If you’re constantly coveting perfect hair, turn away from all those pricey fad treatments that do more to drain your wallet than treat your strands. And instead, pick up some daily habits that will actually make a difference.

Protect Your Hair

Always protect your hair from sun, wind and rain. Exposure to excessive sun, heat, dirt, pollution, etc. adds to our already existent hair woes. These can lead to dirt build up, drying out of hair and scalp, increased susceptibility to infections on the scalp. Cover your hair with an umbrella or a hat. Even your dupatta will do.

Deal Carefully With Wet Hair

Wet hair is very fragile and breaks easily. When wet, the shaft and roots of your hair are more prone to sustaining damage. Don’t be too harsh when shampooing. Breakage begins there. And also avoid brushing immediately after a shower. Avoid wringing your hair with a towel after you get out of a shower. Wringing it could cause your hair strands to break or fall out.

Condition The Right Way

Conditioning needs to be done right. Conditioners are formulated to seal in the moisture content in the hair shaft. They are not meant for the scalp. Pour conditioner into your hand and rub from the tips of your hair to the roots. If you want softer silkier looking hair, leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes before you rinse it off.

Don’t Over Apply Heat On Hair

Avoid using heat on your hair. Heat further strips the moisture content from your hair making it dry and frizzy. When overused, it can also burn your hair. Use iron/curl, straighteners only if necessary and remember to use a hair protectant before!

Avoid Tight Hair Ties

Avoid using super tight hair ties; instead, opt for scrunchies with cloth around them. Tight hair ties tend to pull your hair back real tight which increases friction. This can cause breakage.

Don’t Braid Tightly During Bedtime

When you go to bed at night, loosely braid your hair to avoid a frizzy mess, a side braid is a better option. Leaving your hair open tends to create knots, which means you need to subject it to pulling and brushing in the morning. Over brushing results in the frizziness.

Cold Water Is Good For Hair

Try to wash your hair on the coolest setting that is comfortable or at least try giving it a final rinse of cool water. This seals the hair cuticles (the outermost layer of the hair shaft) and locks in moisture, making it shinier. Hotter water may be used occasionally to wash hair, if you have very oily or dirty hair. Either way, try rinsing in cool temperature water for the final rinse.

Brush Effectively

Brushing, this is a sure shot way to increase the luster of your hair. It spreads the natural oils through the length of your hair. But don’t over do this. And do not use plastic brushes as they cause increased breakage.

Give your hair some special treatment from time to time

Apply a deep conditioning treatment. You can use deep conditioning treatments like egg oil, olive oil, argan oil, avocado oil or coconut oil. You can also purchase a hair mask or hair cream and apply it. Use a natural treatment like olive oil, mayonnaise and an egg or a soak in full-fat milk. Leave these treatments in for 2 to 3 hours and rinse them out thoroughly without applying shampoo or conditioner. You can do this once or twice per week, if you see good results.

Healthy Eating

Health on the inside reflects on your hair too. The healthier you are, the better your hair looks. If you want to have really good and healthy hair, eating right is a must. Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, promote healthy skin, hair and nails. You should eat some of these foods, which are rich in omega-3, every day:

• Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and other fatty fish
• Flax seed oil
• Walnuts, almonds, and milk

Vitamins B-6, B-12, and folic acid are also important to your hair. You can always take a multivitamin to get more of these nutrients, but you can also add foods rich in these vitamins to your diet.

• Vitamin B-6: bananas, potatoes (both white and sweet) and spinach.
• Vitamin B-12: meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.
• Folic acid: citrus fruits, tomatoes, whole grain and fortified grain products, beans and lentils.

Protein also promotes healthy hair. Eat a daily serving of fish, chicken, eggs or soy.