How to make your hair look healthy and shiny

By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2022-10-28

Having a healthy hair is not always an easy job. Our hair says a lot about us, and is an essential part of our physical appearance; but sometimes we use inappropriate products for hair, we suffer from stress, don´t have the time to care of it… or just have bad habits that make our hair deteriorate, and look dull and weak.

If that´s the case with your hair, and before thinking of resorting to a hair transplant, maybe it´s not too late for you if you take a look to our easy and useful tips about how to have a healthy and shiny hair, without spending too much.

How to get a healthy hair: tips

Heat, using aggressive chemical products or dyes for hair, prolonged exposure to sun's rays, lack of hydration or vitamins... There are many factors that can badly affect our hair health, and people usually don´t know how to have a healthy hair. The thing is that taking care of our hair is a quite simple task; the difficulty comes because it´s something that must be done every day, dedicating some time to take care of our hair and making it a routine. So let´s enumerate some useful tips on how to get a shiny hair, strong and healthy.

Do not wash your hair too much:

One of the most important daily hair care tips, is that washing hair too much is as bad as do not wash it. Frequency will depend on our hair type, but also on our activity; but the overall recommendation is to wash our hair every day just if it´s very oily... If not, once every 2-3 days should be enough.

Do not use too much shampoo:

Just as the practice of some people of never washing their hair with shampoo is really bad, it's also a bad idea to use an inappropriate shampoo for hair, or using an excessive amount when washing it, something that can cause alterations in scalp PH or damage follicles. An amount equivalent to one spoon should be enough.

Choose the right shampoo and conditioner:

It is very important to choose the right product to wash your hair; let's forget about using bath gel or soaps, no matter how natural they are: nothing like a good nourishing shampoo, the more natural the ingredients, the better; we recommend that, whatever you choose, it should not contain silicones, parabens, or sulphates (at least the most harmful). Also, the best option is to choose a shampoo with conditioner, because in this way both products are combined in just one.

Rinse well your hair:

Regardless of your hair type, it is important that during washing - which we must carry out at least once every 2-3 days - we thoroughly rinse any shampoo remains on hair, just to avoid it from causing irritation to the scalp or other problems. A good rinse is especially necessary after applying conditioner or a nourishing mask, whose remnants can stimulate production of sebum.

Do not use too hot water:

It may not be an option for everyone, especially in winter; but washing your hair - or skin - with very hot water is always harmful, since it favours dryness and irritation in scalp, as well as sebum production, and can damage follicles. On the contrary, the colder the water, the more blood circulation is enhanced, and damage to hair is avoided. Avoiding hot water on hair is one of the most important tips for a healthy hair: if you cannot use cold water… at least use just warm water.

Wash your hair gently:

We tend to think that the harder we rub, the cleaner we will be; but this is not always the case, especially when it comes to our scalp. Rubbing excessively causes an activation of the sebaceous glands, and produces just the opposite effect: in short, oily hair. It is advisable to do a gentle massage on the scalp during washing, so that shampoo penetrates well and to stimulate blood supply and oxygenation; but gently, without rubbing, using fingertips but not nails, which can damage scalp and hair roots.

Moisture and hair don´t get on well:

Perhaps you don´t know, but moisture is one of the main enemies of hair. Does it mean that we should dry it as quick as possible? No! Do it gently, removing as much moisture as possible using a towel, and do not rub scalp to avoid damaging hair roots; instead of that, we just have to press hair smoothly with the towel, so that it can absorb most of moisture.

Comb your hair... but carefully:

The same thing happens if we have long hair and we want to comb or brush it: it is important that we do it gently, especially when it is wet, since then hair is more fragile. It is advisable to use a comb with wide bristles and blunt ends, using smooth movements and without pulling.

Use a hair mask:

A good choice for daily hair care products is a hair mask: it can be our best ally when taking care of hair, and it´s an essential part of our efforts to keep our hair healthy and strong. However, do not forget that mask should be used not less than 15 minutes, and it´s important not to apply too much because hair can become greasy; also, do not use a hair mask when hair is still wet, because then it will penetrate less and won´t be so effective.

Avoid using hairdryer:

It's not just hot water: heat and hair generally don't get along. The ideal would be to always let hair dry on its own; but if we cannot wait and we have to use a dryer, we must adjust the temperature so that it is not too high, and apply heat from some distance – at least 25 centimetres. Another good ally of your daily hair care tasks is an ionic hairdryer, since ions favour hydration of both scalp and follicles; besides, they have a bactericidal effect.

Protect hair from sun:

Another factor that is not good for hair health, is exposure to UV rays from the sun, which make hair become brittle, and accelerate hair loss. Therefore, you'd better use a cap or a hat if you are going to expose your hair for a long time to the sun.

Eat biotin-rich foods:

If you are wondering how to make your hair shiny, you should know that taking biotin (also called B7 vitamin) is one of the most natural tips for a healthy and shiny hair that we can recommend... Biotin is vital for hair and nails growth, and helps to strengthen hair, also preventing hair loss. If we detect some lack of biotin, we can take it by supplements or simply eat biotin-rich foods, such as eggs, cow liver, oily fish, spinach, broccoli, whole grains, mushrooms, walnuts, or brewer's yeast.

Avoid stress:

Yes, we know that it is not always easy to avoid it... but it is known that prolonged stress does not benefit our body, and also not our hair, since it can make hair to fall out. If we cannot always avoid stressful situations, let's at least try to deal with them in a different way, perhaps seeking help from a psychologist or resorting to relaxation therapies.

Hydrate yourself!

Drinking water seems like the simplest thing to do, doesn't it? Well... but we usually forget to do so! We tend to consume too many soft drinks - normally carbonated and with too much sugar - that only increase our thirst; and we forget that staying well hydrated with a simple glass of water is the solution to many health problems, and what makes hair healthy and shiny, preventing hair dryness and weakness.

Beware of aggressive hair products:

Sometimes we wish to have a beautiful or fashionable look, and to get that we mistreat our hair using all kinds of chemical products that, in the long run, take their toll. Therefore, we must avoid using aggressive hair products such as dyes, gels or hairsprays, that contain ingredients such as silicones. If you just want to dye your grey hair, then choose dyes not containing ammonia or nickel, and with as much natural ingredients as possible for a natural hair care.

Healthy body means healthy hair:

It´s said that we are what we eat... and that´s very true; not just that, but also our hair is a reflection of our body health: in fact, usually the first symptoms of body diseases or diet deficiencies, appear in our hair. So, if you want a good tip on how to make your hair healthy and shiny, just follow a good diet for hair loss that provides you with all necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

What can I do if I start losing my hair?

Keeping a healthy hair can be easy if you follow these tips; however, if your hair problems are more complicated, or you have a medical condition that causes hair loss, you should consult a specialist to start some hair treatment, or even think about a hair transplant. Remember that at Clinicana we are specialists in all kinds of hair treatments, and the best-rated clinic for hair transplants: check it out by reading our patients' reviews on hair transplant in Turkey. Ask for a free consultation now: no obligations at all!