We all want healthy shining hair, and yet we also want to color, bleach, perm and blow dry our hair to achieve a certain look. People with straight hair often want curly hair, and vice versa. For most of us the hair type we were born with is the one that suits us best. All we need is the proper care to keep it looking good.
Avoid Damaging Your Hair with Hard Water
Hair is like pure new wool, very hot water and hot air will damage it. Your hair will not shrink, but it will become coarse and dry. If you live in a region with hard water, every time you wash your hair you coat it with a fine layer of lime scale, and then you use conditioner to offset this effect. If you rinsed your hair in clean rain water you would find it soft and silky, as rainwater has a pH of about four. Using lemon juice or vinegar as a rinse will also make it soft and silky. Dilute either of these with six parts of water and pour the solution over your hair. The vinegar will no longer smell once your hair is dry.
Dry Hair Treatments
To soften coarse dry hair soak it for 20 minutes with egg yolk mixed with olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil or mashed avocado pear. You can mix the white of the egg with oatmeal for a face mask, then wash the whole messy lot off together! It may be necessary to shampoo your hair three times, and make sure you use lukewarm water or the egg will solidify.
Oily Hair Treatments
Oily hair is caused by active sebaceous glands and activity is increased by movement when brushing or combing hair, by use of harsh shampoo and too frequent washing. If you have really oily hair I do sympathise, and I know it's a difficult thing to deal with. You have two choices here, wash your hair once or twice a day with a mild shampoo and rinse with the juice of half a lemon in a pint of water. Alternatively use a spoonful of apple cider vinegar in half a pint of water as a final rinse.
Your other choice is to stop washing your hair and just use a vinegar rinse. This is probably something you want to try when you are not working every day. The many people who never wash their hair will confirm that hair has a natural equilibrium and reaches a balance after six weeks. The first couple of weeks can be uncomfortable, but mainly on a psychological level.
Kitchen Treatment for all Hair Types
Eat the right foods. Stock up your kitchen with foods rich in vitamin B, like eggs and soy products. Make sure your diet is rich in iron and vitamin C. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Your hair is a product of the proteins and vitamins in your body, make sure both get the right nutrition. When shopping for hair care products go to the fresh produce section.
Sally Anne Lewis - Sally has master's degrees in science and journalism, is fascinated to a degree in most things. Always something to learn.
