Occasionally even the person who takes very good care of their hair will notice that it starts to look or feel greasy, dirty, unattractive, dull, dry, or damaged. When this happens it is time to make some changes to bring the vibrant beauty back to your locks. Hair Maintenance is part art part science so lets dive into effective ways to restore and revive your hair to make it soft, healthy and shiny again.
Watch the Lotion
If you put lotion on your hands, face, arms or legs after you shower there is potential for it to get in to your hair. This causes the hair to feel crusty and to look unsightly. If you put lotion on and then go to style or comb your hair you could be accidentally exposing it to the lotion. Even though it seems like it is rubbed in to your hands, some of the lotion will come off and cake on to your hair. Avoid this by putting lotion on last in your routine, or at least by not touching your hair after you put lotion on.
Vinegar Wash
Vinegar does not have the most pleasant smell, and it isn’t that easy to work with, but washing your hair with it can give it a nice fresh look. The harsh yet natural nature of vinegar will strip off any build up on your hair leaving it silky and smooth. It gives your hair a new start.
Using white vinegar is one of the best, but apple cider vinegar will work as well. Massage in enough vinegar to cover the roots. Be careful to keep it away from your eyes; this stuff burns! Leave it in for about 20 or so seconds, then rinse it out thoroughly. Then feel free to use shampoo and conditioner as you normally would. After your shower the smell will not come with you but the beautifying effects of the vinegar will.
Hair Dye
This may sound a little odd since the reputation of hair dye is to dry out or damage hair. If your hair is prone to being extra oily, dyeing it may be the solution you have been looking for. You don’t even have to change the color, just choose one as close to yours as possible. The dye itself will dry out the hair a little bit and strip off a lot of the residue that builds up from your daily life. This is very good news for someone who has naturally greasy hair.
The nice thing about the do-it-yourself boxes of hair dye is that they come with some very potent conditioner. Use this product to return the soft silky feeling to the hair without regaining the disadvantage of the dirty looking oil. Many women use this method successfully to avoid having to wash their hair multiple times a day in order to have attractive clean looking hair.
Switch Shampoo and Conditioner
This is probably one of the simplest and most popular ways to rejuvenate your locks. You may have a favorite trustworthy shampoo and conditioner, but if it is the only one you ever use then it could be building up on your hair and it may become less effective than before. Find at least one other brand that you like and use it occasionally. This will reduce the residue that is specific to your favorite and will add new shine and life to your hair. You don’t have to switch forever, just use the other kind once in awhile or alternate between the two. Use up the bottle of one, then switch to the other, and once that is gone switch back again. Variety is the spice of life, and your hair!
Wash Your Hair Twice a Day
Some women are lucky enough to be able to wash their hair once a day or even once every other day. However, other women have naturally more oily hair which needs to be shampooed more often. For some women even if they wash their hair in the morning by evening it will still look like it is greasy enough to squeeze it out and pop popcorn in the oil.
There are a lot of old wives tales about how it is bad for your hair to wash it more than every other day or some other random amount of time. This is a case where you need to listen to your own body. Women with more oily hair can typically maintain perfect hair health by using shampoo and conditioner every day or even two times daily. Listen to your hair; you don’t have to go around looking as if you haven’t washed it in a week. Wash it as often as it appears necessary.
Another false rumor that is passed around is that if you are getting your hair professionally done you can’t wash it before you go. For women with naturally oily hair, this would spell disaster if they washed their hair the night before, got an up-do in the morning or afternoon and then expected it to still look clean and beautiful for an evening event. With all the different types of gels and sprays available to stylists, they have absolutely no trouble getting clean, dry hair to stay put for an entire day. It is up to you to make sure it looks clean!
Softer Water
This is one of the more expensive solutions, but it is more permanent. Hair can start to look dull and dry, and even start breaking apart because of hard water. If you live in an area that has very hard water you probably notice how soft and shiny your hair is when you travel to a different area with soft water and you shower a couple times.
The minerals that are in the water that make it hard actually build up on your hair every time you wash or rinse it. This is unhealthy and unattractive. It reduces the effectiveness of shampoo and conditioner; you’ve probably noticed that you need to use more just to get a lather worked up. A water softener system or a whole house water purification system can fix this problem and bring the health back to your hair. It is pricier than other options, but it is better for your pipes, clothes, and drinking water as well.
Find out if You are Pregnant
Wait, what? That’s right, being pregnant can do a lot of things to your body, one of which is to cause drastic changes in your hair. For some women the hair starts to actually grow thicker than before and less of it falls out, all thanks to hormones. This can make your hair feel horsey or as if it is full of gunk. In addition, many women experience increased oil production in their skin, which not only causes acne but makes hair greasy as well.
Some women report more dry or damaged hair while pregnant. Some experience this during one trimester and then switch to greasy thicker hair for the next. Pregnancy causes some very interesting things to happen to your body and hair. Changes caused by pregnancy are temporary, but if it is really bothering you try some of the above methods or speak to your doctor about other options.
Just like everything in life, your hair gets dull without occasional changes of scenery. Use one of the above methods to add some excitement to your hair’s life. It will thank you for it by being soft, smooth, beautiful, and easier to manage. Remember to try more than one technique and to keep doing them anytime your hair starts to get boring looking! You are on your way to gorgeous hair.
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