Having salon-silky-smooth hair boosts our confidence, makes us look healthier, and improves our overall appearance. This is great for our self-esteem.
People often take good hair for granted because they don’t know its health benefits. For starters, having healthy hair prevents premature hair loss, and maintenance is also suitable for hygiene purposes. It even boosts our energy and helps with our mental health.
On the other hand, dry and damaged hair often leads to stress, insecurity, and a poor reputation. For example, it can make you look unkempt and unclean. It’s not only bad for what other people think of you, but bad hair can also undermine your personality.
So, before we begin to list down the tips for having salon-smooth and silky hair, what’s the science behind it?
The Science Behind Hair
If you don’t already know, your hair is not a living part of your body. The strands that you see are called the hair shaft, and it’s composed of layers of keratin. Keratin is a hard protein. It’s the building block of your hair and is responsible for making it smooth and firm.
Damaged hair can present itself in many ways. For example, you can easily spot damaged hair by the way it looks. Is it dry? Are there many split ends?
You can also tell when hair is damaged by the way it feels. It can be dry and rough to the touch. You can even tell it’s dry by just looking at its dull colour.
On the other hand, healthy hair is shiny by appearance. The hair shafts are smooth to the eyes and the touch. It’s also soft and easy to manage. The question is, how do you get healthy hair?
How to Get Smooth and Healthy Hair
Choose the Right Hair Products
Even though your hair is technically not alive, you can still enhance its state and appearance through cosmetics. That’s what shampoos, conditioners, and other hair products are for. It’s essential to know what ingredients make hair better and why you should be vigilant with your chosen products.
Let’s start with shampoo. You want a mild shampoo that doesn’t strip your hair and scalp of natural moisture. Use a shampoo that doesn’t have harsh surfactants and comes with moisturising ingredients. It would help if you chose and looked for those that have oils, silicon, or proteins.
The next step is a conditioning product. Conditioners are packed with nutrients that restore moisture and deposit vitamins and minerals into the hair follicles. They essentially make hair smooth and silky by maintaining the right balance of oils, proteins, and other moisturising ingredients.
Shampooing and conditioning your hair are the basics of hair care. However, if you want to reap the full benefits of hair care and cosmetics, you need to take your hair-care routine to the next level: hair serums. Hair serums are products that target specific hair concerns.
Dry, curly, and breakage-prone hair needs more than just conditioner. You need a hair serum if you want better results. Hair serums contain concentrated amounts of nutrient and vitamin-rich ingredients that work stronger and better on hair. For example, serums are richer in oils and natural hair softeners compared with conditioners.
Wash Your Hair
Washing your hair is not as simple as you might think. Some people have been washing their hair wrong the whole time. Remember, there are many benefits to properly cleaning your hair. For starters, it can get rid of any residues from shampoo that cause dry or itchy scalp and even dandruff.
- Thoroughly Wet Your Hair: Before applying shampoo, make sure your hair is soaking wet. Imagine your hair cuticles as tiny roof tiles. When they’re flat, your hair reflects light and looks shinier. So, stand under the shower for a minute or two, ensuring water reaches all parts of your scalp and hair.
- Use the Right Amount of Shampoo: You probably need a lot less shampoo than you think! The right amount for you depends on your hair’s texture and thickness. For short or fine hair use a small amount, about the size of a five-pence piece is enough. For medium-length hair a ten-pence piece-sized dollop is a good starting point. For long hair, you can use a bit more, roughly the size of two ten-pence pieces.
- Focus on Your Scalp: Scrub your scalp for at least three minutes during shampooing. It’s essential for effective cleansing. Think of it as nourishing your hair from the roots. A healthy scalp leads to shinier hair.
- Avoid Hot Water: Hot water dries out your hair cuticle and scalp, causing frizz. Use cool water to rinse instead. It won’t dry your hair as much and can be lukewarm if cold water feels uncomfortable. Repeat steps 1-4 if a good wash is needed.
- Condition: Use a conditioner, this can be leave-in if you prefer, or a shine enhancer. These products moisturise and smooth the hair cuticles without weighing down your hair. If you prefer occasional treatments, try a hair mask for deep conditioning.
- Skin-Friendly Ingredients: Consider products with skin-friendly ingredients. Scalp health directly affects hair health. Balancing the scalp rather than disrupting it helps maintain healthy, shiny hair.
Remember, well-moisturised, healthy hair naturally looks shinier!
Avoid Hair Dyes and Bleaching
It can be very tempting to dye your hair, especially since this is an all-time favourite hair transformation. Unfortunately, it’s not the best way to take your hair to the next level. In many cases, especially in the long run, this would cause further damage to your hair. Try these natural alternatives.
Hair dyeing is a procedure where colour pigments are deposited to the hair shaft by mixing a hair colour or pigment solution and a chemical known as an oxidizer. This chemical works by lifting the hair cuticles, where colour is then deposited. Raised hair cuticles result in hair that is prone to breakage, dry, and porous.
You should also avoid bleaching your hair. Instead of depositing colour into the hair, bleaching removes pigments from the hair shaft by lifting it. It removes pigments by causing the melanin present in the hair to dissolve. That’s why this process is also called oxidization. They are just like hair dyes, and even worse, they leave your hair very dry, very porous, and very prone to breakage.
Healthy hair is the number one hair goal. Don’t just aim to “look” healthy. Exert effort to keep your hair healthy so that it stays silky and smooth. There are many ways to achieve this dream, but the simple ones include choosing the right hair products, washing your hair correctly and safely, and avoiding hair dyes and bleach. Enjoy your salon silk-smooth hair!
You may also like to read these posts: how to get rid of static hair and menopausal hair changes.
