Hair can often feel much more complicated and time consuming than it needs to; this stems from people not fully understanding how to look after their hair. There are so many products available in shops and online that it can be overwhelming even to start thinking about a routine. Even this part of the process is hard, especially when you have to consider what will actually work best for your individual lifestyle.
Understanding your lifestyle and hair type
If you spend a lot of time outside in the elements, your hair and skin can become weathered, which can be obvious in your hair looking dry or developing split ends. If you are a swimmer, either in a pool or in the sea, then the chlorine and salt will damage your hair, as well. Playing or doing a lot of exercise and sport can change the way that you need to deal with your hair because of the sweat and the extra washing that you will have to do.
Once you understand your lifestyle and why your hair is behaving the way it is, you can begin to address problem areas with a routine.
When designing a routine for your hair, it is vital to identify your hair type. This will tell you most of what you need to know about caring for it. Generally speaking, if you have curly hair, then you will want to wash it far less than if you have straight hair; you will also want to add more moisture than you would otherwise need. Straight hair also has complex differences; whether your hair is fine, thick, coarse or soft, it will make a big impact on what you will need to do to keep it healthy.
This is not the only thing I am going to include in ‘hairtype’; your scalp health also matters a lot. Some people have oily hair because they naturally have an oilier scalp, some people have a dry scalp and may benefit from actually adding oil. If you can successfully identify this, it will help you create a more effective hair routine.
Sticking to a routine
Being able to actually stick to a routine is the most vital part of this whole process because, without doing it over a longer period of time, you won’t see much difference. The fewer products and steps that you can get away with in a routine, the better. Life is super busy for most people, so you don’t want to have to spend a lot of time and money on hair products and tools. People with curly and coily hair can easily spend hours on their hair routine every time they wash it, which means they have substantially more time to get other things done.
Finding a routine you can stick to might mean your hair gets a little healthier, but it won’t reach its full potential for years. But, this is better than your hair getting no healthier at all, as long as there is an improvement, that is better.
Lots of people, on a day-to-day basis, use only a couple of products, but then once a week, they use a more intense treatment or a hair mask, which takes longer to soak into their hair. While waiting, many use the time to read, watch a favourite programme, or enjoy other games on their phone like Candy Crush, or trying their luck at a slot like Eye of Horus slot. A great way to use a hair mask, especially for naturally dry hair or hair that has been damaged, is to wear it in a slick back. Slick backs have recently become very popular in the mainstream, and many people take them as an opportunity to use a leave-in treatment in their hair. This means they look on trend while still protecting their hair health.
Over time
As time goes on, it is unrealistic to think that you won’t need to change the way that you manage your hair. As its health improves, you will have to alter your routine, just as you would with anything else.
To protect your hair over time, you are going to have to identify and change the things that are damaging your hair, not just fight the damage after it has happened. You don’t need to stop the activities that you enjoy, but maybe do them with your hair in a different state. Before you go swimming, tie your hair in a plaited bun underneath a swimming cap to prevent knotting and keep it as dry as possible.
If you like being outdoors, you might wear a woolly hat, especially when it is very cold. Hats like this damage your hair’s health, though, satin inner layers protect your hair and keep it far smoother. You should get a hat like this, if possible. Another, similar change that you can make is to buy a satin pillowcase and bonnet; this doesn’t cost much money at all, and it takes no time out of your day to make this massive effect on your hair’s health.
