It’s safe to say that most of us are keen to maximise shine when it comes to our hair. Unfortunately, however, often the steps we take to jack up the gloss actually contribute to dullness in the long run. Flat ironing and polishing serums both have an instant smoothing effect; however both inhibit shine over time. If you are keen to get your locks as lustrous as possible, you need to make sure they’re in good condition and well-nourished: remember that real shiny hair is also always healthy hair. To help you to give your tresses the glow you want, I’ve put together this list of 7 tips for glossier locks.
To begin with, it is important that you take steps to get your tresses the nutrients and vitamins that they need. Always choose a shampoo and conditioning system to treat your particular hair type: if you struggle with dryness, for example, go for products designed to deal with that problem. Locks that are moisturised and healthy will reflect light far better than damaged, frazzled hair, and the first step to getting yours into great condition is to wash them using the correct product.
Each strand of your hair is made up of layers of cuticles. When your locks are well-looked after and moisturised, all of these lie flat and aligned, and as a result, the light bounces directly off them. When your hair is dry or under-nourished, however, the cuticles tend to remain open, and as a result the shine is greatly reduced. In order to help your hair’s cuticle to stay closed and flat, blast your locks with cool water in the shower after you have washed and conditioned; the lowered temperature will encourage the tiny layers to shut, and this keeps your tresses looking glossy.
Product residue can really adversely affect your hair’s shine. Over time, layers of shampoo, conditioner and styling treatments coat the strands and this leads to limp, dull, flat-feeling locks. In order to get the gloss back, you will need to cut through all the ‘scum;’ ask your hairdresser to recommend a good cleaning product.
When towelling your locks, take care not to ruffle or scrub the hair too vigorously. This will leave the cuticle in disarray. Instead, pat hair dry firmly, holding the towel down so that it will absorb moisture. This should make for better manageability, and should ensure glossy locks in the long run.
Getting your brush right is a lot more important than many people might think. Stay away from plastic bristles: these are quite unforgiving and tend to cause a high percentage of breakage. Opt for a natural fibre if possible: boar hair is ideal. It won’t snap strands of your hair so you’ll reduce that unattractive ‘halo’ of fuzz that interferes with light reflection and shine.
If your hair is feeling especially flat and dull, it might be a good idea to make some adjustments to your diet. It’s particularly important that you’re getting adequate omega-3. In order to make that this happens, try to include more oily fish and nuts in your eating regime.
Although a lot of glossing serums do tend to leave a build up in your hair and, over time, this will contribute to dullness, it is still a good idea to spritz your styled, healthy tresses with a shine enhancer in order to pump up the lustre. In order to counteract the effects of residue, simply make sure that you treat your hair with a clarifying product every couple of weeks.
We all want glassy, luxurious tresses, but often our attempts to get our hair extra shiny simply leave it looking flat and lifeless. This list of 7 tips for glossier locks should help you to keep yours looking and feeling fabulously healthy. Do you have any secrets of your own to share?
Top Photo Credit: Boudewijn Berends