How to Get Shiny Healthy Hair

Everyone wants glossy, shiny hair. These tips will help your hair look fabulous!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Shampoo with lukewarm water and follow with a cool rinse. It sounds crazy, but cool water seals the cuticle of the hair and gives it a more reflective quality. When the hair is warm and humid, the cuticle opens up, which makes it look frizzy and wild. When the hair is cold, it lays flat and has more surface area to reflect light. When blowdrying, use the cold shot setting at the end to further smooth the cuticle.

2. 
    

   Try to minimize heat styling. There's no denying that heat tools make hair look great, but they can also destroy it if they are overused. When blowdrying, make sure to use the attachment on the front to keep the heat from getting too close to your hair and burning it. A few days a week, try to let your hair air dry. If, like me, your hair looks awful when you air dry it, put it up in a ponytail or bun. You can also wash your hair at night and put it in rollers or braids to get a wavy look in the morning. You will notice a big difference in your hair's health when you don't heat style every day.

3. 
    

   Protect your hair with products that shield your hair from heat. There are many thermal products on the market now that you can apply just before blowdrying or ironing. Chi makes one called Iron Guard, and TresSemme makes a less costly version called Thermal Protectant.

4. 
    

   Get regular trims every six to eight weeks. Trimming off the dead ends will keep your hair looking fresh and healthy.

5. 
    

   Use treatments once a week that deep condition such as masks. The Ojon hair treatment is a fabulous one. Frederic Fekkai also makes a shea butter mask for dry hair that works really well. I usually use these on Sundays when I have some extra time in the morning. This is the day I use a deep clarifying shampoo to remove buildup and right afterwards, a deep conditioning mask. By removing the buildup first, your hair will soak up the mask better.

6. 
    

   Use a shine serum as your last step. They come in sprays or pumps, depending on your preference. You only need a little bit to get show-stopping shine. Too much will make your hair look greasy so use sparingly. You can always add more!

[kellysgallery]

on 12/4/2008 THANK YOU!!! I'm adding this one to my favorites.

[georgelarson]

on 11/16/2008 Very good information. Thanks for sharing.