6 hints for healthy hair

Everybody wants healthy, shining hair. If your crowning glory is looking a little worse for wear, here are 6 natural ways that you can nurture your hair back into lustrous shape.

The type, thickness and curl of your hair depend on heredity, but its condition depends on your diet and how you care for it. For example, conventional medicines and harsh commercial hair products can damage your hair. To achieve optimal health and a beautiful shine, your hair needs to be fed from within.

1. Feed your hair by eating a healthy diet, since its condition depends on the internal state of your body. A diet with adequate levels of vitamins and minerals – especially silica, iron, sulphur, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin C – is vital for good hair nutrition.
2. Avoid blow-dryers, curling irons and electric heated rollers, as they make hair brittle. Instead, allow your hair to dry naturally.
3. Protect your hair from the elements. Wear a sun hat in summer and a swim cap when swimming because the sun, salt and chlorine all damage your hair. For extra hair protection, rub a little olive oil onto the ends of your hair before you go swimming.
4. Be wary of prescription medicines. Contraceptive pills, diet pills, thyroid drugs, cortisone and antibiotics are just some of the medications that can cause brittleness and even hair loss.
5. Massage your head to improve scalp health. Besides daily brushing, it's the best thing you can do for your circulation. Use your fingertips and palms to rub your head with small circular movements for three to five minutes every day.
6. For a rich conditioning treatment, warm 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) of coconut oil or sweet almond oil and massage it into your scalp and hair. Wrap a warm, damp towel around your head, then cover it with a plastic shower cap. After about 45 minutes, shampoo it out and you'll have softer, shinier hair.

Having beautiful hair requires some effort, but this doesn't mean you need to rush off to a salon every week. With the simple, natural steps described above, you will be well on your way to maintaining a healthy head of hair!