Five Secrets to Healthy, Beautiful Hair

The secret to beautiful hair is having healthy hair. As a professional hairstylist, I've seen a lot of clients with a lot of different kinds of hair problems. Most of the time, when a client is dissatisfied with their hair, its because their hair isn't as healthy as it should or could be. But with time and attention, hair's condition can improve, becoming more healthy and much more beautiful. Here are my favorite tips for getting your healthiest - and most beautiful- hair possible.

Put away the flat iron. The most damaging thing I've seen clients do to their hair is flat iron it excessively. Over flat-ironing dries out the hair, causing it to become frail and brittle. The hair breaks off, and makes the style look shabby and dull. Instead, prevent damage (or further damage) by giving your hair frequent breaks from flat ironing. Use the lowest setting possible, and smoothly glide the flat iron over the hair, without pausing on any one section. If your hair is significantly damaged, put away the flat iron until health has been restored to your hair. Use a heat protecting spray every time you flat iron, and use a shine serum in between to add moisture to your hair.

Don't shampoo so much. Thanks to some very effective marketing strategies, we have come to equate clean hair with healthy, beautiful hair. But the reality is that hair can be too clean. Shampooing too frequently strips your hair of its natural oils, which leaves it dry and dull. Instead, shampoo every other day to preserve those natural, healthy oils which will help your hair become strong, shiny, and beautiful.

Be careful with color. Hair color can add beauty, shine, and interest to your hair. It can cover grey, and turn a blah color into something amazing. But too much color is damaging to your hair. Trying to lighten your hair too many shades can also cause damage to your hair. For your healthiest hair possible, talk to your stylist about what color is right for you and your hair type. Avoid colors that require bleach to achieve.

Trim it up. Even if you wear your hair long, regular trims are important to the health of your hair. Split ends will don't just effect the ends of your hair, eventually they 'travel' up the length of your, causing hair to split and look shabby. Frequent trims will keep split ends at bay, which makes your hair look and feel more heatlhy.

Take care of you. What your hair looks like on the outside says a lot about what is happening to you on the inside. Stress, illness, and medications can cause hair to be unhealthy, dry, and brittle. Reducing anxiety and improving your health can improve the health of your hair. I could often tell when people were sick by the characteristics of their hair. So see your doctor if you have any health concerns or if your hair is unhealthy for no apparent reason. Taking a multi-vitamin along with plenty of healthy protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, (with doctor's permission of course), being active, and eating well are all an important part of having shiny, healthy hair.

Treat your hair as you would your favorite silk clothing. Wash it gently, and air dry if possible. Only iron on low heat. OTreat your hair with respect and it will look beautiful and healthy.