top 10 tips for hair maintenance and health

i am by no means a hair expert but i have been researching like a mad woman and putting all these tips to the test over the past few months. being diligent in my hair health routine has really helped me  maintain hair health and rehab the damage caused by color, poor hair cuts and heat. if you follow along on instagram i recently shared my story of how my hair was damaged. rather than sulk about it (i did do a good amount of sulking though…) i decided to take action, learn the beauty of patience and make sure to take better care of my hair moving forward. below are my top 10 tips to take better care of your hair. this is the first part of my hair care series. next up i’ll share my tips for healthy hair growth!

sleep with a silk pillowcase

sleeping with a silk pillow case is not only comfortable, but does wonders for your hair and skin. silk pillowcases help lessen the damage caused to your hair while tossing and turning at night. it also helps maintain and tame styled hair throughout your sleep which helps cut down on added heat while styling in the morning.

because silk does not absorb moisture like cotton does, it will also leave your hair more hydrated throughout the night, this is also the same with your skin! since your hair retains its’ moisture while using a silk pillowcase, it helps prevent your hair from getting dry and brittle.

brush your hair with the right kind of brush

after noticing more and more hair coming out on my brushes, even though some were detangling heroes, i made the switch to the wet brush pro per recommendation from carlos at trademark salon in houston. ps. i highly recommend this salon if you’re in the houston area! the wet brush pro is safe to use on wet hair, while in the shower or immediately after (i do try to limit usage while in the shower because hair is most vulnerable when soaking wet). in full honesty, it does take me a little bit longer (maybe 3 or 4 minutes longer) to fully detangle my naturally curly hair immediately after the shower. however, this is because the brush is more gentle on my hair. it still gets the job done. i realized the brushes that i was using previously were just powering through my tangles and ripping out strands that stood in its’ way. the wet brush gently detangles and safely works through knots helping to prevent any damage. if your hair tends to tangle a lot and tangle easily, i’ve linked a detangling spray that i use on my hair immediately after the shower and when necessary on dry styled hair (the wind in the city gets the best of my hair sometimes..).

protect your hair while sleeping

as said above, a silk pillow case reduces frizz and damage caused when sleeping. but it can’t do the job on its’ own. how you tie your hair up at night will also determine how your hair looks when you wake up. (say see ya to bedhead!). before sleeping i always apply a small amount, i’m talking dime size or less, amount of serum to the ends of my hair and work my way up to the middle. i then brush out any tangles with my wet brush. i follow that up by tying my hair up in a loose braid and using a silk hair tie. you want your braid tight enough so it does not fall out in your sleep, but loose enough so it doesn’t pull and tug on your strands.

there are two major benefits to the loose braid. the first is it tames your hair while keeping it nice and de-tangled throughout your sleep. the second is, it gives your hair a really nice beach curl when you wake up! i will typically brush it out with my wet brush and quickly touch up with heat tools in the morning (mostly the front pieces and a few on the top layers) then be ready to go! the loose braid is also the preferred method if you have hair extensions.

if you recently styled your hair (typically after day 1 of a fresh curl) you can also tie your hair up in a loose top knot. let the top knot sight right on top of your head so you can still comfortably lay your head on your pillow and fall asleep. i’ve found this method helps keep the original styling best and will typically do this after day 1 of styling then switch to a loose braid for the remaining days before i wash.

below i’m linking the hair ties i use for my braid and topknot. i normally opt for silk ties because they don’t leave a hair tie crease and have many benefits for your hair, but i have also linked a few other brands that i have tried and love as well. i wear the clear invisibobble bands during the day and when i style my hair in a pony tale, then switch to the silk hair ties at night.

try to not wash your hair every day

this can be a tough one for those that workout and break a strong sweat daily. however, if you can, try to avoid washing your hair daily. i can typically go about 3-5 days with one wash depending on my weekly activity. (make sure to still hop in the shower and rinse your body off between hair washes… nobody wants to be smelly!) to make my hair last, i make sure i sleep on a silk pillowcase at night (see above), and tie it back properly before going to bed. i also use dry shampoo when necessary.

dry shampoo is very commonly used when it is too late in the game. for example, if you know your hair gets greasy by day 3, then dry shampoo your hair before bed on day 2. let the dry shampoo work overnight by soaking up the grease before your hair does.

also remember, the top of your hair gets greasy and the ends of your hair get dry. if you’re adding a dry shampoo, make sure to also add a conditioning product to your ends. below i’m linking the oil serum that i apply to my ends as well as a dry conditioner product to help add back lost moisture between hair washes.

shampoo, condition, shampoo

washing your hair properly in the shower is also a very important key factor in hair health. when shampooing, i start by pouring the shampoo into my hand, then using both hands i lather up the product. i then apply the shampoo starting at the crown of my head, massaging the product into my scalp. this helps really clean your hair from any product (hi dry shampoo) or dirt (hi new york) that may have built up between washes. from the scalp i work the shampoo to the ends of my hair. i will typically let the product sit for a minute or two and then rinse while continuing to massage my scalp. (massaging your scalp also helps stimulate growth so i make sure not to skip this step. i’ll talk more about hair growth on my next post in my hair care series.)

next, i condition. i start the conditioning process the same way i do the shampoo process. i pour the conditioner in my hand (i usually use a little extra because my hair runs on the drier side) and lather the product up using both hands. i then apply the conditioner to the ends of my hair first. from there i work the reminder of the conditioner throughout my hair. i typically let the conditioner sit in my hair for 5-10 minutes depending on how much time i have. (i typically use this time to shave my legs.)

after letting the conditioner sit in my hair, i then rinse.

most people end there, but a trick i’ve been doing (and it’s been working) is adding an extra step of shampoo! for this round,  i use just a tiny amount of shampoo (about half of a dime size) and lather it between both hands. i then apply it only to the scalp, massaging it in, near the crown of my hair. i immediately rinse after.

this last step helps my hair stay clean and weightless for longer. the hair closest to the scalp near the crown of my hair, and particularly where i part my hair gets the greasiest and dirtiest the fastest. the extra shampoo step helps give it one last clean boost and will usually give me an extra day of clean hair.

these are the hair products that i’ve been using on my hair. carlos from trademark salon recommend these and i have been loving them! they are also the products he uses at the salon- so you know they’re going to be good. they’re great and always leave my hair feeling hydrated, moisturized and most importantly, clean.

use the right water temperature when washing your hair

this was a hard habit for me to break. i love a good hot and steamy shower. there’s something about them that are just so relaxing and renewing. sadly, your hair doesn’t feel the same. after doing lots of research (i didn’t want this one to be true!) i’ve found out that taking a hot shower and exposing your hair to the hot water can cause extra dryness and frizz .

but fear not! this does not mean you have to take ice baths from here out. if kicking the habit of a hot shower is something you are just not down with, then before getting out of the shower, turn the temperature to cold and give your hair a good rinse through. to be honest, the first couple of times i did this i used a removable shower head and made sure the cold water was only on my hair! me + cold = not a great mix. it did get easier though. i now don’t mind cold showers, but will typically take a luke warm shower with a cold rinse before getting out.

avoid touching your hair throughout the day

this is another one that can be challenging because old habits are hard to break. but, stop touching your hair. once your hair is styled, let it be and minimize playing with your hair throughout the day. the natural oils found on your hands will transfer to your hair causing it to get greasy faster. or the opposite effect could happen. your hands could soak up the oils in your hair causing it to dry and frizz faster. moral of the story, touch your hair less.

get creative with no heat hair styles

spare your hair from the heat of styling tools every day and get creative with no heat days. i personally will style my hair on day 1. maintain the style with minor touch ups on day 2 and 3. and either go half up/half down on day 4. by day 5 i’m typically ready for a good hat (read my post to find the perfect fall hat here) or i will rock a pony tail or fun braid. no heat days don’t have be days that you want to hide. there are plenty of fun and creative ways to style your hair without the heat!

below are some of my favorite accessories for no heat days including hats, headbands and hair ties for the perfect pony.

set your heat tools to the right temperature

this is one of the biggest and easiest changes that i made! after speaking with carlos about his recommendations for heat tools (see below) he also talked temps with me. and to some up our conversation t u r n  y o u r  h e a t  t o o l s down. he recommended to keep the temp at 350 degrees farenheit. in fact, any temps above 392 degrees will do irreparable damage to your hair. my split ends and broken off strands will confirm.

i naturally have thick and curly hair and i used to think the hotter the tools got, the better!  more heat surely meant less time styling… oh how i was wrong. the flat iron that i had been using for years didn’t even have the option to turn the temp down and i had no idea what temperature it was heating my hair to. so i’ve recently switched to a temp control flat iron, just to make sure my settings are correct and my hair is protected. you don’t have to switch flat irons immediately if you don’t have a temperature control, but definitely check to see how hot your iron gets. if it’s automatically over 390 degrees, you should consider making the switch.

for me it was very important to make the switch because i curl and straighten my hair with a flat iron. so without knowing how hot my flat iron was getting, i was potentially doing double the damage to my hair. yes- i curl my hair my flat iron. makes it so much easier to pack one tool while traveling! (ps. make sure to always use a heat protector when styling your hair with hot tools!!)

maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle

believe it or not, diet plays a large role in healthy hair. if your hair seems to be falling out more than usual, try de-stressing your life. one of the biggest things i changed was how much sleep i was getting. working into the late hours of the night and waking up early was not doing any favors on my body, or my stress levels. i started to prioritize my sleep and i felt an instant change. my major stressors were no longer looming over me, and i could take on the day in a much clearer head space. the more sleep i got, the more i actually accomplished in the day. crazy thought. if you have troubles falling asleep or want some of my secrets to a restful night, read my post and all my tips for a good nights rest here.

the foods you eat will also play a large role in the health of your hair. you want to eat a balanced diet and get an adequate amount of protein. i personally, make sure to supplement my diet with vitamins. i take a biotin gummy daily (recommend for all those over 25) along with a women’s multi vitamin. i usually take both vitamins with breakfast so my body can metabolize all the goodness best.

and as always, drink lots of water!! in fact, you should probably stop what your doing and grab a glass of water.

below are the vitamins i have been using, plus an alternative brand at a more affordable cost but still works great! (i’ve tested everything recommended on this page!) you’ll also find my favorite re-usable and portable water bottles. since i started carrying mine around daily, i’ve started to drink more water and have much less plastic waste which is a win-win all around.

if you have extensions here is a great resource for additional hair care tips provided by carlos with trademark salon.

and if you’re in the market for a new hair stylist in the houston area, stop by trademark salon and you can thank me later!

xoxo | jasmine

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