What is the best way to keep your hair healthy?

1. 67

   Michele Travisposted 12 years ago

   What is the best way to keep your hair healthy?
   
   I have had brain surgery, and my hair is growing back.  I have changed color a few times.  How can I keep it healthy so it can grow longer?
   
   

   replyreport
2. 80

   Judah's Daughterposted 12 years ago

   Wow - brain surgery!  Praising God He brought you through and that you have your lovely hair again also!  I often receive compliments on my hair.  I've always had great hair and I suppose what I do that others don't usually do is not wash my hair more often than it needs to be washed (like every four days or so).  The natural oils produced are good for your hair and naturally condition it.  Scalp stimulation (perhaps massage or brushing of the roots) I've heard stimulates growth also.  Let your hair air-dry, rather than using a blow-dryer.  Use thermal protectant prior to applying heat elements to your hair.  If you want to grow your hair longer, trim 1/2 ", let it grow 1", trim 1/2", let it grow 1", etc. 
   
   As far as hair color goes, much of the product out there today is actually conditioning, but I recommend coloring and then just touching up the roots as you go, as opposed to bleaching or highlights, which can dry out and damage the hair.  Hope this is helpful :-)

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Michele Travisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you, you are helping. I do need a trim and have gone back to my natural color.  Need to change the picture

      replyreport
3. 68

   anglnwuposted 12 years ago

   I agree with most of what Judah's Daughter says. Healthy hair is possible with healthy diet and praciticing good hair care. I believe in not washing the hair everyday too. I wash mine every other day as I do want to keep my hair clean but I don't want to strip the scalp of the good oil. Also, two to three times a week, I use castor oil, rub it into my scalp and leave it on for at least half an hour before shampooing. That way it not only moisturizes the hair, castor oil also encourages hair growth. I don't blow dry my hair either, unless I absolutely have to, which is not often. Blow drying your hair dries it and makes it brittle. Then, there eating healthy to give your hair all the necessary nutrients to grow strong and healthy:
   
   http://anglnwu.hubpages.com/hub/Eat-You … o-Consider

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Michele Travisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I drink protein drinks, my appetite is not very good. Thank you for your comments!

      replyreport
4. 77

   BestCrispAirposted 12 years ago

   Step one. Start from the inside. Are you eating healthy? A healthy diet is needed to grow healthy hair.
   Step two. A vitamin supplement. You don't need prenatal vitamins as some suggest. All you need is a daily that is well rounded.
   Step three. Care for the hair that you have. Don't put unneeded chemicals into your hair. Wash it when it is dirty. Condition it if it seems dry.
   Step four. Olive oil. Once a week, slather your head (scalp) and hair with olive oil. Don't get any on your eyelashes or eyebrows, they will get thicker over time, too. So if you don't want that, keep them away from the Olive Oil. Let it sit for at least an hour. Wash out and rinse well.
   Step Five. If it is not damaged, don't cut it.
   Best of luck with your thick, beautiful hair.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Michele Travisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I am eating protein, and vegetables. Also take vitamins. I condition it each time. Have not tried Olive Oil, but it can't hurt.  Thank you!

      replyreport
5. 64

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I went through the "growing-back" thing after a head injury years ago.  The hair came in nice and new and healthy, of course, but I can't say it grew any faster than its usual rate of growth.  Not that you've implied you can, but (for readers) you can't make your hair grow faster; but you can prevent damage that either makes hair look short/thinner or else amounts to needing to cut the hair sooner than you otherwise would have had to.
   
   Whether right after the head injury or in the thirty-plus years that have followed, I've generally always washed my hair every day (although taken a day off here or there once in awhile) with a mild shampoo.  Mine isn't hair that needs conditioner very often, but I think if the hair starts to get "tanglier" (which can require ripping through it to get tangles out), a mild conditioner is called for.
   
   Other than that, I'd say stay away from chemical processing (at least as long as you want it to stay as healthy as it can) and things like curling irons and/or blow dryers as much as possible.  I don't think occasional use does a whole lot, but regular use does.  If you can stay away from too much use of things like elastic ponytail fasteners or any hair accessory that puts stress on the hair.  Trimming off any split ends regularly eliminates the chance the hair will look shorter because of a lot of split ends.  A diet that includes plenty of nutrition and lots of water are said to help result in healthy hair too.  Brush or comb it gently, and if you run into a tangle carefully separate the hairs (rather than rip through the tangle).  Also, limit (or protect the hair from) too much (too regular) exposure to swimming pool chlorine/chemicals and drying sun/weather.
   
   I've always seen washing daily very differently than a lot of people do.  To me, a healthy scalp is a nice, clean, scalp.  Not long ago, I learned an interesting thing about the hair in the eyebrows; and that it is that if a person gets face moisturizer in the eyebrows, the eyebrows may stop growing in at all.  To me, this backed up my belief that a scalp that clean of all shampoo residue, moisturizer, hairspray, and/or oils might stand a better chance of growing hair better than a "smothered" scalp might.   That's nothing more than a personal guess/opinion, of course - and I'm not pretending it's anything other than that.

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Michele Travisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you very much. I have noticed my eyebrows are not growing very well. So, I am going to make sure my facial moisturizer stays away from them.

      replyreport
6. 88

   Faith Reaperposted 12 years ago

   Your hair is so beautiful and healthy looking for sure!!! I do not wash my hair daily, so that the natural oils can help to moisturize.  I also do not always blow-dry my hair and let it dry naturally, and when I do, it looks just like your lovely hair with natural waves. God bless you.  You are a strong and beautiful person.  In His Love, Faith Reaper

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Michele Travisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Faith Reaper.  So are you.
      God Bless you!

      replyreport
7. 0

   oceansiderposted 12 years ago

   Michele,
   First I want to say how sorry I am that you had to go through having brain surgery. You mentioned epilepsy in one of your hubs if I'm not mistaken.  Is that what you had to have the surgery for?  You don't need to answer that if it's too personal. I am just concerned....and Praise God, that you are alright now! 
   A friend of mine also had to have brain surgery....this is before I even knew her, and she had to have it because she had an anuerysm.  She is also doing fine now.
   
   As far as your hair.....how about trying tea tree oil shampoo?  My youngest daughter uses this.  I was the one to introduce her to it, and she loves it.  Her hair is so shiny, soft and beautiful.  Don't know if you've tried it, but maybe it would work for you too.
   
   God bless you,
   Helen

   replyreport