals with very oily scalp might even feel the need to wash more often.
Don’t Forget the Conditioner
When you’re pressed for time due to a hectic busy schedule, a quick rinse is all you can afford to get and you might think you can leave out the conditioning part for the weekends. This is where you’d be in the wrong because it’s handy hair products like conditioners that can be your best line of defence against damage from the environment, heat from styling tools, and hot water.
Other benefits you can expect to reap include avoiding entanglement, static, and lack of moisture, as well as getting an improvement with the texture. Should you get conditioners that are packed with natural ingredients, like essential oils in the example of jojoba, you’d have the peace of mind they’re equally good for the skin. In terms of the use, most commonly they’re products that are applied on the mid-shaft and ends of clean damp hair.
And yet, if you want to get salon-like silky smooth hair, every once in a while, you could resort to deep conditioning. This means applying great amounts of conditioner on your hair, including the roots, after you’ve washed it, squeezed out the water, and dried it with a towel. Leaving the product to work its wonders for 10 minutes before the thorough rinse, combing through with a broad toothed comb to disperse it all over, would give you the amazing result you’re after.
Increase Your Collection
Depending on what your hair is like, whether it lacks moisture or you often get split ends, whether it’s frizzy or you often dye and style it with heat, you might have to invest in additional hair care products created to maintain optimal health. Besides masks, you could also buy serums, heat protectants, and thickening creams.
Masks
Now these are beauty products everyone should have, especially those who aren’t up for DIYing masks with ingredients they have at home, like lemon, honey, coconut oil, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and eggs which are great for hair growth. As they’re created to treat specific issues, you can find deep treatment masks that restore your hair and scalp’s health on a deeper level, those that improve hydration, and those that prevent split ends and frizz.
Serums
Though this type of hair products online beauty stores offer doesn’t repair damaged hair, it’s great for protection from the elements considering it helps the hair retain moisture. Moreover, additional benefits you’d get to reap include providing your hair with natural shine, and protecting it against humidity.
Heat Protectants
In case you love styling your hair with hair dryers, curlers and hair straighteners, you know how easily they can damage it and make it dry. If you aren’t willing to give up the styling, the least you can do is offer your lovely mane the protection it requires from burning and drying with the suitable protectants designed for the very purpose.
Thickening Creams
This type of product comes in handy when you want to protect against heat from styling while also preventing UV rays from damaging your locks, and boost the volume and shine. This is what makes it perfect before applying heat with styling tools.
Add Some Changes
Sometimes, you may have the greatest hair care there is yet if you aren’t mindful of certain damaging habits you have, you’d only slow down the positive effects you can expect to get. For instance, if you’re guilty of washing with hot water, combing the damp or wet hair with too much force, or blow drying it excessively, you aren’t doing it any favour.
First and foremost, instead of heat, make sure you use lukewarm water. There’s also no room for rushing with the combing and drying; to properly comb the hair when it’s weakest, use a wide-toothed comb and be careful how you work your way through the locks – first start with the ends, then make your way up. As for drying, if you have no time to let it air dry, you can best ensure your hair’s health by gently removing the excess water with your hands, and then tap it with a microfibre towel.
Speaking of fabrics, your pillowcase fabric is yet another culprit that often creates bad hair days so if you want to always look your best, as if you’ve just gotten out of the beauty salon, sleep on smooth silk pillowcases. Not only do they protect your curls from tangles, but they also make maintenance and care easier too. With changes such as these, your hair would definitely thank you!