Even though the hairs on your head are technically dead, that’s not to say that you should not be looking after it well… especially if you are a man prone to male pattern baldness! Your hair can make or break your look, so it is very important that you take the best care of it you can. Looking after your hair goes further than simply washing and conditioning it. There are a great many things you can do to ensure you keep your hair and scalp in prime condition.

The best way to thoroughly wash your hair and scalp is as follows:

• Get it very, very wet.
• Use a small bit of shampoo… less is more.
• Massage well into the scalp, don’t just rub into the hair.
• Rinse well with warm water.
• Pat dry with a towel whilst combing it out.
• Allow it to air dry where possible.

This is a great starting point for getting your hair back in shape. Towel drying too vigorously and using hair dryers can be tough on your hair and damage it too much. It doesn’t stop at this, though – to take your haircare to the next level then carry on reading below.

#1: How Often Should Hair Be Washed?

This really depends on you. How often you wash your hair depends on what you do and what it is like. If your hair is the type to get oily very quickly then it obviously needs to be washed more often. If you work in a certain environment such as a commercial kitchen or participate in lots of high-intensity sports, then you will also need to wash it more often.

Your hair type plays a role here, too. If you have straight hair then it is likely to get greasier much more quickly. However, curly hair is more resistant to this and may need to be washed less often. If your hair is particularly curly or thick, then it can often look dry after washing, and to counteract this it’s a great idea to use a good conditioner.

#2: What Can Damage Hair?

There are several things which can cause damage to hair, make it prone to falling out and cause it to go dry. To completely protect your hair, then you need to be careful around a number of different things.

These include i) the sun, as UV rays can damage your hair and scalp, ii) chemicals such as chlorine in swimming pools, iii) certain products and hair treatments which change its color and make it frizzy or curly, and iv) certain styling products such as flat irons and hair dryers. These should all be avoided if your hair has become noticeably dry.

One way to figure out if your hair is damaged is to look for split ends, as these are a tell-tale sign of damage. Look closely at the tips of your hair and you may see that the tips have split apart from each other. All you can do in this situation is cut the split ends off as they cannot be repaired.

#3: Use the Right Tools

Your hair is very much like your skin, and anything you put on your hair will have an impact on it. By investing in the best quality hair care products and tools such as brushes, you will keep your hair looking both strong and healthy. It’s not uncommon for people to cheap out on the products and tools they use on their hair. However, good brushes and other tools are well worth investing in.

Although better brushes will have a heavier price tag, they will last a very long time if they are looked after well. As the saying goes – buy cheap, buy twice. Looking after your brushes and other hair care tools by removing dead hairs, product and oils from them is the best way to ensure that they last as long as you do!

#4: Speaking of Oils…

There are lots of oils which you can use on your hair to look after it and enhance its appearance and strength. One of these oils is known as argan oil, a product of the Moroccan argan tree. It is extracted from the tree’s kernels and can be used as a conditioner, softener, and moisturizer for both skin and hair. It has been called “liquid gold” for this reason and is often added to specialist shampoos and conditioners to give them an added boost.

Although it can be used on the skin, argan oil is more often used as a treatment for hair and it is very beneficial for the scalp in particular. It contains Vitamin E in very high quantities, which helps promote the growth of hair due to its antioxidants. It does not just promote growth, however, and when used on the hair it can act as a moisturizer, help hair grow stronger and fight brittleness, and helps prevent split ends.

When people use argan oil on their hair for the first time, they often notice immediate improvements. It’s not only a great moisturizer which provides hair with strength and promotes growth, it also aids the taming of frizz and makes hair look glossy, shiny, and makes it softer to the touch. As a chemical component, argan oil does not irritate the skin and is completely natural. In many cases, it helps to reverse the damage caused by years of abuse from the likes of mismanagement, hair dryers, and straighteners.

Your hair is one of the first things somebody will notice when they meet you for the first time. Although you may think that you are looking after it, you might just be causing more damage than good. For females especially, a proper hair care routine is absolutely vital to keeping your hair soft, healthy and happy, and even the slightest change to your haircare routine can make a huge and noticeable difference. Using the proper tools, washing it properly and using argan oil are three simple changes you can make right now.