I’ve gotten asked by several people on how I keep my hair looking healthy and shiny so I decided to do a post about it. I included a video on this subject to talk about it but I wanted to go more in depth on the topic. I also included some photos of some of the hair products I use as examples. Here are tips and secrets on how to achieve gorgeous looking locks.

1. Use the proper shampoo and conditioner- For example, if your hair is dry, damaged, or you use a lot of color, buy a shampoo and conditioner that is meant for color treated and/or dry hair and that is very hydrating. I use the brand Keratase, which is a little on the expensive side, but brands like Paul Mitchell are wonderful as well.

2. Hair Masks- Hair masks are great on keeping your hair healthy. You apply them after your shampoo and leave them on for about three to five minutes depending on the quality of your strands. I love the brand Maui which you can pick up at pretty much any drug store and like different shampoos and conditioners, they make masks for all different hair types. Your hair will also feel amazing afterwards.

3. Be gentle to your hair- After washing your hair, don’t be harsh and shake your hair with your towel. Hair is more delicate when wet and rubbing your hair harshly will cause more strands to fall out. Wrap your wet hair GENTLY in a towel instead or just let it dry naturally.

4. Don’t brush wet hair- Don’t brush wet hair unless it’s with a wide tooth comb or a detangler brush. Regular brushes can cause extra hair to fall out.

5. Get rid of split ends- If you’re trying to grow your hair long, like myself, you still need to get split ends trimmed. Hair stylists won’t cut too much of the length off and will keep your ends looking healthy and will get rid of any dryness.

6. Don’t blow dry soaking wet hair- If you can, after you finish washing, don’t blow dry your hair right away. Wait until your hair is damp. By doing this, you’ll use less heat and cuts your time in half. The less heat you use, the better it is for your hair.

7. Thermal Protection- Using a thermal protectant is extremely important before you use any hot tools like a blow dryer, curling iron, flat iron, etc. It keeps your hair from getting major heat damage. You can find thermal protection products pretty much anywhere. I love using ACAI daily smoothing serum. All I need is about a dime size amount of this cream, run it through my damp hair, then blow dry. I also really like Paul Mitchell’s HOT OFF THE PRESS thermal protection hair spray which is great to use before curling or straightening your hair. It doesn’t make your hair really stiff which I always love.

8. Giving your hair some extra shine- To give your hair some extra shine, buy a great shine serum. There are some many shiny serums on the market. Moroccan Oil or Coconut Oil serums are wonderful and more natural then other serums and are very healthy for you hair. I switch my serums up. Paul Mitchell makes a great one that I use a lot. It’s PAUL MITCHELL  smooths and conditions and again you only need a dime size amount to smooth and keep your hair looking extra shiny.  A good tip that works for me is to apply the shine serum the day after you blow dry your hair.

***I HOPE THESE TIPS AND WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HAIR HEALTHY HELP! ALL THESE SUGGESTIONS WORK FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN!!!