Three Steps to Healthier Hair

Do you like your hair?

Even though I receive a lot of compliments, I still complain about mine!

My strands are stick-straight, don’t hold a curl, and are nowhere near as thick as my sister’s hair.

Then again, her hair takes 45 minutes to blow dry, while I can do mine in 3 minutes flat. And regardless of how straight my hair is, it does have one thing going for it: shine! It also grows super-fast:

I credit my healthy, shiny hair to three things: shampoo, babying, and diet.

How to get Shiny, Healthy Hair

1. Use a high-quality shampoo. I can’t say enough good things about Desert Essence coconut shampoo and conditioner.

Initially, I bought this because—well, hello! It’s coconut! But it truly is the best shampoo I’ve ever used. Prior to trying this, I would buy the cheapest shampoo (of the brands that don’t engage in animal testing). I have “normal” hair (not too dry, not too oily), so I wasn’t picky about brands.

This shampoo normally sells for about $8, but I buy in bulk at a grocery store called Sprouts, when they have a 20%-off-all-vitamins sale. That helps. Plus, sometimes quality products are well-worth the extra cost.

2. Don’t over-process your hair.

I only wash my hair on days I run (4-5 days a week), and my hair-care routine is pretty minimal (basically because I am lazy and don’t want to spend the time with a curling iron or round brush!) After washing, I spray in a detangler. (Long hair can get knotty!) Then I comb the knots out, blow dry it for three minutes (or less), and I’m done.

In the past, I’ve done highlights a few times, and I’ve had three perms (only one of which actually worked; the other two fell out!). But the last time I did anything chemical-y to my hair was in high school. I like my natural color, so why dry it out by adding highlights? (I’m not ruling out another perm, though. Being a curly-top is fun!)

3. Make sure you’re getting enough healthy fats in your diet. Low-fat diets might be good for calorie control, but they wreak havoc on hair and skin! I prescribe large doses of the following:

Raw Chocolate-Fudge Cake

Ok, maybe not large doses… but seriously, if your hair and skin are super-dry, consider adding healthy vegetable-based fats (nuts, nut butters, olive oil, coconut, etc.) to your diet. Even in the dead of winter, my skin is still soft.

Step Four: Embrace your hair, whether curly or straight! (I need to remember to take my own advice on this one. Do as I say, not as I do!)

Do you like your hair?
And what’s your hair-care routine?

P.S. Click the link for a picture of me with permed hair.

🙂