Tips for healthy hair

How you wash your hair and the products
you use can go a long way toward
maintaining smooth, shiny hair. Follow these
simple tips from dermatologists to maintain
healthy hair.
1. Wash oily hair more frequently. How often
you wash your hair should be based on
how much oil your scalp produces.
If your scalp is oily, you may need to wash it
as often as once a day.
If you have chemically treated hair, your hair
may be drier, so you may want to wash it
less frequently.
As you get older, your scalp makes less oil,
so you may not need to shampoo as often.
But if you see flakes in your hair, you may
not be shampooing enough. This can lead to
dandruff and other scalp diseases.
2. Concentrate shampoo on the scalp. When
washing your hair, concentrate on cleaning
primarily the scalp, rather than washing the
entire length of hair. Washing only your hair
can create flyaway hair that is dull and
coarse.
3. Use conditioner after every shampoo unless
you use a “2-in-1” shampoo, which cleans
and conditions hair. Using a conditioner can
significantly improve the look of damaged
or weathered hair by increasing shine,
decreasing static electricity, improving
strength and offering some protection from
harmful UV rays.
4. Concentrate conditioner on the tips of the
hair. Because conditioners can make fine
hair look limp, they only should be used on
the tips of the hair and not on the scalp or
length of the hair.
5. Choose a shampoo and conditioner
formulated specifically for your hair type. For
example, if you color your hair, use a
shampoo designed for color-treated hair. If
your hair is damaged or chemically treated,
consider a “2-in-1” shampoo. Regardless of
cost, many shampoo and conditioner
brands provide the same benefits.
6. Protect hair when swimming. Protect your
hair from the damaging effects of chlorine
by wetting and conditioning your hair
before swimming. Wear a tight-fitting swim
cap and use a specially formulated
swimmers shampoo and deep conditioner
after swimming to replace lost moisture.