How to Have Healthy Hair

This post has been a long time coming! I just could not bring myself to actually type it out. I stopped washing my hair every day at the end of April and I have tried all sorts of different techniques and products and these are what worked for me. At the beginning I went shampoo-free by using baking soda and apple cider vinegar which is a good thing, but just was too drying for my scalp. I then tried Tresemme products but they left residue on my scalp because of their formula. Now I am completely happy with my hair care products and my routine! So don't get discouraged if at first it's hard to find the right products for you, you might have to try a few out before you get some you really love. Here are five tips to get you started:

Two-day old hair

1. Do not do not do not do not do not wash your hair everyday! This strips your hair of its natural oils that keeps it strong, healthy, smooth and shiny and causes your scalp to produce tons of oil. So the more you wash it, the oiler it gets, so the more you wash it. It's a vicious cycle you need to stop! Start by skipping one day of washing, let your scalp reset its oil-producing levels and then go for two days until you're at 2-4 days of non-hair washing when you shower.
2. When you do wash your hair use GOOD PRODUCT. It's expensive but so worth it. Plus you don't use that much because you're only washing your hair every couple days. Drugstore products like Pantene or Suave are harsh on your hair and strips away so much good oil and also have waxes in them that coat your hair and weigh it down. They make your hair lifeless and dull! Because they strip your scalp, your head is still producing too much oil so waiting days between washing is gross. They ruin the whole system. Also for sensitive scalps, color-treated hair, and maximum volume, use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. Get the good stuff that you can buy at your hairdresser like Bedhead, Redken, etc.  
3. Minimize your use of heat styling. Get creative with hairstyles so that you only have to curl or straighten your hair once a day. Also don't wet your hair in the shower! That way if you straightened your hair, that will last for more than just one day. Always use a heat protectant spray or serum. 
4. Treat your hair. I use Redken Anti-Snap protein treatment on my ends once every two washes (it works out to around every other week) to help strengthen my hair from breakage and grow healthier. Do deep conditions and leave-in treatments every month to maintain maximum moisture. Take vitamins every day to grow hair faster or just to improve the quality. 
5. Brush your hair every day! Back before people bathed regularly, they would brush their hair to keep it semi-clean by distributing oils evenly and removing residue. If your hair is looking funky and it's not time to wash, brush in some dry shampoo or cornstarch on your scalp (but make sure you brush all the cornstarch out!). 

And that's it! You should also get your hair cut regularly to remove split ends so your hair doesn't break all the time, but you already knew that, right?! Right. So good luck! It's a little frustrating at first because of the adjustment period but after a month or two you will have the hang of it and all of this will come naturally.