Maintaining beautiful and healthy hair doesn’t have to be rock-science! You shouldn’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on hair products that make empty promises or thousands of hours online researching the latest hairstyling trends and hair health advice. Hair is fragile and by adopting new styling routines, you can save yourself from nasty breakage and thinning hair.

Note: While most hair loss can be reversed by adopting new healthy lifestyle and diet behaviors, hereditary hair loss is a real and scary genetic issue that many individuals suffer from. If you suffer from hereditary hair loss, we recommend specialized hair regrowth treatments such as Rogaine or Kirkland Minoxidil.

Here are some quick and easy Dos and Don’ts for hair care:

DO THIS

DO gently pat wet hair with a microfiber towel to dry. By pat-drying, you minimize breakage.

DO avoid over-brushing, over-washing, and excessive high-heat styling as these actions can further damage hair strands.

DO brush your hair with a wide-tooth comb if you have curly and wavy hair; If you have straight hair, brush your hair using a soft, rounded bristle tip hairbrush.

DO get rid of any fine-tooth combs and brushes with sharp bristles as these hair styling tools can increase breakage.

DO blow-dry your head upside down if you’re short on time and don’t have time to air-dry or pat-dry your hair. This blow-drying technique enhances hair volume too!

DO develop a nourishing hair-care bedtime routine. If you have long hair, carefully comb out breakage-causing tangles and gather your hair into a very loose bun or ponytail before nodding off to sleep.

DO massage your scalp using your fingertips before taking a shower as this increases blood flow and exfoliates pores for a healthier scalp.

DO use a gentle, residue-free, weightless, and sulfate-free volumizing shampoo and conditioner duo; however, try to wash your hair every other day to avoid over-washing.

DO use dry shampoo on days when you don’t wash your hair to preserve the hair’s natural oils but maintain hair volume.

DO protect your hair from too much sun damage. Sunlight can break down the keratin protein in hair and can damage hair elasticity.

DON’T DO THIS

DON’T put your hair up into a turban towel-wrap after a shower. These towel wraps lead to hair breakage since you are twisting and pulling on your hair.

DON’T gather thinning hair into tight ponytails or hairstyles.

DON’T over-condition thinning hair. Apply conditioner to the bottom two-thirds of hair strands or use a mist formulation instead.

DON’T sleep on a pillowcase made from rough fabric. Sleep on silky-smooth cases to reduce friction from overnight tossing and turning.

DON’T avoid coloring your hair. Thinning hair can benefit from professional semi-permanent or permanent hair color to boost volume; however, don’t overdo the coloring, as over-processing can damage hair.

DON’T turn up the shower water temperature. Hair professionals agree that a final rinse with cold water causes hair cuticles to swell slightly, adding volume to hair.

DON’T use hot rollers. Instead, try Velcro rollers that don’t use heat.

DON’T forget to get a one-half inch hair trim every 6 weeks. Split ends can inch up your mane, making the hair appear thinner and sparse.