12 Hair Care Tips To Keep Your Mane Fabulous

Ask any woman, your hair is right up there (pardon the pun) when it comes to ultimate accessories. So you want to keep it in good condition without having to spend a bomb! We have hair care tips that will keep your locks in fantastic condition!

Most women have an emotional attachment to their hair and it can literally change your entire appearance with one afternoon spent in the salon chair. But, as a busy Mum, maintaining your luscious locks can be a bit of a hassle and most of us resort to the old ponytail as a hairstyle most days. We’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to keep your hair in premium condition and your hairstyle hassle-free, without costing a fortune or taking up your valuable me time!

1. Give Yourself a Scalp Massage

It might seem like a bit of an indulgence, and a waste of time when the kids are screaming at you outside the shower screen (or from the bottom of the shower) but taking the time to massage your hair in the shower can stimulate hair growth and the strength of your follicle roots. The increased blood flow to the scalp that is brought on by a good spider-finger rub can also put you in a better mood and reduce stress.

2. Take Your Product To The End

Did you know that conditioner is usually considered unnecessary on hair that is anything but really dry? Most of us don’t require the extra moisture as our scalp produces enough oil every day, so apply your conditioner mainly to the bottom half of your hair, concentrating on the ends.

3. Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day

You don’t have to wash your hair every day, (if your anything like me you’ll be lucky to get a quick shower-in-a-can most days) and research has actually shown that lazy days are a good thing when it comes to keeping hair damage and excess oils to a minimum. Opt for a spray bottle of water and a light spritz to style.

Use dry shampoo if your hair gets a bit oily in between washes!

4. Brush Gently Before You Wash

If you have super long hair, are prone to tangles, or have had a baby in the last 6 months, give your hair a quick brush before you jump in the shower to wash it. But be super gentle – don’t just pull your brush through. Use a comb or a detangling brush and start from the bottom of your hair and work your way up.

When you run your conditioner through it, it will be less prone to breakage and you are less prone to freak out when you see clumps of hair washing down the drain!

5. Invest in a Silk Pillowcase

Did you know that your cotton pillowcase is robbing your hair of moisture as you snooze? They are also linked to hair damage, split ends and bed head! Switching to silk or satin pillowcases will not only feel luxurious, it’s an investment in luscious locks too! Perfect to put on the list for Mothers Day!

6. Use Your Bobby Pins Right

Thanks to Pinterest, most women have been educated as to the correct way to use bobby pins. The wavy side of a bobby pin was designed to grab the hair whilst the straight side is to smooth it down, so push your pins in with the wavy side against your scalp. Also, give your bobby pin a little extra grip by spraying it with hairspray. This is especially handy for fine, straight or thin hair and keeps the pins from sliding out of your do.

7. Hide Your Regrowth

Haven’t been able to take the time to get your roots touched up? A messy side part or a swanky zig-zag part with a fine-tooth comb with help hide your roots until your next hair appointment. Or grab a headband or a hat to cover it up!

Remember that dying or bleaching your hair is damaging – so if you can stretch that six week touch up to eight weeks – your hair will thank you in the long run!

8. Minimise the Fly Aways

If you just have a couple of pieces of hair that always seem to be sticking out, spray a little hairspray on an old toothbrush and gently brush them into your body of hair.

9. Let Your Hair Really Absorb your Products

We’ve all heard about letting your conditioner sit in your hair for a little longer to allow for maximum benefit (not that most of us do, I’m more likely to forget to wash it out if I leave it in!) but the same goes for your styling products. Before you crank up your styling tools, pop your product into your hair after washing and let it absorb for a few minutes before styling – it’ll make the world of difference and you’ll use a little less each time.

10. Don’t Sizzle Your Frizzle

Using hot styling tools on wet hair not only damages the tool, but the hot steam will also damage your hair. Wait until your hair is dry before you use your heated hair tools.

11. Don’t Pull Your Hair Out On Purpose

Using a paddle or any kind of bristle brush on wet hair will result in you literally pulling your own hair out. Brushing pulls at tangles and you end up with half your hair on your brush. Use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, or better still, keep one in the shower and comb through your conditioner to avoid tangles.

12. DIY Split End Treatment

Over-processed, damaged hair results in split ends, which are never pretty. You can snip the split ends of with a regular trim, but to avoid them altogether, you can make a mask for the hair on your head just as you would the skin on your face. A concoction of one egg yolk, mixed with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of honey makes a great mask to prevent split ends; just apply it for 1 hour before washing your hair (but only every two weeks to prevent over-production of scalp oils).

What secrets do you have to maintain beautiful hair on a budget? Any quick tips for busy Mums?