Savvy Hair Care: 5 Habits For Healthier Hair

Between the heat of hair styling tools and the chemicals found in coloring and hair products, most women wreak havoc on their hair by stripping it of its naturals oils. After years of hair abuse, we are left with dry, brittle and dull manes instead of the healthy, soft and shiny ones mother nature intended us to have. By making good hair care a habit, you can get the beautiful, healthy hair you've always wanted and deserve. Here are this Savvy City Girl's 5 HABITS FOR HEALTHIER HAIR:

1 Lay Off the Shampoo

Washing your hair every day is way too drying and doesn't allow time for the natural oils - the ones your hair loves - to work their magic. Shampoo your hair every other day max. If you can go two to three days between washings, even better. Pin your hair up during your morning shower and keep it dry. If you think your hair gets too oily at the roots, pick up a Dry Shampoo (check out College Fashion's top 5 recommendations for every hair type and budget here) and use as directed. When you do wash, one shampoo is enough, never 'repeat'.

2 Cool It on the Heat

When blow-drying your locks, you may automatically set your hairdryer to the hottest setting, thinking it's the most efficient and fastest way to dry your hair and get you out the door. But the truth is, taking the temperature down to the WARM setting will dry your hair in the same amount of time without scorching it. It'll work for straightening and smoothing curly or frizzy hair as well. And turning the heat down will leave your hair feeling smoother, softer and will do considerably less damage.

3 Make the Cut

If you blow-dry, flat iron or use multiple styling products, you should be getting a trim every 6-8 weeks. Especially if you keep your hair long or are trying to grow your hair longer. The average head of hair will grow about 1/2" inch a month, so a 1/2" trim off the ends will still leave you with 1/2" of new growth to work with. Start with a fresh cut and make sure your stylist gets rid of all of the damaged ends. Then book your appointment for a trim in 6-8 weeks right there on the spot.

4 Hold Off on the Highlights

Highlighting your hair every 6-8 weeks at the sight of new growth is color overkill. Get your highlight habit under control by alternating a root flash with each highlighting process. For a flash, your colorist will use your base color on the roots for the full process time, and just before rinsing will pull the color through your hair to the ends. During the summer consider alternating 2 root flashes with each highlight process. It'll save your hair and save you money.

5 Trust Your Genes

It's not just the color, texture and amount of hair on our heads to which we are genetically predisposed. Our hair length is dependent on our rate of hair growth (average is 1/2" per month) and the length of the active growth stage (anywhere from 2-6 years). So even if don't cut your hair or have any breakage, your hair will grow to a predetermined length based on those two factors. At the end of the growth cycle, the hair is shed and the whole process begins again. Determine what your maximum hair length is, and work with that when selecting a style.