Beautiful Hair Tips

When it comes to hair, most people, i.e. scientists, beauticians, grandmas etc tend to agree that genetics is the most important part of good looking locks. Cutting to the chase- if you don't have naturally thick hairs thus full bodied hair chances are you won't be getting it no matter what.
However, there are cases in which you might want to save your hair, give it an ego boost or just maintain its condition. You can alter your locks' original state by finding the products that best suit you and not what's the hottest trend or what your hair stylist is trying to make you buy. I've been sucked in by countless marketing moves and not always was i given what i was promised...so beware. Let's get to my personal tips, most of which i use and have been devoted to for years.

1. Keep it clean- if i had a nickle for every time i heard/read 'i don't want to wash my hair every two/three/n days because it's going to get oily', i'd be retired and cruising on the French riviera by now. Seriously. Your scalp tells you when it's time to clean it- simple as that. Oily hair roots leads to sebum accumulation, dead cell buildup (not to mention the dust particles, bacteria, styling products, sweat, etc) that slowly suffocate the hair follicle, making it thinner and eventually provoking its loss. I don't tend to embrace the 'daily wash' policy either because it dries up the skin and the hair, makes it brittle and more prone to breakage. I think an average timing would be every three days if you really need it or four-five normally.

2. Take care of the scalp- as if it were your complexion. Don't hurt it with strong chemicals; relaxed hair, permed hair, repeatedly bleached hair, these aren't just hair damages but they also affect the scalp. Think about the gloves your hairdresser must wear while dying/relaxing your tresses- for protection measurements. Invest in a top-notch scalp treatment that would prevent excessive exfoliation (similar effect to dandruff), nourish and hydrate the skin.
Another great thing is using hair toners- most of them are based on plants and are available in every holistic or herbal shop. 

Nettle, hops, rosemary and egg-based toners do work- they cure oiliness, calm down irritations, maintain enough moisture in both the scalp and the follicles.
Massage-another great way to active the circulation and fasten oxygen changes at cell level. Massage oils, toners, green tea, lemon juice, whatever feels good for your hairtype. It is not going to give any miraculous results but it's a natural and sure way to start having better hair.

3. Brush your hair- as ridiculous as it may sound i knew people who either didn't brush their hair or did it too often; going to extreme is never a good recipe. When you don't brush your hair dirt accumulates and weighs down the follicles; uncombed hair looks messy in a bad way, untidy and dirty. Buy a high quality brush- most salon experts and beauticians advise getting a boar bristle brush-it's 100% natural hair that's going to work much better than plastic (rips off, static hair effect, splits the shaft), wood (not efficient enough but good for untangling) or metal (oxidizes, can scratch the skin). Don't become a brush nazi but don't ignore it either. Be gentle, brush your hair once a day/every two days deeply, meaning insisting on the roots to lift up any dirt, dead cells and buildup; you can maintain a neat looking hair by brushing it every time you feel like it without stressing the roots too much. Long hair is difficult to maintain in shape because it gets tangled very easily, it's physically a real chore to brush it properly. Again-be gentle-if you notice short hairs falling out that's hair breakage- your hair is brittle and needs extra care.

4. Damaged hair- this is what split ends look like.

Rule nr 1 for starting to grow long hair (or any kind, for that matter) is to start with healthy hair. Unfortunately many women will not cut a single inch because they don't want to have 'short' hair and thus remain with permanently damaged hair that will never recover, will keep degrading and basically look like crap. I always trim 2-3 cm, every two months, and i've personally noticed that my hair grows faster, thicker, healthier. In a month the whole length is back as if i'd never cut it and the locks are healthier, glossier and easier to manage. Don't keep 'burnt' hair for length purposes because it will look bad and feel bad. Trim, trim, trim. Hair follicles experience a natural process of birth, growth, deterioration and 'death'. The only thing alive on your head is the scalp, made of skin cells, and the hair roots. The hair follicle is a 'dead' cell agglomeration, made of keratin. No matter WHAT you do it will not come back to life if it's fried. It's gonna get thinner day by day, drier, more brittle, get that dull aspect and eventually fall out. You seriously MUST trim your ends.
5. Hair products- this one is quite controversial. You have to find the products that best suit you and your needs (+budget). This is a gray zone made of trial and errors and we've all been there. I have some personal favorites that might work or not, depending on your hair.

6. Heat protecting- this is another important thing. Hot tools can indeed deteriorate your hair and it's good to be 'attentive' with what you're using to protect your locks from damage. It also depends on one's hair texture and sensitivity. Some girls have noticed hot tools don't actually damage their hair as much as blow drying does, for example. I have never had problems from drying my hair but i noticed curling irons and straighteners really damaged my hair ends. Because i have thick hair i don't have to blow dry it in summer, it looks just as full and nice as if it were 'artificially' dried. However. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that oil-based, or grease-based, or heavy texture-based heat protective products, such as silicone, petroleum stuff and all sorts of oily stuff that's supposed to 'protect' your hair is actually frying it in contact with strong heat. I have given up using oily products on my hair, before blowdrying or using hot tools in favor of water-based heat protectants. They're easy to use, a couple of sprays and you're done, easy to apply all over your hair, they don't cause greasiness or heaviness, the scent is lighter and less persistent (in case you don't fancy it), and this stuff WON'T fry your hair but do what's supposed to do- protect it. I don't really know too much about the chemical process involved in the actual protecting of the shaft- how the mist creates a film on your hair etc, but i can tell it does work. Most of my so-called 'hair repairing serums' caused more damage than good. My advice would be to get a good quality heat protective spray/lotion and check out for silicone, petroleum derivates or any type of oil in it. If it feels and looks oily stop using it (with hot tools; you can use it as a styling product, for adding texture, shine, whatever you feel like, on dry or wet hair if you're not gonna curl/straighten your hair).

Best Stuff Ever
Budget: 
-Aussie shampoos, conditioners, treatments, sprays etc- Aussome Volume, Dual Personality anti-frizz; -Pantene shampoo, conditioner and hair masks (they're cheap and effective plus they're nicely scented); -Herbal Essences- the Hawafena and passion fruit conditioner (for colored hair) saved me after two very aggressive bleaching processes; unfortunately the old formulation is discontinued in Euope;
-Tresemme Hydrology (discontinued)-the old formulation is marketed in both the Smooth&Silky products as well as the volume ones. Their hair masks for dry hair are one of the best available on the market.
-John Frieda products- i like everything they sell. The conditioners are so 'strong' that could qualify as 2-in-1 hair masks as well.
-Lee Stafford- very good grooming balms, heat protectants and dry shampoo. Lovely, tacky scent. Yum!

 Splurge:

- Aveda products- my all time favorites are the Dry Remedy range products, extremely hard to find in Sweden and very expensive.

-Joico- high quality products, extremely expensive, but they can change the result from disaster to wow. The silver shampoo is highly recommended- it can transform yellow, orangey hair in 'dirty' blonde locks in a heartbeat. On average a Joico product retails for €32, which is a huge amount for a shampoo or conditioner. But they do work.

 -Keune-another well-established brand. I like their hair treatments and styling products. 

-Vidal Sassoon-best volumizing products ever. I used to be a Vidal freak until it became almost impossible to find in Sweden. VERY expensive as well, around €35 a pop. Most of the products i used had a very particular, barber-shop kind of scent that really put me off but i kept buying them especially since at one given moment they finally changed the perfume. They're really worth every penny.

Heat protective products- budget:
-Lee Stafford Poker Straight Flat Iron Protective Mist: light texture, great scent, spray, easy to use, really works and it's quite cheap;
-Tresemme Heat Tamer spray: not as nicely scented as the Lee Stafford one but it's still a great budget option.

Splurge: 
-Nexxus Heat Protexx;

-Vidal Sassoon Halo Hydrate (hydrating spray that conditions hair after washing), Heat Shape (protects from heat and gives volume), Smooth Drape (heat protective especially conceived for use with straighteners).

However, as i said....for extremely fried hair, the only cure is a drop of scissors tonic....