I never used to be self-conscious about my hair, but as I got older I started to realize that if you don’t take care of your hair while you’re young then you definitely won’t have nice hair when you’re older. Looking back on all my daily routines of abusing my hair in high school, I now realize the importance of taking care of one’s hair and have adopted a few practices to maintain beautiful locks.

1. Don’t overheat your hair

Yikes! This is a big one considering a majority of the ladies out there swear by their straighteners/curlers. I have completely given up intense heating appliances and since I have done so, my hair has significantly gotten healthier. I used to straighten my hair every day but now I only blow dry 2-3 times a week. My advice is if you absolutely MUST apply heat to your hair invest in some iron guard. This helps protect your hair from over damage when applying heat products to it. In addition to this, turn the heat down and try to manage your hair under a more gentle setting. Overall, ditching intense heat products is an ideal step in maintaining healthy hair but for the girls whose appliances are a must, just try minimizing the damage as much as you can!

2. Watch your products

Another big thing with maintaining healthy hair is watching what products you decide to put on it. A lot of products advertise great results but if you look at the product's ingredients you’ll see a lot of popular name brands we believe are hair friendly, are not so friendly after all. Two major components to avoid when purchasing hair products are sulfates and parabens. While both products are meant to clean the hair they do more damage than good. Sulfates strip the hair down of their natural oils and can result in lack of luster and dry out your scalp. Instead, try looking for sulfate and paraben free products that don’t contain harmful chemicals. Many vegan and organic shampoos are ideal for hair and clean without causing damage.

3. Cut back on the lather

I know this sounds gross to a lot of you, but trust me it has major results. I used to religiously wash my hair once, sometimes twice a day, and it destroyed my hair. I now wash my hair 2-3 times a week, which is ideal for those with moderately oily hair. Just like investing in chemical based products, over washing can also result in dry damaged hair. By over washing, you are still stripping the hair of its natural oils which can result in dry brittle hair. Since reducing the amount of lathering, my hair has not only increased in strength but has decreased in the amount of split ends and flyaways. Try to cut back, even if it’s just by a day or two.

4. Commit to the trim

One of the most essential components to growing out hair is to commit to getting trims regularly. Getting rid of split damaged ends allows the hair to grow faster, and look significantly healthier. I used to get a trim maybe once a year but now I make it a priority to go every 3 months. It sounds counterproductive for those trying to grow out hair but trust me, having healthy ends is essential for growing out those locks.

5. Biotin is your friend

A great vitamin to invest in for hair growth is biotin! This little guy will be your best friend, especially if you want to grow out your hair. There are a wide variety of biotin supplements, however, I suggest just getting a simple hair, skin, and nail vitamins. There is no particular brand that you have to get, but the higher dosage of biotin the better! I suggest getting something with no less than 2500 mcg and no more than 5000 mcg. I’ve been taking hair, skin, and nail vitamins for about 3 weeks with a 3000 mcg dosage of biotin and have already had 2-inch increase in hair growth. Getting biotin isn’t necessary for hair growth but it is definitely a good investment with great results.

6. Hair masks 101

Like biotin, hair masks aren’t necessary but have great results. I highly suggest investing in a hair mask especially if you have dry and damaged hair that’s in desperate need of some hydration. There are a lot of DIY hair masks online, or you can purchase them at your local beauty store. I highly advocate “H’Suan Wen Hua” which is sold by Lush. I have been using this hair mask for a little over a month and it does wonders for hair revival. It softens the hair and increases luster just after one use. While you only have to leave the product in your hair for an hour, I suggest leaving it in overnight and washing it out in the morning to get that extra hydration.

These are just a few of many tips out there to improve hair health and growth which I personally practice. Although you don’t have to abide by all of them like me, I encourage all ladies out there trying to improve hair growth and health to at least try practicing one few routines that I do. The most important thing is that all the girls out there feel confident with not just their hair, but their entire bodies!