For 6 years I struggled to find answers to my question – how to get back my healthy thick hair. When I was young until my university days, I had an abundant amount of hair. But when I started working until I went abroad, I worried for my thinning hair.
I was losing more than the normal 100 strands of hair daily and was starting to get bald. With only soft stroke on my hair, a good amount of strands are left on my palm. I didn´t have brain tumor or anything, I was simply losing hair tremendously. On my quest for remedies, I´ve even tried to wash my hair only with mineral water.
Right now, I´m happy to say that my hair has gained more volume and looks healthier than it was years ago. Here are the simple tips I learned for a healthy, thick hair.
1. Wash your hair and apply shampoo sparingly
I grew up being taught to take a shower everyday, which means washing my hair everyday. However, as a young adult I noticed that I lose more hair every time I take a shower. I started taking shower and using shampoo on hair only every other day. This is to minimize the amount of hair you lose while washing it.
2. Don´t apply shampoo directly to scalp, dilute in water before applying to hair.
When you apply shampoo directly to your scalp, it is not evenly distributed and a bigger portion of shampoo penetrates directly on the same spot where you apply it, making that area grow bald quicker than the other parts of your scalp. The technique is to dilute the shampoo in water before applying it evenly on your hair.
3. When at home, don´t use hot blow drying
If you´re not going to work and you have more time at your disposal, or if you´re just staying at home on holidays, give your hair a rest from hot blow dry. There are blow dryers that come with cold air blow, go for it. Too much heat not only cause your hair to recede, it also causes breaks and split ins.
Vidal Sassoon Dryer, Conair Comfort Styler
4. Use silk pillow cases
As you sleep at night you toss and move your head for a thousand times, causing your hair to tangle and lose. To minimize your hair loss from sleep, use silk pillows or silk bed cover to help your hair move on the sheets smoothly and untangled.
5. Don´t comb your hair if wet
Your hair roots are vulnerable to pressure when wet, so if you comb your hair before it´s dried, you tend to lose more hair. Blow dry your hair first and make sure that it´s completely dried before you comb. In fact, if I´m just staying at home, after I blew dry my hair, I just fix it with my hand, i don´t comb.
6. Don´t wash your hair with hot water
Just like your skin which reacts negatively to hot water, your scalp is also vulnerable to dryness and breakage if you wash it with hot water. It´s best to clean your hair with water in normal temperature or with cold water.
7. If you can´t avoid hair rebonding, only do it at most once a year
For some countries such as in Asia, a straight, ironed hair is the trend. And in order to achieve a straight, shining hair daily, hair rebonding is the means. This is actually the number 1 reason of my thinning hair. The strong hair straightening products and the use of steamer caused the thinning of my hair and the weakening my its roots.
It´s best to avoid hair rebonding at all. But if you´re really in need of it, give your hair a rest by having rebonding only once a year or every one and a half-year.
8. Take hair vitamins and supplements
Other than eating healthy foods, effective hair vitamins and supplements also proved to be helpful on gaining back my thick hair. Consult a hair specialist who can guide you properly in choosing the right vitamins suited for you.
PhytoSpecific, Botanic Choice Vitamins, Phyto Phytophanere
9. Live a non-stressful life
I used to work in a very stressful environment for four years with crazy work loads and crazy bosses. The moment I left that job and lived a less stressful life, with now enough time to exercise, I saw a significant improvement on my hair volume and texture. Stress is not only a silent killer, it´s also a quick way to baldness.
Stress does not exist only at work, it also come through your lifestyle. Sometimes, it´s better to live a simpler but not stressful life.
Have Your Say
So tell me Creative Fashionistas, how do you keep a healthy, thick hair? What tips would you add for achieving healthy hair? Join my facebook fanpage for more fashion conversation or subscribe to our newsletter to get updates straight to your inbox.