I get asked about (slash to do more) hair content a lot, so I thought it’d be fun to do a post on the habits that help me maintain mine today. To be honest, I have pretty easy hair – it’s wavy-slash-curly-somtimes-t00 for the most part, is simple enough to style, and I can get volume if I try hard enough. But with that being said, I also do pay attention to treating it right so that it stays manageable and healthy. With research over the years (aka me asking hair stylists a trillion questions plus an occasional google search), I’ve learned that there are certain “rules” aka habits women with good hair follow – and I’ve basically copied these. Here are 6 of them:

Wash less

It goes without saying that washing your hair less will lead to healthier hair. Every time you wash, you’re stripping your hair of its natural oils, which can lead to major dryness and frizz (and even more oil since your scalp starts thinking it needs more oil since yours is being removed). Most women with good hair don’t wash their hair every day – some wash every other day, and some even go a week. Kinda figure out what works best for you or how long you can push it.  In between washings, use dry shampoo – it’ll help prolong your blowout and will reduce oiliness, keeping your hair fresh – plus it helps with volume. PS: I have this shower cap that I use when I’m skipping a day but still want to shower and love it!

Avoid Excessive heat styling

OK, so this isn’t feasible 100% of the time, but blow dryers and styling tools can have a major negative impact on your hair. The heat in these tools torch moisture from your hair, leading to frizz and dryness (which I don’t think y’all are going for!). Women with good hair tend to blow dry and style their hair as little as possible, or only when they have an event to attend. If you’re used to washing and blowdrying on the red, try cutting it down to once or twice a week, and let your hair air dry most of the time. I like to shower after dinner, give my hair time to dry a bit on it’s own, then wake up with clean, dry hair.

Sleep on silk

As in a silk pillowcase! Most women with good hair will agree that ditching their cotton pillowcase was one of the best things they’ve done for their locks. And isn’t this a fun tip?? Many of us sleep on cotton pillowcases, and since cotton is meant to absorb moisture, sleeping on it will basically zap the moisture right out of your hair. Sleeping on a cotton pillowcase can also cause your hair to knot, break, and get staticky – something a stylist taught me a few years ago. Since silk is so smooth (and doesn’t absorb moisture), your hair will frictionlessly slide around on it and retain moisture, which means less damage and more shine. This tip really helps, I promise!

Take your vitamins

I know vitamins are good for overall health and all that jazz, but honestly, once I realized they were good for hair (and nails, skin, etc), that’s when I was finally motivated to take one as often as possible. The biggest players for hair health include Biotin and B vitamins – taking these regularly will be sure to give you great hair. Biotin increases the health of your scalp by producing fatty acids, and it also supports your hair’s keratin, which is actually what your hair is made of. If you don’t see biotin in your daily vitamin, there are a ton of hair health supplements out there – some even come in gummy form (my kinda vitamin, y’all).

Get Frequent trims

You want to get hair trimmed every 8-12 weeks to get rid of damaged ends, period. If you’re trying to grow your hair out, go for 12, and if not, you can go more often. Regularly trimming your split ends will also lead to less breakage and flyaways, making your hair look thicker and healthier. I try to remember this when leaving the salon and I’ll just book my next appt right then and there.

Deep condition regularly

Once a week, give your hair a much-needed moisture boost. And it doesn’t have to be a heavy cream that you put on in the shower. Lately, I’ve been really into moisturizing my hair with coconut oil, thanks to a tip I learned recently! The vitamins and essential fatty acids in coconut oil nourish your scalp and help clarify hair follicles. Try applying some coconut oil to the your hair while you’re hanging on the couch – leave it in for an hour, wash and rinse, and then apply some argan oil to your ends as a leave-in conditioner. These oils are chock-full of goodness, and your hair will thank you by shining for daysss. But wait, with the coconut oil, MAKE SURE you wash/rinse it out – I learned this the hard way (ha!). Oh and also, try using a hair mask from time to time too – I love the Drybar “Mudslide” one!

K y’all, there you have it. The habits you need to form if good hair is on your priority list!

Do y’all have any other tricks for good, healthy hair? I’m sure I forgot SOMETHING – would love to hear your thoughts and tips in the comments!