Complete guide to caring for your hair

We can’t change the hair Mother Nature gave us, but some TLC and the proper treatment goes a long way to bring out its shiny best. Here’s a guide to caring for your locks to keep them looking lovely, clean and healthy.

To keep your crowning glory looking rich and full takes time, attention and lots of love – which regular washing doesn’t always do.

Have you ever considered how you wash your hair can make a difference? Next time, instead of just getting it wet, pouring on shampoo, then blasting it dry, you can:

• Transform an ordinary shampoo experience into a herbal one by adding a few drops of essential oils. It helps fend off dandruff.
• Avoid split ends by first wrapping your wet hair in a towel instead of rubbing it dry.
• Protect your hair from heat damage by drying it only 90 percent of the way with a hair dryer.

Hair comes in all types, each with its own unique challenges.

Oily hair
If the day after washing your hair it’s already looking dull and limp, before you reach for a hat to cover it up, consider these easy DIY fixes for greasy hair.

• Create an effective homemade rinse using lemon, beer or egg yolk.
• Add a touch of baking soda to your shampoo once a week.
• Use conditioner sparingly on your roots.

Fine or dull hair
Having greasy tresses isn't the only reason your hair may need special attention. Problems can arise with all lengths and textures.

• While there are many products on the market to remedy almost any situation, there are several shampoos for normal to oily hair types you can concoct yourself.

For extra shine
To give your locks extra lustre, there are even easy-to-make conditioners for normal, fine or dull hair that will have your friends begging for the name of your salon. Your secret? Most of the ingredients are from your kitchen.

• Fortify normal hair with 500 ml (two cups) of warm water, five ml (one tsp) of honey, five ml (one tsp) of cider vinegar and three drops of lemon oil.
• For adding lustre to dull hair, mix 500 ml (two cups) each of chamomile and orange blossom tea. Apply while warm.
• Strengthen fine hair by mixing 45 ml (three tbsp) of beer and an egg. Massage into hair, cover with plastic wrap, leave for 30 minutes. Then shampoo.

Dandruff/dry scalp
Overly dry hair can sometimes lead to embarrassing flakes and dandruff. If you can't get rid of this problem, it might be time to try some natural DIY dandruff treatments that really work:

• Massage your scalp with apple juice. After massaging, shampoo your hair, then rinse with apple cider vinegar.
• Mix tea-tree oil and black tea for a moisturizing scalp mask.
• Relieve itchy scalp with a vitamin E treatment.

Remember when your locks always looked lovely? But now years of blow drying, flat ironing and sunny days have left them parched and brittle.

• There’s nothing quite like a homemade hair mask for damaged hair, especially because making your own means only putting in all-natural ingredients like avocado, honey and olive oil.
• For salon-quality results without the sky-high prices, how about trying an easy-to-make coconut oil mask.
• To soothe dry, itchy scalp, mix equal parts warm water, lemon juice and olive oil and massage into your scalp.
• Tame frizzy, dry hair by mashing up half an avocado with a teaspoon of olive.

Treating split ends
The day has come when you can finally say goodbye to split ends and the disastrous effects they have on your hair. The best part? The solutions take only minutes.

• Condition only the ends of your hair especially in winter, to keep them moisturized. It prevents more ends from possibly splitting.
• Get a regular trim. Once an end has split, it continues to separate until the hair breaks somewhere in the middle.
• Wrap a scarf around your head in the winter to protect your hair from harsh weather.

A healthy head of hair begins from the inside out. That’s why silky, shining hair starts with eating a healthy diet, one complete with all the essential vitamins and minerals.

• Nutrients such as silica, iron, sulphur, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin C, are vital to maintain your hair’s health and keep it shining.
• There are even specific foods that can help hair grow, like walnuts, blueberries, lettuce and Greek yogurt.

Your hair is a big part of your identity. What’s more, how you care for it says a lot about how you care for yourself. With a little patience and by knowing the basics of hair care dos and don’ts, it’s easy to have beautiful, healthy hair every day.