Five Easy Styling Changes You Can Make Today for Healthy Hair

If you’re using or considering HairXT’s hair vitamins and serums, then you’ve already taken a huge step in caring for the hair you have and regrowing the hair you love. Our products are backed by research and include the perfect balance of ingredients to stimulate growth and encourage thicker, healthier hair. However, your hair will be at its healthiest when your entire lifestyle supports hair growth, not just your supplements.

Fortunately, a lifestyle change doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds - some of them are simple and even fun!

Let’s get this out of the way first: there are some lifestyle changes that influence hair health that are not what we’d consider “easy,” depending on the amount of change that’s needed. Diet, stress, sleep, pollution (or smoking), and hormones all play a role in whether your hair thrives, breaks, or falls out. If you suspect that you need improvement in one or all of these categories, we’d encourage you to set some goals and get started - it won’t just be your hair that ends up thanking you.

If you’re feeling pretty good about those major areas or you don’t want to tackle them right now, though, don’t sweat it! Starting small will give you an action-oriented way to take control of your hair’s health, and some of these might even become the first steps in much larger changes.

1. Grab a Water Bottle and Fill it Up

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Should we say that again? Hydrate. From your brain functions to your skin and hair, there are very few things in your body that don’t require ample hydration to perform at their best. And with your hair shaft being comprised of 25% water, not to mention the water it takes to get nutrients to your hair, proper hydration can be the small change your hair needs to look its best. If you’re like most people, you’re chronically dehydrated; we often forget that coffee and sugary drinks don’t count as one of the proverbial “8 glasses of water per day.” 

Take on the challenge of amping up your hydration using an easy way to keep track of your progress: a Nalgene bottle or other four-cup water bottle. Make it a goal to drink two Nalgenes full of water before the day is done - and if that seems like way too much, start with one. Consider adding sugar-free flavoring or a slice of lemon to liven it up - and it never hurts to give yourself a small reward when you complete your goal!

2. Treat Yourself to a Scalp Massage

This is by far the most fun action item on our list, but we’re not just looking for an excuse to recommend a massage, we swear. Massages in general can improve your health for the same reason that a scalp massage can improve your hair: blood circulation. Hair requires access to blood vessels in order to grow, and one way to give it plenty of access is by stimulating blood-flow via head and scalp massage.

There are several ways to go about this. If you’re feeling indulgent, you can hit the spa and treat yourself to a professional session. If you have a partner, consider trading scalp massages during your evening Netflix binge. And if you’re DIYing, put on some relaxing music and give yourself five or ten minutes of peace and quiet to gently massage your own scalp. You can also massage your scalp when you shampoo your hair, giving yourself a minute or two more in the shower to stimulate your scalp with a vigorous massage before you rinse.

3. Wash Your Hair

On that note, let’s talk hair-washing. It’s a commonly-held belief that shampooing should be minimized due to their harsh chemicals depleting your hair of its natural oils. However, this is (mostly) a myth. While you should certainly be using a shampoo that’s as gentle and natural as possible, you don’t need to be concerned about washing your hair regularly. Between washings, DHT accumulates on your scalp, and it remains active until you wash it off. And on hot days or post-exercise, don’t let that sweat sit! An accumulation of sweat on your scalp isn’t good for your hair.

If you’re considering switching shampoos or conditioners, aim for products that are free from alcohol, parabens, and sulfates. All three types of ingredients can be a little too harsh for your hair. All-natural shampoos are likely to have gentler ingredients, and when in doubt, baby shampoo is also a great option.

4. Switch to Satin

Pillowcases, that is. This won’t just make you feel like royalty; it will also help your hair, especially if you have long locks. Because satin pillowcases are more frictionless than their cotton counterparts, when you sleep on them you’re less likely to wake up with your hair in a tangled mess (think of it as the pillow version of conditioner). Since teasing out knots is the fastest way to break your hair, even if it’s perfectly healthy, minimizing them while you sleep can be a huge help.

5. Be Kind With the Comb

Of course, even the best satin pillowcases in the world couldn’t stop you from needing to brush your hair in the morning, not to mention post-shower. It’s perfectly fine to brush your hair, but resist the urge to fight and tug your way through tangles. This might break up the knots, but you’re just as likely to pull the hair out at the roots, along with the hair surrounding it. That’s extra true when your hair is wet, because it’s more susceptible to breakage wet than dry.

So what can you do? Instead of attacking your hair with the brush straight away, run your fingers or a wide-toothed comb through your hair first and break up any tangles. Then use your brush to gently smooth out the rest of your hair. Brushes aren’t great detanglers, so taking care of your biggest tangles ahead of time can be a huge help.

Remember, little steps can turn into bigger ones. So start taking charge of your hair today by starting small!