Best Way to Maintain Your Balanced Hair with the Right Products and Techniques

If you have the bonus of “normal” hair, make sure it stays that way with the following tips and ideas for making the most of one of your most important assets.

Is your hair well-behaved? Neither lank nor strawlike? No split ends? Lucky you. Your hair has the right balance of oils on the scalp, without tending toward excessive oiliness or dryness. Using the right products and techniques will help you maintain that balance.

• Shampoo only as often as your hair really needs it – which may be less often than you are in the habit of doing. Use a gentle shampoo, and dilute it with plenty of water. If it foams well the first time, you don’t need a routine second shampoo.
• Use conditioner sparingly. If you find that, with the help of a wide-toothed comb and the spray attachment from your shower, you’re able to detangle hair well enough without, you may not need rich conditioners or hair masks.
• Give your scalp a weekly massage. To do so, pour three drops of lavender oil onto your fingertips, rub them together to distribute it, and then massage. Massaging boosts the blood flow to the scalp and encourages healthy hair growth.

Tips for every hair type

• According to experts, a final cool rinse helps close the hair cuticles (which open when exposed to hot water), resulting in greater shine.
• Air-dry your hair whenever you can. Blow-drying can damage the hair, causing split ends. If you must blow-dry, make sure that hair is really towel-dry, first. To help with this, you can now buy super-absorbent towels, such as those from Aquis, which mop up excess water. Choose a high-wattage hairdryer (1800 watts) that blasts the hair with air – rather than a slow hairdryer, to minimize drying time.

• Always remember to wear a hat in the sun. It prevents sun damage and helps keep hair from drying out. If you are going in the pool or ocean, soak hair in fresh water first so it will absorb less of the salt or chlorine. Better still, apply a mask or natural conditioner to “seal” and protect the hair cuticles before you swim.