Hair Wellness Habits To Add To Your Routine

You’ve shampooed, slathered on the hair treatments and oils, conditioned and gone no-heat on your strands - yet they’re still rebelling against you somehow. Hair wellness can be a hairy issue to deal with and when problems arise, it can often be embarrassing too. Our hair is a huge part of our appearance and often an expression of who we are. It’s also likely one of the first things people notice about us.

Whether you have natural hair, coloured hair, wavy hair or tight curls, keeping your hair healthy is more essential to your health than you realise, so how do you keep your hair healthy? For starters, here’s a list of hair wellness habits to add to your routine for stronger tresses and less hair-related stresses!

1. Supplement your diet with hair-nourishing foods



A healthy diet will not only help with your overall wellness, but it also helps you get the key nutrients necessary for keeping your hair shiny and full. Foods that are rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, B-complex vitamins and iron are excellent for a healthy scalp and healthy hair. Examples are salmon, flaxseeds, chia seeds, canola oil, walnuts, green leafy vegetables. Here’s a list of more hair-healthy foods to stock up on!

Protein - Chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products, eggs, legumes and nuts.

Omega-3 fatty acids - Salmon. Herring, sardines, trout, mackerel, avocado, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

B-complex vitamins - Whole grains, almonds, meat, fish, seafood, dark leafy greens.

Iron - Red meat, poultry, seafood, beans, spinach, dried fruit, iron-fortified cereals, peas.

2. Choose a shampoo based on your hair condition



Balancing shampoo - Balancing shampoos are designed for people who have normal hair and scalp conditions. They’re usually gentle as they typically have simple ingredients formulated to clean sebum without stripping hair’s natural oil because the goal here is to maintain your hair and scalp’s natural, healthy conditions. A balancing hair shampoo can be used for dry, normal, or oily hair.

Moisturising shampoo - Lack of moisture in the scalp can cause dry and brittle hair and eventually result in dandruff as well. Moisturising shampoos are designed to lock the moisture in and nourish not just your strands, but your scalp as well. These ultra-hydrating shampoos are normally formulated with plant oils that will not only help to rehydrate your scalp and hair, but also help to strengthen hair and smoothen the cuticles to give you the shiny, luscious locks you desire.

Purifying shampoo - If you have an oily and sensitive scalp, a purifying shampoo might just be the thing you need. Purifying shampoos focus more on the scalp than on the hair itself and are typically formulated to have cleansing, soothing and exfoliating benefits that can help treat dandruff and greasy hair.

3. Stay hydrated



Drinking enough water keeps hair healthy by locking in the moisture and is essential to help your hair grow strong. Staying hydrated also helps prevent dry, brittle hair and itchiness from a flaky scalp. Just like water replenishes the human body and supports many vital bodily functions, it also stimulates hair follicles by supporting vitamin and mineral absorption.

4. Get the blood flowing with a scalp massage



According to several studies, scalp massages help increase hair thickness by stretching the cells of hair follicles. A daily scalp massage also helps improve blood circulation by dilating the very small arteries within the scalp. The improved blood circulation subsequently helps to increase blood flow which provides vital oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles, ultimately prolonging the growth cycle of hair.

5. Get regular trims



Hair experts usually recommend that you trim off at least a quarter or half an inch of hair off the ends every 12 weeks. Getting your hair trimmed more frequently not only helps to prevent split ends, but will also help prevent over-drying and breakage. Here are several signs that your tresses are in need of a trim:

Split ends

Tangled hair

Hair texture becomes gummy/sticky

Your hairstyle has started to lose its shape

6. Treatment



Try to swap your usual hair conditioner with a repairing hair mask at least once a week after shampooing. This will keep your hair moisturised and healthy by delivering more nourishment to the hair strands. Just like our body needs proper care and nutrition to stay fit, our hair and scalp also need good care and nourishment in order to stay healthy. So, using hair oil everyday is a great way to keep those locks lush and glossy. When applied to the scalp, a good hair oil will also help to strengthen the hair roots which will contribute to your hair and scalp’s overall health and appearance.


Your hair health is influenced by numerous factors which can include genetics and the environment. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t give your hair a helping hand by tweaking your hair care routine and lifestyle habits - after all, a healthier you leads to healthier hair too! Eat well, stay hydrated, get regular trims, use the right hair products and condition your hair and you are well on your way to beautiful, healthy hair in no time at all!