Keeping your hair healthy is vital to improving your self-esteem. When you know you have luscious locks that you can flaunt anytime, you’ll have the confidence to go out and socialize whenever you want.
Signs of Healthy Hair
First and foremost, hair can make or break an entire look. Although there are generally four types of hair, it would not need a second glance to know if it is unhealthy. The four types of hair include the following: type 1 (straight), type 2 (wavy), type 3 (curly), and type 4 (kinky).
Type 1 (straight) is considered the healthiest as it is the most resilient hair type. On the other hand, despite being resistant to damage, it does not mean that it is no longer susceptible to certain hair conditions.
Take for example type 1 (straight) hair. Even though it is resilient and almost impossible to damage – it is still prone to seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff), scalp psoriasis, and generally oily hair. Severe seborrheic dermatitis, meanwhile, can lead to hair loss.
So, how to know if your hair is healthy? Here are some signs you should look out for:
Your Hair is Strong
Healthy hair is elastic, resilient, and resistant to breakage. So, if your hair can be stretched to up to 30 percent of its length before it breaks, it’s probably healthy.
What makes hair resistant to extrinsic damage is the cuticle layer, or outer sheath, that encases the inner cortex of each hair strand. Additionally, hair is made of keratin, a protein, along with amino acids. Therefore, it is important to supply your hair with the right amount of protein that it needs if you want to keep it strong.
Your Hair is Soft
Does soft hair mean healthy hair? Most of the time, it does.
Healthy hair is soft, silky to the touch, bouncy, and overall smooth. The secret to soft hair is the hair cuticle.
The cuticle is the outer sheath of a hair strand that absorbs almost everything – heat from ironing and blow-drying, damage from hair dye, and so on. So, conditioning your hair is important to keep moisture in and maintain your hair cuticle’s health.
Your Hair is Shiny
Healthy hair is glossy and shiny. This is also due to healthy hair cuticles lying flat on the outer layer of each hair strand and reflecting light, creating a high sheen.
The technique for shiny hair is how you dry your locks after a shower. Avoid frantic towel drying as it can roughen the cuticle. Instead, gently pat your hair with an absorbent towel. This generally does the trick and protects your hair from damage.
Your Hair Doesn’t Frizz Easily
Healthy hair doesn’t frizz easily even when exposed to moisture. This is because your cuticle is healthy enough to prevent moisture from penetrating your strands and creating frizz.
If you want to ensure your hair doesn’t get frizzy, you can use a leave-in serum made especially for frizzy hair. This product provides your strands with the protection it needs throughout the day.
Signs of Damaged Hair
Damaged hair can easily be spotted. If your locks look unhealthy, they have probably been through some damage. Here are the most common signs of damaged hair:
Split Ends
Wrap a small section of your hair with your finger or a brush. If you see small, uneven strands sticking out, you probably have split ends.
Split ends appear as the ends of your hair age. You can avoid this from happening by getting regular trims.
Hair Fall
Pay particular attention to the amount of hair you lose in a day. The usual number is 200. If you lose more than that or notice a dramatic increase in hair loss during or after shampoo, it indicates a serious problem with your hair.
Dullness
Your hair losing luster would indicate problems with your cuticle. Too much styling – heating, blow drying, ironing, chemical treatment, and hair dyeing – can cause your hair to lose its shiny prowess.
Dryness
Take a small section of your hair and drop it into a container of water. Healthy hair will usually float whereas dry, damaged hair is porous and will definitely sink and absorb the water.
If you have these telltale signs, it would mean that you need to improve your hair care practices.
How to Keep Hair Strong?
The technique is to protect each hair strand against unhealthy hair practices and environmental damage. It is important to choose the right shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair moisturized and apply cuticle protectors when ironing your hair.
Moreover, it is important to get a regular trim to avoid split ends. You should also choose dye products with less ammonia when coloring your hair as it can cause hair to become brittle.
On the other hand, you can’t just apply conditioner and that’s it. Hair absorbs almost every product applied. However, it cannot absorb well if it is saturated with water. Shampooing prior to conditioning is important because it helps remove dirt, oil, and sebum but your hair needs to be squeezed of water before applying conditioner for optimum absorption.
One way to keep your hair strong is by using the Moringa-O2 Herbal Shampoo with Argan Oil. The Moringa-O2 hair care line is powered with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals for the ultimate and complete hair and scalp care system. It has vitamins A, C, D, E, B-complex, essential fatty acids omega 6 and 9, calcium, and other minerals.