Your hair is a crowning glory and an instant confidence boost that makes you feel empowered to face the world. Your hair’s cut, color, and texture frame your face and speak volumes about how you channel your unique identity. A hallmark of an individual’s brand, hair is responsible for making or breaking the day by either uplifting the mood or putting individuals in a downward funk. Your day-to-day activities directly affect the health of your hair; the best hair care habits offer your hair a lustrous bounce and shine, while the worst hair care habits take a toll on your hair. So, maintain healthy, shiny, and radiant hair by learning the best and worst hair care habits in detail.
5 worst hair care habits
Despite attempts to attribute VIP status to hair, people fail to do so sometimes by pursuing the worst hair care habits knowingly or unknowingly. You need to stop doing those activities which play havoc with your hair. Here are the top 5 worst hair care habits you must avoid:
1. Using harsh chemical-based hair products
Have you ever checked the ingredients used in your hair products, like shampoo, hair conditioner, hair oil, etc.? Commercial synthetic shampoos and conditioners contain toxic chemicals like sodium laurel sulfate, sodium Laureth sulfate, dimethicone, BHT, PEG-n, Trideceth-n, carbomer, etc. which can irreparably damage the hair. The hair coated in toxic ingredients is dry, frizzled, and unhealthy as these contaminants shred natural oils from the scalp causing hair to dry out, leading to itchiness. Sulfates are skin irritants and those with skin sensitivity may find that regular commercial shampoos exacerbate these conditions.
Do’s: Shun your hair woes by swapping to natural and botanical hair care products that plant-based, eco-friendly, nutrient-dense ingredients that are mild on your scalp. Use 100% natural shampoo, conditioner, and hair oil to revive brittle strands and experience a visible positive change in hair afterward.
2. No oiling of hair
Hair oils are formulated to maintain the health and vibrancy of the hair by reducing wear and tear, strengthening hair roots, improving blood circulation to the scalp, and increasing hair density. Since the dawn of time, this beautiful tradition of hair oiling has existed and been passed down from generation to generation. Although hair oiling has become controversial in recent skincare practices, following the right way of oiling your hair can be very effective in boosting the quality of your hair by restoring moisture to your locks and scalp.
Do’s: Use 100% natural oil and embrace the essence of natural ingredients to keep your hair’s color, shine, and luster. Rub natural oil between your palms to heat and massage it evenly in a circular motion. Coconut oil is suitable for all hair types and ideal for summertime. Use Badam Rogan oil and mustard oil to treat dandruff and dry hair.
Note: If you have oily acne-prone skin, you should be mindful while oiling your hair or it may trigger infection and cause more harm than good. Those with oily scalps may indulge in hair oiling just 1-2 times a week while those with oily hair can do it 1 hour prior to bathing.
3. Ignoring the negative consequences of wet hair
Another worst hair care habit is ignoring the negative consequences of wet hair and not dealing with it properly. Wet hair is weakened (due to soft and weak strands) and is prone to breakage. Similarly, wet hair harbors bacteria and increases the risk of developing fungus in hair follicles. Going to sleep with wet hair is terrible as it may trigger several serious health issues, such as hair breakage (split ends and frizzy strands), hair loss (due to friction), fungal infection, etc.
Do’s: After the shower, let your hair dry and comb it to avoid tangled locks. For healthy hair, let your hair dry naturally before going to bed. If wet, dry it for 5 minutes to support hair cuticles close up. However, drying your hair often can affect your strands.
4. Not dealing well with excessive heat
Just like your skin, excessive heat from the sun causes havoc on your hair by damaging lipids (natural moisture barrier), weakening its internal protein structure (keratin), fading the hair color, etc. Prolonged exposure to UV rays will heavily affect your hair’s texture, strength, elasticity, and pigment. Besides, hot blow dryers and heat straighteners can play a similar role. It is the worst hair care habit to expose your crowning glory to excess heat.
Do’s: Use protective shields, ultra-nourishing styling cream, or natural hairspray for UV protection. Use fresh water for a bath, and avoid rinsing with hot water. Try not to use hot blow dryers as much as possible, as they can rob your hair of moisture.
5. Stress
Who doesn’t experience stress in his/her life? Whether related to family, study, work, or relationships, every human experiences stress at some point in life. But don’t let stress take over you, or it can lead to hair loss. Physical and emotional stress pushes many hair follicles into the telogen phase (rest) of the hair growth cycle, leading to hair shedding. Telogen effluvium, stress-induced hair loss, causes more hair to fall out faster than it otherwise would, but the good thing is it is temporary.
Do’s: Reduce stress in your life by exercising, spending time with nature, investing time in yourself, eating healthy food, and removing stressors from your life. When stress stops, the stress-related hair loss stops, too, and your hair will likely regrow to its normal fullness.
Five best hair care habits
The habits mentioned above are damaging to your hairline and hence must be discouraged. However, several hair care habits are ideal for your glowing locks and can help you achieve the tresses of your dreams. Without any further ado, let’s look into 5 best hair care habits that are secrets to healthy hair:
1. Hair exercise (Balayam)
Hair exercise is often an underrated form, but it can work wonders for your hair and promote healthy growth. Several ancient yoga workouts, such as Kapalabhati, Sarvangasana, Sirsasana, Vajrasana, etc., can relieve many hair problems. Regular exercise performance opens up pores in your scalp and stimulates blood flow, enriching the hair follicles with nutrients that aid in hair growth.
Perform hair exercises on an empty stomach to get effective results.
2. Proper nutrition
As an integral part of the body, your hair requires nutrients to stay strong and shiny. What goes in your mouth ultimately decides the condition of your hair. If your food contains enough essential vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron, fatty acids, protein, etc., your hair will get enough nourishment and grow densely and healthily.
If preservative-laden packaged foods, refined sugary foods, or deep-fried meals are your major staple diet, your hair will have to pay the price. Nutrient deficiency shows in your hair and can result in severe consequences such as thinning up top, baldness, premature hair graying, etc.
Eat nutritious food like salmon, walnuts, leafy vegetables, eggs, chicken, seeds, legumes, avocados, whole grains, quinoa, oatmeal, etc.
3. Body massage
Body massage is another best habit to increase the circulation of nutrients to your scalp and heal your dry, brittle, and damaged hair. Body massage reduces pain and muscle soreness, stimulates blood flow onto the scalp, and primes your follicles for healthy hair growth. It balances the Vata dosha and minimizes problems of gas bloating and indigestion occurring by Vata imbalance.
Massage your body 3-4 times a week, and do it in the direction of the heart. Don’t do body massage and hair massage at once to avoid complications.
4. Healthy lifestyle
Your way of living reflects directly on the health of your body, including your hair. Some instances of a healthy lifestyle include using non-toxic, cruelty-free, and completely safe hair care products (shampoo, conditioner, oil), regular exercise, a well-balanced nutritious diet, proper sleep, etc. Instead of spending bucket loads on toxic chemical products and salon visits, opt for natural homemade hair care materials and combine balanced recipes with a healthy lifestyle for gorgeous kinks and curls.
5. Overall nourishment of hair
Another best hair care habit is following the organic hair care routine that involves applying readily-available kitchen products to nourish your hair. Take one tablespoon of coconut oil (rich in vitamin E), aloe vera gel (add volume and shine to hair), honey (natural softener), and lemon juice (combat dandruff) each to make a paste. Apply it evenly on your hair and wash it off after 20-25 minutes using natural shampoo.
Say goodbye to bad hair days and let frizzy, unhealthy hair be a thing of the past by keeping up with these best hair care habits.
