Achieving luxurious, glossy hair, like the kind often seen in hair adverts, is highly desirable. This type of hair appears perfectly in place, shiny, and smooth, and can seem unattainable. Salon Trusted makes it achievable for you this summer with its wide variety of hair products!
However, despite committed efforts, hair can become damaged. Some common culprits include the overuse of heat styling tools and consistent bleaching.
Sun exposure can also lighten, fade, dull colour-treated hair, dry it out, add unwanted texture, and zap moisture, leaving hair dull and lacking elasticity and flexibility. Excessive or over-processed hair colour can also take a toll. Furthermore, some hair textures, such as curly, frizzy, or coarse hair, are naturally dry, dull, or lacklustre, requiring extra moisturising and nourishing products that nature hasn’t provided to create shine and flexibility. When the outer layer of the hair strands is damaged or dry, it gets rugged and stops reflecting light, resulting in a dull appearance.
This guide by Salon Trusted aims to provide you with the knowledge to care for your hair and ensure it doesn’t suffer the effects of over-styling and heat damage. Drawing on insights from hair experts, we will cover essential tips, treatments, and care practices to help you achieve super shiny, healthy hair. You will find helpful dos and don’ts that can make your hair the envy of everyone, focusing on maintaining health for lasting shine.
10 Dos of Getting Healthy, Glossy Hair
01. Treat your hair gently
This means being careful, particularly when hair is wet, as it is most delicate and three times more vulnerable to breakage in this state. Avoid rubbing wet hair excessively with a towel, and instead, use a microfiber towel or soft cotton t-shirt to blot away moisture. When detangling wet hair, use a wide-tooth comb or wet brush gently to reduce tension and stress on the delicate cuticles. Thinking of your hair as precious is the first step in treating it gently.
02. Shampoo and condition with good quality products
Use great quality salon-grade shampoos and conditioners that are suitable for your hair type and needs. Checkout our previous blog How to Build a Hair Care Routine to help you figure out your hair type! Choose products that nourish, moisturise, and protect your hair, especially when using heat. Look for ingredients like proteins, vitamins A and E, amino acids, keratin, silk amino acids, and jojoba oil, which strengthen and soften. Using a gentle shampoo and a rich, moisturising conditioner can help smooth down the hair’s cuticles for shinier hair. Always use a conditioner after shampooing to keep hair soft, shiny, and manageable.
We recommend the Bonacure Litre Duo – Moisture Kick, which is a shampoo and a conditioner duo. To give you some much needed moisture back in your hair.
03. Give your hair a deep treatment or hair mask weekly
Do this to nourish and add moisture. This is considered one of the best hair care products for healthy hair. Apply masks to the mid-lengths and ends of damp hair, ensuring excess moisture has been blotted away first so the hair can soak up the nourishment. Some treatments can be left on for a few minutes for a lovely luxury and can significantly boost shine. Weekly masking is needed to inject dry hair with glow-boosting nourishment.
Do this to keep hair healthy and prevent split ends. Experts suggest getting your hair cut regularly, at a minimum of once a month, or every 10 to 12 weeks, as damaged, split, or brittle hair will not only get a matte look but can even break. Trimming split ends makes your hair feel healthier and look shinier.
05. Protect your hair from strong sun exposure
Do this by using protectant products or covering your hair with a scarf or hat. Few things can leave your hair looking dull faster than UV rays. The sun can lighten, fade, and dull colour-treated hair, as well as dry it out, add unwanted texture, and zap moisture, leaving hair feeling dull, dry, and lacking elasticity and flexibility. Packing something to protect your hair from serious fun in the sun, much like sunscreen for skin, is important.
06. Always use a styling product that protects and shields the hair when using heat tools
Apply a light application of a shielding styling product all over the hair before drying, especially if you flat-iron. When using a flat iron, reapply the shielding product on each section to be flat-ironed. Heat protectant products create a shield between your strands and the scorching heat. Using hot tools without protection removes moisture and burns hair proteins.
07. Massage your scalp often
Do this to promote blood circulation, scalp health, and hair growth. You can use your fingers or a scalp brush for this. Massaging gently in circular motions stimulates blood circulation, carrying nutrients and oxygen to hair follicles, and helps remove product build-up. A healthy and balanced scalp is essential for your hair to regain its shine.
08. Rinse in fresh water after swimming in a chlorinated pool
Chlorine used in the pools can be damaging or dulling to hair, and rinsing your hair with fresh water after swimming helps mitigate this effect.
09. Limit excessive hair washing frequency
Do this to preserve natural oils. Washing too often can strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving your scalp dry and exposed. The scalp’s natural oils keep your hair naturally soft and luscious and aid in protecting it from natural elements. Some experts suggest washing every second or third day, or limiting washing to three times a week if possible. You can use dry shampoo in between washes to soak up excess oil if needed.
10. Eat a healthy, well-rounded diet
Plan and eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of protein, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, as diet is critical to getting and keeping healthy hair. Hair is primarily made up of protein, so eating at least 45 grams daily from sources like lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, low-fat dairy, and eggs is important; inadequate protein can result in weak, brittle hair and loss of colour or hair itself. Similarly, Zinc helps combat shedding, and incorporating nuts, vegetables, fruits, and leafy green salads can help. Increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flax seed, yoghurt, cottage cheese, salad, and cereal may improve scalp health and hair’s oil reserves, amping up shine.
10 Don’ts of Getting Healthy, Glossy Hair
01. Do not overuse hot styling tools
Do not overuse blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons. Overusing these is often cited as a major culprit for hair damage. Excessive heat can turn luscious locks into something resembling overcooked spaghetti and is one of the worst enemies for overall hair health. These tools zap moisture and will only hurt your efforts towards lasting healthy hair by removing moisture and burning its proteins. If you must use them, turn down the temperature when possible to minimise damage in the long run.
02. Do not over-process your hair
For instance, if your hair has already undergone one chemical process, such as colour treatment, avoid stressing it again with chemical straightening or perming will damage your hair. Excessive, over-processed hair colour can also take a toll on your tresses. Chemically treated hair can benefit from glossing to restore health, nourish, and smooth the cuticle.
Exposing your hair to strong sun without a protectant product ingredient or a scarf or hat can be very dangerous for the hair quality and health. As we mentioned before, sun exposure is a common culprit for damage, causing colour fading, dryness, unwanted texture, and loss of moisture, resulting in dull, dry hair. So don’t overdo it without the right protection. Browse Salon Trusted for heat protectants.
04. Never rub wet hair dry excessively with a towel
Wet hair is at its most delicate and needs gentle care. Rubbing roughs up the outer hair cuticle layer, which is a serious shine-killer, and can cause breakage and frizz. Instead, use a microfiber towel or soft cotton t-shirt to blot away moisture gently.
05. Avoid shampoos that contain harsh ingredients
Avoid shampoos with Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate, or in short, buy sulphate-free hair products from Salon Trusted. These ingredients are considered overenthusiastic cleaners that tend to strip the hair, removing not only dirt but also the hair’s natural oils, leaving it dry and brittle. Avoiding these will help you prevent stripping the hair of vital, protective oils it needs to stay healthy.
06. Avoid using very hot water when washing your hair
Hot water strips the hair shaft of vital, protective oils needed for health. Use lukewarm water instead, as this is the best temperature to effectively remove residue without causing harm and drying out your hair. Finishing with a cold water rinse can help seal cuticles and create a shinier outer layer. Use summer as an excuse to wash your hair with cold water.
07. Do not apply finishing products too close to your scalp
If you apply products like shine serums or glosses too close to the roots, you can make your hair look greasy. These products are better applied to the mid-lengths and ends to add shine and smoothness.
08. Be sure not to hold the hair dryer too close!
Don’t bring the hair dryer too close to your hair, and prevent damage like split ends. Avoid using a nozzle on the blow dryer, as it raises velocity and stress on the hair. Experts recommend keeping a distance of no less than six inches between the hair and the dryer. Always start on the lowest heat setting, and gradually increase only if it is needed.
09. Do not comb too much or brush wet hair carelessly
Wet hair is three times more vulnerable to breakage than dry hair and is at its weakest state. Brushing wet hair can cause excessive breakage and frizz, making it a serious shine-killer. Always use a wide-tooth comb or wet brush and be gentle to reduce tension. Browse the Tangle Teezer combs, brushes and detanglers for this. Additionally, you can read this blog, Find The Best Tangle Teezer For Your Hair Type, to gain more insights.
10. Do not let product residue build up on your hair or scalp
If you let product residue build up, it can make your hair appear flat and dull. Product residue is one of the biggest causes of dull hair as it creates a coating that makes hair strands appear flat and tired. Double shampooing or using a clarifying shampoo can help remove buildup, impurities, and pollutants. But remember that excess dry shampoo can also cause buildup on the scalp and clog hair follicles.
Why Keeping Your Hair Glossy and Healthy is Necessary in Summer
01. Protection against increased sun damage
Summer often means more exposure to the sun, and strong sun exposure can leave hair dull by lightning, fading, drying it out, adding unwanted texture, and zapping moisture. Having a healthy hair routine means you are likely already protecting your hair from UV rays with products, scarves, or hats, which is crucial to prevent this summer-specific damage.
02. Preserving vibrant hair colour
If you colour your hair, the summer sun can cause it to fade quickly. A healthy hair routine, especially one incorporating glossing treatments, is particularly effective for coloured hair to maintain vibrancy and prevent fading, ensuring your colour looks fresh and vibrant for longer despite the sun.
03. Combating dryness and frizz
Summer heat and sun tend to dry hair out and can lead to increased frizz. A routine focused on healthy hair involves using nourishing and moisturising products, masks, and oils. These steps help to keep hair soft, manageable, and reduce frizz, which is essential when humidity or dryness is high.
04. Increased resilience to summer activities
Summer often brings more exposure to environmental stressors like chlorinated pool water. Maintaining healthy hair and treating it gently, especially when wet, along with taking protective measures like rinsing in fresh water after swimming in a chlorinated pool, helps your hair be more resilient and less prone to damage from these seasonal activities.
05. Looking your best with natural shine
Healthy hair glows better because its smooth outer layer reflects light. By building a perfect routine, your hair will regain its natural radiance and have an instant, healthy shine, which is desirable in any season, but particularly when you want to look vibrant and have “head-turning” hair in the summer light.
Get Your Hair Ready for a Glossy, Healthy Summer!
Achieving that coveted glossy, healthy hair isn’t just a dream; it’s totally within reach. While things like heat, sun, and even genetics can sometimes make hair feel dull or damaged, by embracing a routine of gentle care, nourishing treatments, and smart protection, you can truly transform your locks.
Imagine hair so vibrant and shiny, it turns heads and makes you feel amazing! Remember the power of consistent, gentle care, especially when hair is vulnerable while wet. Use the right products with nourishing ingredients, protect your hair from heat styling and the sun, and show your scalp some love are key steps. Integrate deep conditioning treatments weekly and manage product buildup as it significantly boosts shine and health. These simple practices build resilience and bring back that natural radiance.
So, go ahead, make these expert tips by Salon Trusted a part of your daily and weekly routine. Your hair will thank you by reflecting light beautifully and looking its absolute best. Get ready to shine brightly!
