9 Tips for Luxurious Shiny Hair

By Donna Dior 

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As a beauty professional for many years, i’m often asked about ways to obtain healthier and shinier hair. There are several ways to potentially assist in this area especially in a cleaner fashion, so i'm just sharing a few tips below...
Hope they help to make your mane more luxurious!
​(click "Read More" below to continue)

1) Eat Nutrient Dense Food

The best potential way to obtain naturally luxurious hair as well as skin is to nourish the glow from the inside out. Since hair grows this way (from the inside of your body out), it’s important to feed your body quality nutrients, as deficiency in nutrients potentially affects both the quality, structure and growth of hair. It’s especially important to incorporate lots of natures grown plant based foods into your diet which are known to possess the ability to reduce inflammation (Take a Look Here)...as this battles at least certain types of hair loss (Take a Look Here). Just to note, when consuming animal based foods, choosing pasture raised or grass fed items would be the best potential options to help avoid inflammation. Plant-based wise, natures grown whole foods such as veggies, fruit, legumes (beans, peas & lentils), nuts, seeds, quinoa & certain grains for example, contain loads of nutrients including vitamins, minerals & protein as well as antioxidants. Antioxidants (Take a look Here) have the power to neutralize damaging free radicals and oxidative damage (which can be thought of almost similar to rust in your body as well as on your hair) and support its health & strength.
B Vitamins, especially biotin (b7) are also very important regarding healthy hair. Plant-based sources of biotin include soybeans (& soy products such as tempeh (just make sure they're organic!)), nuts (peanuts, almonds, walnuts), seeds (sunflower being the highest), avocado, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach and other leafy greens, as well as whole grains. Some individuals also choose to supplement with B vitamins, including B12 which is also very important regarding hair health and can be more challenging to come by especially for those leaning more on the plant-based side. Whole food plant-based forms of B vitamins are available & preferred by many. 
Collagen is additionally a very important factor regarding hair health as it’s basically the glue that connects bodily tissue together and the main protein in hair & skin. Vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis and production (Take a look Here). Natural rich sources of vitamin C such as citrus fruits, kiwi, pineapple, melons or bell peppers (especially red), or supplementing with superfoods such as camu or acerola cherry can help your body to produce more collagen.
Omega-3’s have also been found to be an enormously important factor regarding healthy hair as well as skin and a great number of other areas. Plant~based forms of Omega-3 (ALA) can be found in walnuts, flaxseed, chia & hemp seeds. Additionally, some on higher plant-based diets also choose to supplement with microalgae, as it contains and is the only plant-based form other than seaweed, to contain the same type of omega-3's (EPA/DHA) found in marine sources such as fatty fish (& is also the main source of how the fish actually obtain/contain them).  
​Plant-based foods have also been found to stimulate the formation of SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) (Take a look Here) in your body which controls testosterone (which can affect/cause hair loss) & keeps it in check until your body actually needs it to be released, therefore potentially reducing hair loss.
Avoiding processed food is also an important factor when aiming to nourish your body, hair & skin. So again, just go for the nutrients, and you may find that choosing natures grown nourishing  food as the way to go for the glow !
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2) Try Juicing

​Juicing is a practice that I can personally attest to as literally changing my life. As well as making me feel great it resulted in the brightest glowing skin & hair I ever had. Juice from your juicer has the ability to help your body detox & nourish and regenerate cells. So of course it would make sense of it having the potential power to support & help produce healthy luxurious hair. Cucumber & green (especially spinach) based juices are my favorites for healthy hair & skin being they contain mineral silica that supports connective tissue and collagen synthesis as well as being super hydrating. A few favorite cucumber/green based juice recipes are ones containing cucumber, melon & mint as well as  cucumber & pineapple for its super anti~inflammatory (thanks to pineapple's amazing enzyme bromelian) effect. For a whole bunch of juicing recipes see  part 3 of my free three part Juicing Guide (Here) ! 
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3) Wash your Hair Less

Unless you have very fine or oily hair or have been swimming or sweating a lot it usually isn’t necessary to wash your hair every day. Constantly applying soap (shampoo) to hair can be harsh and unnecessary. Steering clear of washing with shampoo (which is essentially soap / detergent) every day will allow it to take a break from the constant assault of cleansing suds and even allow it to be conditioned a bit by it’s natural oils & sebum, as well as possibly   helping to keep your hair follicle microbiome balanced (yes your scalp & follicles have a microbiome (Take a Look Here)) & washing too much may possibly upset this balance.
Hair that’s curly or wavy can especially fall into this category as it often tends to naturally be at least a bit on the dry side,...and longer hair which has been on your head for a while and exposed to & affected by the elements over time, can have a more challenging time staying moisturized and can therefore especially benefit from additional time between washings.
Also, even concerning finer hair, there are an abundance of Dry Shampoos available these days to help you freshen up & volumize your tresses without washing while stretching your time between shampoos. Look for those that contain cleaner ingredients.
So suds up only when you really need to and avoid stripping your strands !
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4) Use the Gentlest Shampoo Possible

Since shampoo is a form of soap & detergent that can actually be drying if it's too cleansing & harsh, you’d want to use the gentlest and cleanest (ingredient wise) form of it that will still leave the amount of volume in your hair that you desire. There are some great gentle shampoos out there that contain cleaner ingredients and even those that leave you some volume.

5) Cool Rinse your Hair

Besides being super refreshing, there really is good reason to at least rinse your hair after shampooing with cool or even cold water. Hot water is very harsh & drying to hair (as well as skin) and strips protective moisture right off the hair shaft. To the contrary, cool water is much gentler and actually helps to close the cuticle of the hair shaft. This also helps the cuticle to lay flatter leaving the hair much shinier, silkier & bouncier than hot water. So if not before, after shampooing and conditioning run cool water through it ! 
I personally wash my hair from start to finish in cool or even cold water & absolutely swear by it as it also provides a refreshing energy lift as well as more controllable, moisturized & shinier hair !
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6) Manage Stress

As challenging as it can be to avoid stress in our daily lives, it is really important to somehow manage it since it can be very detrimental to overall health as well as impacting our physical appearance including your hair & skin. Your body under stress can lead to dull, dry and as many of us are aware of, thinning hair. The biological process for this has now been identified. (Take a Look Here) & (Here). Thus stress can induce a state of hair follicles being thrust into a resting phase (while at the same time not being replaced /reproduced) called "telogen effluvium", whereas hair can fall out just from simply putting your hands through it, brushing or washing it. This would be to the contrary of what would be considered a beautiful and luxurious hair situation. So to keep your hair growing and healthy you’d want to adopt methods of coping with especially chronic stress. Strategies for managing it are many (Take a Look Here) and include practices such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing, working out, spending time in nature and good nutrition. Whatever method you choose, your hair will most likely be healthier and thank you for it !
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7) Get Regular Trims 

Visiting your stylist & having  your hair  trimmed regularly is super important regarding the maintenance of a healthy mane and in the prevention of  breakage to your strands.
Trimming and ridding your split and broken ends prevents them from further traveling up the hair shaft leading to further breakage & damage. 
On longer hair, cutting a few layers, even very slight ones can also help dust off the ends of interior sections of your hair which otherwise potentially wouldn’t be trimmed until they reached the bottom perimeter, which could literally mean years in some cases. Trimming also gives hair a great clean refresh, boost & bounce to your style! Many often feel that their hair looks brighter, shinier & even color refreshed just by trimming it! There’s Nothing like having a nice clean fresh line & even a new look...
So visit your stylist regularly !

8) Try a Scalp Detox

It is a good idea at least every now and then to do a scalp detox. What this means is that since your hair grows out of your scalp, it’s good to  occasionally rid or slough off any dead skin cells and debris such as built up product as well as free up any clogged pores to help revitalize your scalp & help freely stimulate healthy hair growth. It also can help to balance the pH & bacterial balance of your scalp (as previously mentioned your scalp has a microbiome all its own & when out of balance can cause reactions such as inflammation & potential scalp conditions). A scalp detox is usually done either by massaging an exfoliating treatment into your scalp before you shampoo, or using a scalp detoxifying shampoo. You can inquire with your stylist about a possible scalp detox service at the salon or you can just purchase a treatment or shampoo of your own and occasionally do it at home yourself. I recommend using a version  with cleaner ingredients .

9) Use Quality Products 

Higher quality along with cleaner haircare products can make an enormous difference in the condition and shine of your hair as well as less exposure to potentially harmful ingredients. This goes for the products you use everyday at home as well as what your stylist uses. Higher quality & cleaner versions of hair color, shampoos, conditioners & styling products go a long way in the appearance & shine factor of your hair. When visiting your stylist a glaze or hair mask treatment are great ways to go for added shine !
     

That's it for now regarding Luxurious Hair Tips ~ Hope you found it Helpful !

"Beauty is Power, a Smile is it's Sword"
​John Ray

**Before embarking on Any new dietary, wellness or nutritional program, it is advised and important to consult with your qualified and trusted Healthcare Provider to evaluate your particular and personal medical circumstance.

Disclaimer   
This blog, it's content and any linked materials does not provide medical advice and is presented and intended for informational purposes only. It is based on my personal experience and research and is Not a Substitute for Medical Advice or Treatment. Do not Disregard Medical Advice, or delay in Seeking it because of something you have read in this blog, website or in Any linked material. Consult with a Medical Professional if you have a Medical Condition ! ​​