It’s no surprise that we damage our hair on a near-daily basis. Even if you don’t use a ton of products or heat, hair can be damaged from exposure to sunlight, and chemicals that we come into contact with like chlorine in pools. Unfortunately, hair damage is often unavoidable, especially if you need to employ elaborate measures to tame unruly locks. Instead of dropping your hair care habits completely, just alter them slightly. Adding a good hair growth shampoo can help as well.
Hair Care Routine to Get Thick Hair: The Do’s and Don’ts for Healthy Locks
DO Use a Deep Conditioner
Try deep conditioning your hair with a product from the drugstore or an organic recipe that you can make yourself. After having a shower, apply the deep conditioner to your hair for 10 minutes, leaving it covered with a shower cap, so the product can set it. Rinse the product out after 10 or 15 minutes, and let your hair dry. This should be done once a week.
Here’s a homemade deep conditioner recipe you can try!
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 egg or 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Directions
Blend all ingredients and follow instructions above.
DO Choose Your Products Carefully
Do your research on which products are the best fit for your hair. Everyone has different types of hair, and it’s important that you use a shampoo and conditioner that works best for you. For example, finer hair needs products that are described as ‘light’ or ‘weightless’, instead of a heavy product that weighs you down. Thick hair and curly or coiled hair needs products with oils in it, like coconut or olive oil.
Stay away from shampoos with sulfates in them in general, because they tend to strip away the hair’s outer layer, and lead to breakage.
Thinning hair also needs extra care. Your focus should be on clarifying your scalp to promote healthy circulation and also on minimizing breakage (avoid brushing or combing straight hair when wet, and avoid brushing or combing curly hair when dry!). Below are some of the best natural brands to help with volume and repair thinning hair.
Best Hair Growth Shampoos On The Market
- Live Clean Extra Body Biotin Shampoo – This line is enriched with Ginseng and Lavender to restore strength. It also helps to improve the health and strength of your hair follicles (and is totally paraben and sulfate free)
- Peter Lamas Hair Solutions Energizing Shampoo – A bit on the pricier side, but this line is enriched with a number of Chinese herbs to help promote hair growth and stimulate the scalp (it’s also Vegan, Certified Organic, Paraben-Free, Cruelty-Free, and Petro Chemical Free)
- Sukin Organics Protein Shampoo – Lightweight and enriched with rice protein, this line helps to nourish your scalp and is free of parabens and sulfates.
- Druide Purifying Shampoo – Best for dry, dull, or brittle hair, this line is enriched with wheat proteins and essential oils to reduce breakage. (Plus, it’s organic, cruelty-free, free of synthetics, alcohols, and sulfates).
- TheraNeem Volumizing Therapy Shampoo – Enriched with organic neem oil, aloe vera, and eucalyptus, this line is designed to help promote a healthy hair and scalp. It’s also sulfate and paraben free!
Hair Care Don’ts
DON’T Use Chemical Dyes
Or, that is to say; try not to. Trichologist, Dr. John Gray warns against departing too far from the hair’s original state. A lot of people are tempted to dye their hair in an attempt to make their hair appear thicker or to eliminate grey hairs. However, if you’re already using damaging practices to treat your hair (like blow drying and straightening), this only helps to further the breakage. Your hair can only take so much damage, so use chemical dyes, hair extensions, or perms sparingly. If you do decide to dye your hair, make sure to use a strong conditioner, and protective heat spray.
DON’T Use a Barrel Brush
If you are blow-drying your hair (not everyone has the time to let it dry naturally after all!) make sure you are NOT using a barrel brush. Barrel brushes are designed to stretch the hair and pull it taut. When hair is fine or thinning, this can put unnecessary stress on the strands and weakens it.
Instead, try using a flat, traditional brush with widely spaced bristles. This will let the roots breath, but won’t pull out hair.