Keep your hair on

The New Year is when everyone wants to
start afresh.

By Sum Yang Gai

From new resolutions to new looks, change is in the air. While you’re at it, here are 10 things you can do to enjoy healthier hair in 2009.

1. Stay loose

Stay away from styles such as tight braids that involve pulling your hair tightly into place as these can stretch and break hair. Scrunchies are very 90s but they won’t stress your hair as much as a tight elastic band. And unless you’re a ballerina, there’s no need to sweep your back from your face in a severe bun – it only contributes to a receding hairline.

2. Nail no-no

How many of us have cringed in the chair as a shampoo girl rakes her nails across our scalp? The proper way to shampoo your hair is to use the pads of your fingertips, not your nails. Too much nail action on your scalp might result in scratches, which will let you know they’re there when you apply styling product to your hair.

3. Protect from product

Most of us need a little help from gel, mousse, spray or other styling products to achieve the perfect coiffure, but using too much will weigh your hair down and make it look lank and greasy. The adage “a little goes a long way” applies here. Choose mild products and remember to use a shampoo that removes build-up every two weeks.

4. Get the temp right

Washing your hair with too-hot water won’t kill germs but it will result in the dreaded frizz. The same goes for hair dryers. If you can, let your hair air-dry as the heat from the hair dryer weakens the roots. But if you really must blow, wait till your hair is half-dry. This reduces your hair’s exposure to the dryer’s direct heat.

5. Eat healthily

Hair consists mainly of protein, so its quality is naturally affected by your diet. Ensure that you take in sufficient amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel as well as B vitamins, which are found in meat and whole grain cereals. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that produces healthy sebum in the scalp and is found naturally in vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and milk and cheese.

6. Brush wisely

Don’t buy cheap pharmacy brand brushes with plastic bristles. Instead, plump for natural boar bristles on a round or flat brush for dry hair, and a soft rubber-toothed wide brush for damp hair. We know good brushes are expensive, but don’t try to get the most of your investment by giving your hair 100 strokes before bedtime as grandma used to say as excessive brushing may result in breakage and split ends.

7. Trim regularly

Has it been six to eight weeks since you last saw your stylist? If so, it’s time for a trim. If you’re in between visits and notice split ends, spruce things up yourself with a good pair of scissors. Take a hank of dry hair about half an inch long a few inches away from your scalp and twist it up. The split ends will stick out. Position the scissors perpendicular to the strand and cut off the split ends and a bit of the unhealthy hair above it. Keep doing this all the way around your head. If you can’t do it yourself, get someone to help out.

8. Stop smoking.

Smokers are not only more likely to have grey hair than non-smokers; they’re also prone to losing hair faster. Research has demonstrated conclusively that smoking causes baldness. Tobacco smoke itself contains 4,000 dangerous chemicals and smoking restricts the amount of oxygen and nutrients in your blood, so your hair doesn’t get the nourishment it needs. End result? Dull, lank, easily broken and worse of all, smelly hair.

9. Colour me bad

To counter the damaging effects of colouring, choose haircare products that are specially designed to maintain the health and colour of your hair while minimizing dryness. If you regularly colour your hair, remember also that darker colours are less stressful for hair compared to brighter ones, which involve the more extensive use of bleach.

10. Go natural

To stave off dandruff, apply lemon juice to your hair and keep it in for 15 minutes before rinsing off. Dry hair drinks up olive oil – massage it into your hair. Herbs for hair growth are gingko biloba to increase blood circulation, saw palmetto to slow down the rate of loss and capsicum, which releases a substance that promotes cell division. To remove build-up from hair, mix one part each of apple cider vinegar and water and rinse after shampooing and before conditioning.