The Scientific Way to End Bad Hair Days

We’re heading into the season that’s hardest on our hair.   Most of what we do to our manes is hairicidal: We blast hair with hot air, bleach it, and then dye it. Heat causes the water under the outermost layer of the strands to form bubbles that stress hair and make it vulnerable. These bubbles get under the “tiles” that cover the hair, dislodging them, which gives you split ends. Here’s how to treat your hair right:

Be gentle. Blot hair dry with a towel, and use low heat if you have to blow it dry. Trade in your old brush for one with smooth or rounded bristles, which will massage your hair and scalp without damaging it. Use the extra dryer time to start your day right: Practice deep breathing, or think about what you’re grateful for; doing so will contribute to how great you look.

Cap the shampoo. Unless you’ve been working up a big sweat, wash your hair every 2 or 3 days. Other days, just rinse and massage your scalp with plain water or water and conditioner. This not only helps keep hair healthy; it will also look shinier (in a good way).

Stay pure. Your hair loves toxin-free H2O. Instead of squirting yourself with Evian, remove drying, hair-wrecking chlorine by adding a charcoal filter to your showerhead or bathtub faucet. That’s important for the rest of your body, too, especially if you take longer showers. In that case, chlorine in your water isn’t the biggest hazard, but what chlorine turns into — stronger toxins called trichloromethanes — is.

There are great products on the market to protect against the chlorine – ask your hairdresser which is best for you!