How to Have Great Natural Hair

Your hair is your crowning glory as the saying often goes. This is one of the first things people notice about you and it can say a lot about you and who you are. You want to take great care of your hair so that it lasts you a long time and that you have a beautiful first impression to give off to those who meet you.

One of the biggest mistakes men and women both make in hair care is trying to make their hair look like someone else's. While there are many tools out there today to help you "fake it", these do a great deal of damage to the hair and can lead to split ends, hair loss, faded color, dull and lifeless hair and other problems. The real key to great hair is to take care of what you're given naturally.

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You don't have to have expensive hair treatments or trips to the hair salon to have professional looking hair. You just need to learn how to properly take care of it at home. There are so many great things you can do to have beautiful natural looking hair and it all begins with understanding your hair.

How to Have Great Natural Hair

First, be aware that your hair is a reflection of what you are on the inside. A healthy person with a healthy diet will have fuller, shinier, healthier hair. When you eat a healthy diet full of the right nutrients and proteins, your hair will reflect this and be thicker, stronger and healthier. Your hair is 25% water so don't forget those daily glasses of H2O as well. Your hair can get thirsty, too but hydrated hair is shiny and full of gloss.

Next, you should care for your hair while washing. Here are some tips:

1. Try to avoid washing in hot water. Stick with lukewarm or even cold water if you can. Hot water opens up the strands of hair and makes them more susceptible to breakage.

2. Avoid pulling or twisting the hair too hard while washing.

3. Be sure to gently massage the scalp when you wash. This breaks up dead skin on the scalp and also encourages the hair follicles to open up and helps your hair grow. It also feels good and can be relaxing.

4. Allow your hair to air dry whenever possible instead of using hair dryers or other heating tools. Don't rub your hair with a towel; pat instead. Twistie Turbans and other absorbent towels are great for helping the hair dry naturally and without damage.

You also need to know how to care for your hair when brushing and styling, take the time to choose the right type of brush for your hair and never brush wet hair. Always use a wide toothed comb to get tangles out of wet hair. Your brush should be large enough that the hair wraps around only once. The exception is really long hair in which case you need the largest brush you can find.

Avoid sun damage to your hair by protecting it when you are out in harsh rays. Always rinse chlorine out immediately if you've been in a pool and avoid too many chemicals or styling products. When you take care of your hair, it will show in the lovely locks you have to display everywhere you go.

How to Have Great Natural Hair

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in her 10+ years as a professional writer.

She enjoys writing about writing, parenting and other things that interest her. See "100 Days to Better Article Writing" to discover how you can write more articles on the topics that you love.