10 Things To Do If You Want Shiny, Healthy Hair

So you want beautiful, Blake Lively-esque hair? Yeah, I do too. Which is why I constantly bleach it, curl it and fuck with it. That’s not going to give me the beautiful, flowing and healthy mane I want, so I’ve started focusing on getting my crowning glory (LOL, false) as healthy as possible. You can do it too! Sometimes I cringe at the things my friends and I do to our hair. I’m sure you’re as guilty as we are.

1. Learn your hair type. This sounds simple, but a lot of people use the wrong products for their hair. Do you have oily hair? Super-fine but thick hair? Figure it out, perhaps with the help of your stylist. A trusted stylist can recommend the best products for YOU, and sometimes, they’re not the ones you think you need.

2. Be gentle. Don’t yank and pull on your hair when it’s wet. Work through tangles gently with your fingers, or be sure to spray on a detangler or leave-in conditioner on your wet hair. Use a wide-tooth comb or a large brush. Learn what your hair responds to best. Girls with curls should stay away from vigorous toweling dry and instead try an old t-shirt to blot with – this doesn’t work for me, but it might work for you! Trial and error, but remember: GENTLY.

3. Eat better. What you put in your body shows in your hair. When I eat nutrient-rich salmon and tuna or lots of avocados and olive oil, my hair seems more alive and feels like it grows faster. Actually, whenever I make an effort to eat healthier, it shows in my skin and hair. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. Until science figures out how to make Cadbury eggs and red wine health food, I’ll be eating fish once or twice a week.

4. Sleep in a scrunchie. Ponytail binders are hard on your hair, but sleeping on loose hair means tangles and frizz. I sleep in my trusty black scrunchie (two for $5 at Walmart) every single night. It helps preserve blowouts if I have one and holds all my hair back gently.

5. Treat yourself. If you get your hair colored, add a conditioning treatment to your service and pamper your hair. Or take a night off and do a hair mask – coconut oil is an awesome (though time consuming) natural method I use when my hair is crying for some TLC.

6. Get a gloss. If your color looks dull and your ends look split but you’re not ready for a color or a trim, ask your stylist to do a gloss. They’re about $10 and make your color look more alive. They temporarily seal up those ragged ends, too. I lived on these when I was platinum blonde.

7. Take a few days off from heat-styling. Hot tools are one of the biggest damaging culprits, so take a few days off from your flatiron or curling iron and try a braid or a loose chignon updo instead. Sleeping with damp hair in braids can create waves, and using Velcro rollers can give a voluminous blowout effect – they’re super-easy to use and inflict zero damage.

9. Wash less, condition more. You CAN shower without shampooing! It’s possible. If you’re sweaty from exercise, just rinse your hair out or wash only your bangs if you have them. Excessive shampooing strips your hair of its natural oils. If you wash every day, try every other day instead. Personally, I wash twice a week and that works for my coarse, wavy hair.

10. And lastly, GET REGULAR TRIMS. I haaaaaate the idea of getting my hair cut, but I always feel ONE MILLION times better when I’m done. Regular trims = less split ends = better-looking hair. Plus you get a free blowout at the end. What’s wrong with that? Nothing.