My unconventional TOP hair do's and don't for preserving health, length and shine

 

I'm skipping the conventional tips like "reduce heat" and "drink water,"  and skipping to the things I do that may not be so obvious! So if you're struggling with your hair - here are some things I do that can help you rejuvenate your strands. To a certain extent, genetics plays a role in terms of the best or worst it can look. But as with anything, we can always be better in any category.

DON'T

1. Don't leave it out

Always leaving your hair out without tying it, especially in dry weather, makes it prone to breakage. That's why I keep my hair in low ponies (why a low pony we will explore below), and I recommend you do the same. Additionally, if your hair is on the longer side, your may be familiar with the irritating feeling of putting your bag on your shoulder and realizing the hair getting stuck under the straps, or getting in the zips of your jacket, or just getting caught in things as you're walking around. In all these cases, the worst (and most common) case scenario is that your hair rips off. But have you contemplated how much damage is done to your hair the times it doesn't break off? Tears are introduced that create split ends over time. Do you think a split ended hair strand grows? No honey, it does not. A build up of split ends over time stunts growth. This is a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy because in the case of mass split ends you resort to getting frequent trimmings which further stunts your growth. Read the DO's section for tips on deep conditioning so your hair isn't dry and brittle to the point it breaks easily, but your best bet is to leave it out as less as possible in the first place so as not to exacerbate drying.

2. Less top knots and high pony tails

Ah - the top knot. The stylish way of saying "I don't care" among today's trendy youth. Or, maybe you just resort to top knots because they're easy. Top knots and high ponies are both styles I absolutely love, but I've tried to cut down on these styles after experiencing drastic hair loss a year into university due to stress. I do believe a big reason my hair loss has dramatically decreased is due to the fact that I do these hair styles much less often. Pulling all your hair to a tight hairstyle at the very peak of your scalp puts a crazy amount of pressure on your strands. If you do this all the time, over time you will notice a dent in your hair where you typically position your hair tie due to pressure - like seeing a fold in your paper after you fold it and re-open it again.  That's terrifying! If you resort to these styles because they're easy and comfortable, try getting used to a low bun or a low pony tail. It may be one of your hardest first world problems to get used to low buns (God knows it was mine), but I promise it'll happen within a couple months.

3. Don't wash your hair every day

I've noticed it's usually the guys who are guiltier of this.  Dudes - you do realize you're closer to hair loss than us ladies, right? The term "male pattern baldness" ring a bell? Don't wash your hair often! Washing your hair means touching and pulling at your hair unnecessarily which increases breakage. A physiology professor of mine once told me that hair washing truly is one of the most redundant things we humans do, and it made a lot of sense. Back in the day, humans didn't wash their hair with soap. By shampooing we are stripping our hair of oils. By conditioning, we are re-introducing those oils artificially. Sounds kinda redundant, doesn't it? You can train your hair over time to need less artificial washes because your ancestors didn't need to wash their hair frequently, either - that's the natural case scenario for humans!

I understand for people who exercise frequently and thus sweat, it may be harder to refrain from washing your hair. To be honest, I haven't struggled with this, though I have super long hair and exercise 3-6 times a week. That tells me it's probably not that big of a problem, at least for most people. If you suffer with excessive sweating in your scalp, try dry shampoo to absorb the oils and eliminate any odours.

4. Avoid brushing hair while it's wet and brush with caution

Hair is much more fragile and prone to breakage when it's yet. Comb your hair before showering to untangle it, and comb with caution while wet, if needed. In general, it's best to practice brushing/combing with caution so you're habituated to that, versus brushing/combing very fast. After years of searching for the perfect comb/brush and not being satisfied, the tangle teezer has finally come to my rescue. I could not recommend a brush enough. Historically, I've been very hasty with how I brush my hair - I just have very little patience when it comes to hair-brushing. With the tangle teezer, I get a much smoother brush, even when I do it hastily, and much less hair on my brush after brushing. I feel much less strain and pulling on my hair when I use this. I'm still working on this tip, but brush with caution, I say!

DO

1. Lashes and brows

Eyelashes and eyebrows still count as hair, right? If you care about the hair on your head, you probably also want your lashes and brows to be as full as can be. You wouldn't believe how many people swear Vaseline is their holy grail when it comes to lengthening lashes! I haven't noticed a big difference in my lashes with Vaseline, but I do feel using a small amount of organic coconut oil or castor oil on my lashes and brows keeps them nice and thick. I love using makeup and falsies on my lashes, so admittedly, I do abuse the crap out of them from time to time. So this is a good trick for those of you who love to play with your lashes too!

If you're like me, and most teenage girls growing up in the mid 2010's, you've probably over-plucked your brows and now regret it due to slow brow growth and random empty patches. Using oil or Vaseline over time on your lashes, maybe as a mask before you go to sleep a couple times a week, may greatly accelerate how quickly your brows grow back to how they were before! It took me two years to grow mine back to being as thick as they were before I started over-plucking them at 14... but I do believe the oil really helped!

2. Protein-rich diets and supplements

We know how badly poor nutrition affects your hair health. A quick recap - protein-deficient diets have been linked time and time again to hair loss. Dramatic loss in weight can also lead to hair loss - commonly occurring after 2-3 months of losing 15 pounds or more. I encourage you to do more research on the many negative effects of a poor diet on your hair (and skin, too). So, visit your doctor and make sure you're not deficient in anything. If you're deficient in a certain vitamin or mineral, your doctor can inform which foods you should incorporate into your diet more, or if you should take supplements. There have been times when I've had to resort to taking supplements for a couple months to get my levels back to normal. There's a good chance I would have seen hair loss had I not taken those supplements.

3. Manage your stress

Stress has diabolical effects on my hair. The last time I was super stressed, I could pull out literal chunks of hair from my head without effort due to the hair loss. Time and time again, I've noticed noticeably greater hair loss (and nails breaking...) during final exams - a clear indication that stress and hair loss are heavily correlated for me. There's lots of research out there suggesting that stress exacerbates or triggers hair loss for humans. And oftentimes, the hair loss may occur a month or more after stressful events.

Sometimes, we have reduced control over the events that cause us stress. But - and I want to drill this into your head - you can always control how your body deals with stressful situations,  and this is an incredibly empowering truth once weaponized. Read my articles in the self-improvement section for help on dealing with stressful situations - much can be said about this topic that I won't scratch the surface of here. But know that during a stressful time, it's important to supplement what your body can't give your hair by improved diet and sleep, and by following my other tips!

4. Organic, natural oils instead of commercial hair masks

Instead of using commercial masks, I use the good ol' trick of my ancient Bangladeshi ancestors - coconut oil. There's a reason this trick has been around for centuries. I typically use coconut oil once a week. I apply it to my whole scalp and strands and leave it on for 3-6 hours before washing it off. You may need to apply extra shampoo to get the thick oil out. Also, it'll be much easier to get the oil out if you shampoo after leaving the oil on for a long time. If you shampoo an hour after applying the oil, you may notice there's still oil in your hair when you're out of the shower.

My hairstylist has mentioned that coconut oil does not work for everyone because the molecules are so big that they cannot be absorbed by all hairs. It seems coconut oil works better for people with thicker hair, which may be why it is so popular in South Asia, where people tend to have thicker hair. For people with thinner strands, I recommend jojoba and castor oil.


There you have it, my unconventional hair tips. Hair may not be one of your favourite parts of your body, but remember that we all have things we like more and less about ourselves. You may have a physical or emotional feature that others wish they had.


Sincerely,

Annesa