How to Safely Style Your Hair, even if You Do it Every Day
In this article, we’ll be sharing the best ways to protect your hair from the damage caused by everyday styling using natural products and techniques.
Our hair is not called our ‘crowning glory’ for nothing. Most of us want it to look good and it doesn’t matter how many hair experts say, ‘give it a rest a few days a week’, for some it’s neither practical, nor desirable.
Sadly, it is not easy to style your hair even a small amount without incurring damage, especially if you use heat styling, unless, that is, you take some simple precautions.
1. Consider your comb
One of the ways to damage your hair the fastest is how and with what you comb and brush it out.
· Firstly, avoid plastic bristles on your brushes – they tear the hair apart.
· Secondly, never brush your hair when wet, especially if it’s dyed. You’ll stretch it, leading to snapping.
· Choose a tangle friendly tool to comb it through with, like a wide tooth comb
· Start from the bottom of the hair and detangle cm by cm to avoid pulling at knots
2. Treat weekly
We always recommend a weekly hair treatment, not least because it’s a lovely way of giving yourself a little self-care.
If you style your hair, especially if it’s thin, colour-treated or 3c and beyond then its more a must-have, and you may want to consider twice a week.
The treatment you choose is dependent on your hair type. Fine hair won’t take oils well, and needs a lighter touch, perhaps using a clarifier first. Thicker, or drier hair will need richer, more penetrating oils.
Dyed hair or hair that is breaking needs to consider a treatment that works with the hair’s protein bonds and if you’re post-menopausal, an ayurvedic treatment like Bhringaraj helps with greying and hair shedding.
3. Turn the heat down
If you’re one of those who regularly blasts your hair at the hottest setting, turns your straighteners to 220 degrees and chooses your styling tools based on how quickly they heat up, this one’s for you.
Your hair starts burning at 180 degrees. Any hotter than that and you are quite literally seconds away from a YouTube style snapping disaster.
Turning your hairdryer down to just the medium heat setting will only add a minute or two to styling, but show huge improvements in shine, ability to retain hydration and smoothness.
4. Use a hair oil
Even lighter hair types can benefit greatly from regularly using a hair oil. We love organic argan oil for the myriad benefits it offers hair.
Simply add a tiny drop (it’s far easier to add more then remove excess) when the hair is soaking wet and focus on the ends only.
Following styling you can add a second drop to your hands and pat through the hair to enhance style and sheen.
5. Condition with Care
If you’re a curly hair type, you might want to consider ditching the shampoo entirely and beginning ‘co-washing’ (washing with conditioner). Our article on the curly girl method explains more here and is the perfect ‘low heat’ styling approach for defined, bouncy curls.
Straight hair types could look to use a lighter, detangling conditioner although every time you wash shouldn’t be necessary.
We’re fans of ingredients like organic aloe and coconut oil which soothe over-processed scalps as well as follicles.
6. Heat protection matters
This one is super easy. Never, ever, EVER heat treat your hair without using a heat protection spray. Not even once.
The end.
7. Tie it all together
Daily styling often means the addition of hair pins and ties that add additional levels of damage. Firstly, try not to lose them – kirby grips (or bobby pins as they’re also known), add a great deal of waste to the environment, as do hair elastic.
Do NOT plump for the single use elastics, purchasable in their thousands. They’re leading to huge numbers of animals choking and getting caught.
Choose fabric ties and reusable styling aids that are washable and less likely to snag on the hair. Kinder both for you, and the planet. Our partners at Acala have a great selection.
For more advice on hair styling and care, contact our hair experts here now >