5 Simple Cheats For Silky Hair This January

I don’t know about you, but my hair care in December was a little lacking in...well...care. I straightened, curled and blow dried to my hearts content, determined to look my best at all the social engagements. Now however, as a result my lack of consideration, my once shiny hair has been left dry, brittle and full of fly aways. Given that January is the month of rejuvenation and better beauty habits, we decided to put together our top cheats for how to get shiny hair that stays silky all day.

Cheat 1: Diet! Hair is made up of a chain of dead keratin cells, realistically once hair has grown out of the scalp there is little you can do to change the structure of the cell, other than to coat it in nourishing products. However, by maintaining a well balanced diet you can ensure that all future hair production is the healthiest possible, whilst also reducing your chances of experience hair loss.

Iron is a very important component of our diet and if you don’t consume enough of it, you can experience the symptoms of anaemia, one of which is hair loss. Iron is needed for the blood to carry oxygen around the body, so if you’re low on iron your hair follicles can have reduced oxygen supply and can release hairs prematurely. Low level anaemia is quite common amongst women but the good news is often it can be amended by dietary changes. Animal products such as dark meats and seafood are a good source of iron, but if you’re a vegetarian vegetables such as kale, spinach and pulses such as lentils are also high in iron.

Vitamin C improves the body’s ability to absorb iron so by combining a high iron diet with foods such as broccoli, oranges and sweet potatoes, you can boost your chances of having healthy levels of iron.

Vitamin A is another very important component of our diets, as this is required for the skin to produce sebum, an oil which acts as a natural conditioner for our hair and scalp. Low levels of sebum can result in dry brittle hair that’s prone to breaking, as well as an itchy scalp. Eating orange vegetables such as carrots is a good source of Vitamin A, so add some orange to your diet for silky smooth locks. You can read up more on this topic here to discover how to get shiny hair by making subtle adaptations to your diet. All these changes will also have great benefits for your skin and nails too, so it’s a great change to make in 2016.

Cheat 2: Get creative with a homemade hair mask. There are many nourishing hair masks available on the market, such as this Treatment Masque For Thick or Curly Hair from Louise Galvin £26.55, which is specifically formulated to return silkiness to thick hair after chemical treatments. However, if you’re in the mood for getting a little creative in the kitchen you can make your own nourishing masks from home. One recipe I’ve always favoured which is quick and easy requires 1 egg yolk, whisked and mixed with ½ a mashed avocado and a spoonful of honey. Simply apply to your hair, leave in for 5 minutes and rinse out! You’ll be left with silky hair and as an extra bonus you’ll still have half an avocado to enjoy, happy days!

Cheat 3: Finding the correct hair products for your hair is incredibly important if you’re wondering how to get shiny hair. The health of your hair can change constantly so whilst you might have a favourite loyal shampoo, it’s important you check that it’s still the right product for you. Those who suffer from particularly dry and coarse hair may benefit from an intensive, conditioning shampoo such as this Kerastase Nutritive Bain Relax Shampoo £15.35.

Finding that your hair is getting greasy in between frequent washes? Over washing hair can strip your hair of it’s natural oils, resulting in overproduction of sebum resulting in frequently greasy hair. To avoid stripping your hair of it’s natural conditioner, try reducing the amount you wash your hair by refreshing in between washes with dry shampoos such as this Tigi Session series Dry Shampoo £10.15. If you’re not sure what products are suitable for your hair, you can take our quick and free online questionnaire to gain access to the perfect products that match your beauty needs.

Cheat 4: As the weather continues to get colder, it can be very tempting to bask in a searing hot shower, however hot water is another factor that can lead to dry, limp hair. We don’t expect you to start bathing in icy cold water (plus this would be bad for you for different reasons) but a quick and easy cheat for how to get shiny hair is to end each shower with a quick rinse of cool water. This is a tip you can incorporate into your usual routine which won’t take up any time, plus a quick cool blast is a great way to wake up on particularly bleary mornings.

Cheat 5: Finally, a very quick and simple cheat for how to get shiny hair is to incorporate a suitable oil or serum into your hair care routine. These can be applied immediately after washing and as an added benefit make it much easier to brush through for hair that’s prone to knotting. Many oils, such as this Full Repair Oil Elixir £9.99 from John Freida, also provide protection from heat treatments like blow drying. Furthermore, many serums will leave your silky hair smelling delicious, such as this Dry & Thick Hair Serum with Shea Butter from J. F. Lazartigue £26. If you’re prone to oily hair, only apply your treatment to the tips of your hair to prevent excess oil build up.

With these quick and easy cheats for how to get shiny hair will transform your dehydrated barnet in luscious bouncing locks in no time. Your hair will soon forgive you for all the styling that December brought and it will look healthier than ever.

If you’re unsure which hair products you need to rescue your hair, try taking our quick and free online questionnaire to discover the perfect products for you.

If dry brittle hair is your problem, explore our range of intensive hair treatments here.

Is your hair suffering from a recent chemical treatment? Bring it back to life with this nourishing masque from Louise Galvin.