15 Healthy Hair Habits You Should Practice

The resurgence of women rocking their naturally textured hair is a beautiful thing! But somewhere along the line, many have become more preoccupied with length than with the health of their hair. What they don't realize is that once you focus more on maintaining its health, length will come. We've got the healthy hair tips you need. If you are looking to learn how to get healthy hair, our experts are here to help. Here are some healthy hair habits you should practice, which will ultimately help you reach any hair length goals you might have.

1. Feed Your Hair

Don't know how to keep hair healthy? This can't be stressed enough: healthy hair starts from within. We're not saying you have to become vegan, but you should include healthy fruits and veggies in your diet and drink lots of water if you want to have a healthy scalp. If you're someone who has a hard time with vegetables, blending up a fruit and veggie smoothie is an easy and tasty way to get your daily dose. This will give your hair follicles the nutrients needed to help each hair strand thrive.

2. Take Your Vitamins

If you have always asked yourself, “do hair vitamins work?” we are here to tell you they do! When it comes to learning how to keep your hair healthy, a vitamin supplement can really help strengthen your overall hair health. If your hair is not getting longer, it could be because you are lacking essential vitamins and healthy fats in your diet. A daily vitamin supplement like our hair vitamins will work along with your diet to fill in whatever nutrients you might be lacking and promote healthy hair growth.

3. Be Careful with Heat

As the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. When it comes to creating a healthy hair care routine, make sure you use a heat protectant to prevent hair breakage and damage. If you want to promote a healthy scalp and prevent split ends or dry hair, use heat tools sparingly. Too much heat too often can lead to damaged hair, and eventually your hair won't revert back to its natural state. Also, too much or improper use of heat can lead to dry, brittle hair, breakage, and split ends, no matter your hair type. You don't have to swear off heat for good if you want long hair, but you should be careful with your technique and how much you use in order to prevent dry hair. Here are a few tips:

• Use heat tools that have clear settings (not just “on/off”), and use the low or medium settings at most.
• Prepare your hair for heat styling at the cleansing and conditioning stage to make sure it is well hydrated.
• Always use a heat protectant! This will serve as a barrier between your hair tool and your hair to prevent damage.

Mielle’s Mongongo Oil Collection is made to prepare hair for heat styling even before the cleansing and conditioning stage, leaving you with soft, manageable hair. Plus, this collection comes complete with a Thermal & Heat Protectant Spray so you can get a beautiful finish without damage.

4. Cleanse Hair & Scalp Regularly

Yes, healthy hair starts from within, but it also needs a clean, healthy environment from which to grow. A dirty scalp full of buildup can clog pores and follicles and essentially slow down healthy hair. And frankly, dirty hair is just not sanitary!

How often you wash your hair is totally up to you, depending on your daily routine (maybe you work out daily), how many natural hair products you use, and so on. The cleansing power of our Mongongo Oil Exfoliating Shampoo gets rid of any build-up on the hair and scalp, but keeps your hair's natural oils intact. Safe for any hair type, this product is a great addition for any natural hair regimen.

5. Use Fingertips When Cleansing

Depending on how your scalp feels come wash day, a good scratch might feel really good. But using your fingernails could cause unnecessary damage to the scalp. The pads of your fingers, along with a little pressure, is all you need for a thorough cleanse.

6. Use Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Shampoos containing sulfates strip the hair of its natural moisture. Instead, reach for a moisturizing shampoo like our Babassu Oil Conditioning Sulfate-Free Shampoo to gently cleanse while moisturizing the hair. Using natural hair shampoo without sulfates for your natural hair care journey can help improve hair texture, prevent hair breakage, and help you attain longer hair.

7. Deep Condition

Our hair needs help in the moisture department because of the shape of our head, especially if you have textured hair. So, as the final step in your wash routine, follow up with a good deep conditioner hair product to infuse moisture back into each hair strand. 

8. Use Deep Conditioner As Directed

Overnight conditioning may be popular, but it’s unnecessary, and it could cause damage to your strands. There’s no need to leave your deep conditioner on for longer than the time period recommended in the directions. Check out our post on deep conditioner to learn more!

9. Gently Detangle From End to Root

Curly and kinky hair needs lots of TLC. When getting the tangles out, start from the very ends, then slowly and gently work your way up to the roots to cut down on breakage.

10. Moisturize & Seal

Continuing the process, applying hair product while it is still damp is the most effective way to retain moisture. Use a leave-in conditioner or hair mask with your choice of styler, along with an organic hair oil to seal in moisture, to keep your hair healthy, soft, and manageable. Implementing a hair product regimen to your routine can help strengthen the hair shaft while also repairing damaged hair.

11. Get Regular Trims

Some may find this hard to believe, but trimming your hair gets rid of broken and split ends that could lead to more damaged hair. Nipping damage in the bud with a trim about once every season (or as needed) will keep the hair at its healthiest. Explore our blog post on natural hair  to learn more!

12. Wear Protective Styles

Tucking your hair away in styles that require little to no manipulation for a few days or a few months will help you retain length and support healthy hair, especially if you have curly hair.

13. Protect the Hair at Night

Keep hair moisturized and less prone to breakage by wrapping it up with a satin or silk scarf or bonnet at night. If you prefer to leave your hair free, a satin pillowcase will do just fine! Check out our post on protecting your natural hair for more tips.

14. Massage Your Scalp

A soothing scalp massage every few nights will help stimulate the hair follicles and help with blood flow to the scalp to encourage healthy growth. After a shower, massage your wet hair after detangling. For added protection, rub in a hair mask for extra hydration.

15. Don’t Stress

This is easier said than done, but the best thing you can do for your hair is to simply relax. Whether it's worrying about your hair length or anything else, stress will often show up in our skin as well as our hair. So try to reduce your stress as much as possible if you want to achieve healthier hair. Once again, the health of your hair is more important than how long it is. Focus on its health and before you even realize it, the length will come!