Our hair can withstand a strain of 3.5 ounces and can stretch up to 30% longer when it’s wet. However, only healthy hair has such superpowers — damaged strands will break rather easily. You may not be able to identify the condition of your hair at first glance. But there are simple ways to check this and take action to get it back in shape.
We at Bright Side are always here with useful tips, and this time, we found out exactly what you need to do to maintain healthier hair.
1. Follicle test
To understand if your hair is healthy overall and whether hair loss is something you don’t have to worry about, you need to check your roots first. Just do this:
- Pluck one strand of hair but make sure to grip it as close to your head as possible to have the root still attached to the hair.
- Examine the follicle. The normal root end of a strand should be bulb-shaped, so if you see this, your hair might be healthy. If it’s puny or without any bulb shape at all, your hair is weak and needs care.
How to prevent hair loss:
Follow the Mediterranean diet. A study showed that it decreases the risk of hair loss. This diet consists of foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and whole grains. Try to avoid foods like red meat, sweet beverages, and processed foods. It is not only for healthy hair, but also promotes many other benefits like supporting your blood sugar levels, protecting your brain function, and results in a healthy heart.
Avoid tight hairstyles like ponytails, especially while sleeping, since it can lead to hair loss.
Take special vitamins and minerals.
2. Sink test
This one measures how porous your hair is. Healthy hair is pretty solid, while damaged hair absorbs liquid quickly. Keep in mind, that genetics is also a contributing factor to how porous your hair is, as well as damage by heat and product damage over time. Try to shampoo your hair before attempting this test, to make sure it’s clean and get the best results for your healthy hair. To perform the test, do the following:
- Pluck a strand of your (previously cleaned with shampoo) hair.
- Drop the strand into a glass of water. Completely healthy strands will float, relatively healthy ones will go down a bit, and damaged ones will sink entirely.
How to treat hair with high porosity:
- Apply various kinds of hair butters and oils. They help seal in the moisture that your hair soaks up. Applying these butters or oils to your hair is a great way to keep it healthy, especially if you have dull, dry, and damaged hair. It can make it looks soft, healthy, frizz-free, and beautifully elegant.
- Use hair conditioner after each wash.
- Apply apple cider vinegar and aloe vera to your hair to adjust the pH balance.
3. Tug test
This test is aimed at checking the elasticity of your hair. It can be done with these simple steps:
It basically measures how severe your hair loss is. If you are visiting the doctor and decide to get the test done by a professional, they will pluck small areas of your hair (about 40 strands), from different areas of your head. If 6+ hairs fall out, then you have active hair loss. The test will give results of whether you have signs of fragile hair loss.
- Carefully pull out a strand of hair.
- Pull it gently at both ends. If it stretches and bounces back when you let it go, it’s healthy. If it breaks easily, it’s rather weak.
How to get your hair elasticity back:
- Air-dry it. Using heat really harms the elasticity of hair.
- Massage your hair with jojoba oil. Jojoba oil can be used as a moisturizer, and you can even add it to your hair conditioner to prevent your hair from getting dry, breaking, and getting split ends. It can work to remove dandruff as well. It has many vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C and B that are great for nourishing your hair. It can even prevent hair loss and keep your hair thick.
- Try applying some honey to your strands. It’s a great natural conditioner and will keep moisture in your hair. Honey is very effective for your hair. A study showed that it can even promote hair growth with its ability to restore the cells on your scalp. If you like shiny hair, it may also provide a natural shine to it as a moisturizer. So if you have dull hair, honey is the way to go. Honey also has protein in it, which is important for keeping your hair protected from breakage.
4. Porosity test
With this test, you can determine the condition of your hair cuticle to see if it’s damaged or not. You need to do the following:
- Clamp a hair strand between your index and middle fingers.
- Slide it through your fingers, from the top to the root. If it feels rough and uneven, your hair is damaged. If it feels smooth, it’s healthy.
How to treat damaged hair:
- Try a keratin treatment. It makes hair smoother, removes frizz, and makes hair shine.
- Limit dyeing, curling, and blow-drying.
- Try a rice water rinse. Research has shown that it stays in hair for a while, protecting it from damage. Research also shows that it can be good for maintaining your hair’s color longer, meaning that you may not get grey hair for a while.
What are your tips for hair care?
Please note: This article was updated in September 2022 to correct source material and factual inaccuracies.
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