5 Tried and Tested Tricks for Healthy, Shiny and Smoother Hair

Sponsored by Dyson

Sometimes it can feel like your hair really has a mind of its own. And when it’s decided to have a ‘good day’, it’s more often than not when you have nowhere to go. A bit unfair isn’t it? Well, while we can’t control what mood our hair is in on any given day, we can take steps to make sure it’s as healthy as it can be. 

Let’s be honest, our hair puts up with a lot. Between colouring, styling, external impacts like weather and everything else in between, taking the time to look after our hair is really the least we can do. Especially as we head into the cooler months of the year when we can be more prone to scalp dryness that can impact the quality of our hair. 

Here are our five tried and tested tips to ensure your hair is looking and feeling its best, all year round: 

Use a Styling Tool That Protects Against Heat Damage 

Heat styling is one of the worst things for our hair because of the amount of damage it can cause. When it comes to hair straighteners in particular, many of them can overheat which spells bad news for your hair. Ever hear that sizzling sound while you’re styling? Yes, that’s your hair burning. That’s why it’s important to invest in styling tools that protect our hair against heat.  

The Dyson Corrale™ has three specific heat settings of 165°C, 185°C and 210°C that are controlled by an intelligent heat control system that ensures you don’t go beyond your chosen heat setting, resulting in less hair damage. Clever, huh? Another feature is its flexing plates that shape around your hair, allowing you to straighten your hair with more control at a lower setting while achieving a better style. Plus, its cordless so you can style on the go.

Not only does using the Dyson Corrale™ ensure you have healthier hair but it leaves it both looking and feeling smooth and shiny as a result. Now we like the sound of that. 

Eat Your Way to Good Hair 

Much like skin and nails, good hair typically starts in our belly. That means consuming a balanced diet is super important. 

Remember that the hair is mostly made up of protein so eating foods high in protein such as lean meats, poultry, fish and seafood, eggs and dairy products will help (we’ll take that as an excuse to whip up a cheeseboard). Fish and seafood are also high in omega-3 fatty acids that contribute to good scalp health. 

Zinc is important too as being deficient in it can cause hair loss. This can be alleviated by eating a variety of nuts, perfect for your afternoon snack. 

Extend the Time Between Washes 

It’s a fact that many of us are probably washing our hair way more than we need to. As shampoo is used to clean the scalp and get rid of excess oil, if you’re washing too frequently, you’re actually doing more harm than good. 

Oil is what protects our hair and makes it shiny. Stripping it through excessive washing can cause your scalp to over produce sebum and make it even more oily than it was to begin with. Oh the irony. So while exactly how long you can go between washes is dependent on your hair type, the longer you can extend it, the better. 

Another upside to extending the time between washes is your likely putting your hair through less stress caused by drying and styling. If your hair type is oily, extend its life with a dry shampoo or play with styles that work with day two or day three hair like buns and ponies. Using the right shampoo and conditioner for your specific hair type will also extend the life of your wash. 

Remember that your hair is more fragile when it’s wet so please, go gently. Don’t rub your hair too vigorously with a towel and try flicking it up in a hair turban instead as it puts less pressure on your hair that will mean less breakage. 

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate 

As Meghan Markle recently said, Archie’s new favourite word is ‘hydrate’ and clearly, he’s already onto how to get good hair at just 21-months-old. Impressive. 

When the hair isn’t hydrated, it can become weak and brittle and prone to breakage and most things that we do to it cause it to lose hydration. Namely dying, especially when you’re going three shades or more away from your natural hair colour or bleaching. 

Adding moisture back to your hair is the reason for conditioning after washing. Shampoo cleans away oil, dirt, impurities and any product build up in your hair while conditioner helps to restore the moisture lost. As a general rule, shampoo should be more concentrated to the scalp with conditioner more focused on the ends. 

If conditioner alone isn’t enough to get your hair feeling silky smooth, you might want to try a hair mask or sleep with a hair oil in like coconut, argan or jojoba (depending on your hair type) to give your strands an extra boost of hydration while you sleep. 

Get your Hair Trimmed Regularly 

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of a good trim by your hairdresser. While it’s kind of a myth that trimming your hair can make it grow faster, it does have some truth to it. Let us explain. 

You can’t increase the speed of how fast your hair grows but getting regular trims removes the dry and damaged ends of your hair that are prone to splitting and breaking. Split ends can travel up the hair shaft causing more, you guessed it, damage. This means if you’re avoiding a cut, it will likely lead to a bigger chop down the track. 

Regular trims mean you can keep your hair as long as it could possibly get, while maintaining healthy hair. Now we like the sound of that.