7 Simple Ways to Avoid Hair Damage and Look Gorgeous ...

While one of the best ways to avoid hair damage is to stay out of the sun, I realize some of you just can’t, or won’t do that for whatever reason. Maybe you exercise outdoors, or enjoy lying out. Or, perhaps you live in a city that requires you to walk a lot, exposing your hair. Whatever the case, you don’t have to avoid the sun completely, but you do need to put a leave-in conditioner spray in your hair that contains SPF to prevent damage. You can find many brands of these leave-in conditioners, and any will do as long as it suits your budget and your hair type. It is also never a bad idea to wear a hat when you’re outside gardening or working out, plus it makes a cute fashion accessory!

One preventative method that everyone should use to avoid hair damage is to use a good conditioner. Make sure it suits your hair type, and apply it generously throughout your head, allowing it to sit long enough on your hair in the shower. I suggest putting it on right after shampooing and washing your face and body while it sits on your hair, and even give your legs a shave while you’re at it! Letting the conditioner sit for as long as possible will help the natural oils in the product be better absorbed into your hair. Moisturized hair isn’t prone to damage or breakage nearly as much as dry hair is.

While you’re drying your hair, be careful with that heat setting! Keep the setting on medium heat the whole time, if your dryer has this setting. If not, alternate between high and cool heats and low and high power settings. This will keep too much heat from flying on your hair for a long period of time and it can prevent frizz from occurring as much.

Each week, I like to take three days where I let my hair dry naturally. I towel dry my wet hair for just a second and then pin it on top of my head and go to bed. In the morning, I take it down and have natural wavy hair that has been free from all heat damage, and can now grow easier, faster and look healthier too. Try it out! It’s a great way to save time as well. I call it my “lazy girl hairdo,” and obviously, it’s my favorite one!

When brushing your hair, please be extra careful! Don’t pull and tug away at your hair. Be gentle! Pulling and tugging create damage faster than anything else, plus wet hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair is. Also, be sure that you pre-condition your hair before brushing if it is especially susceptible to tangling and dryness. I also suggest using a detangling comb in place of a normal brush on wet hair, which won’t pull your hair and creates much less damage. It also makes your hair a breeze to comb through.

My hair dresser gave me a tip years ago that works great! If you wear your hair up most of the time, or even often, don’t wear it the same way each time. Wearing it the same way day after day makes the hair more prone to breakage since pressure from the updo is applied the same places each day. For example, a high pony worn each day will create damage at the spot your hair is in the rubber band, or if you’re wearing your hair in a high bun like I do most days, it’s creating multiple areas of damage on all places you have your hair tied up. If you do wear your hair up, wear it different ways, or try using clips and bobby pins instead of ponytail holders, which will create much less damage.

Surprised by this tip? Don’t be! Eating fat is crucial to prevent your hair from damage. Believe it or not, your nutrition directly influences how prone your hair is to damage. Eating fat helps keep your hair supple, moist and soft, but be sure you get the right fats in your diet. Sources like avocados, nuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax, olive and coconut oil, are all excellent sources of fat for your hair. Avoid animal fats whenever possible, and be sure to also eat plenty of protein since hair is made of collagen fibers that are built directly from protein. Plant proteins are optimal, but high quality animal proteins like fish, organic yogurt, and pastured eggs are also great.

Hair damage is no fun, especially when it causes your hair to give you strife and frustration every single day! Keep your hair healthy and soft with these simple ways to avoid hair damage, so you can have the gorgeous hair you’ve always wanted. Do you have damaged hair issues?