Tips for Growing Healthy Hair

Our hair is our crowning glory. Open any magazine and you will find a picture of a beautiful woman with healthy, flowing hair. What you say, can you do to get hair like this?

Healthy hair is beautiful hair. Eating a healthy diet along with good hair care, will do more for your hair than expensive products that promise miracles. Healthy hair is strong hair but remember that the longer you grow your hair, the older each hair end is. Styling methods, sun, wind, even your shampoo schedule will affect the health of your hair. The ends of your hair naturally split and break and all of these elements will speed the process. Your hair is a true reflection of your health, showing signs of illness and stress. Healthy hair depends on a healthy body. It is important to avoid anything that causes stress. Yoga and meditation are great stress relievers. Ample rest is very important in the maintenance of healthy hair.

Everyone's hair grows at its own rate. Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day, won't do the trick and can actually cause breakage. You should brush just enough to distribute the oils in your hair from the scalp through the rest of the hair.

If you smoke...stop! Smoking is harmful in many ways, and your hair is just one of the casualties. Some studies have shown that excessive caffeine and carbonated drinks are also detrimental to healthy hair growth. A diet that delivers the daily vitamin and mineral requirements, with plenty of good protein, will result in healthy hair. Foods that are high in protein are poultry (skin removed), fish, dairy, eggs and beef (lean).

Eat lots of fresh fruit and veggies. These are great foods for healthy hair, as well as beans and whole grains. Stay away from foods that contain a lot of fat and sugars.

When shampooing, don't use hot water, cool water will actually give your hair a nice shine. Don't brush or comb more than necessary, and use long strokes, top to bottom to distribute oils evenly. If possible allow hair to air dry as often as possible. Same goes for hair curling or straightening tools. Less is better. Use shampoo time to massage your scalp. This will stimulate the scalp, encouraging healthy follicles.

Last but not least, trim that hair. Regular trimmings, every 6 weeks, is probably the best thing you can do for healthy hair. This will eliminate any split ends and you will see a reduction in breakage.

And remember....

Most of those magazine photos are retouched anyway.