There are a lot of hair products promising to give healthy, bouncy and luscious locks. And maybe they do. But how do you even gauge healthy hair? Can you tell if it is healthy just by looking and running it through your fingers?
The importance of having nice and well-groomed healthy hair goes beyond what the eyes can see. Think: what do you feel during good hair days? In simple terms, healthy hair makes one feel better about everything—about himself or herself, about going to work, about talking to other people, and about reaching their dreams. And ladies, you might also want to know that aside from that confidence, what men notice first on women is your hair.
The question is: how can you tell if you indeed, have a healthy hair? Is “healthy” measured by how shiny or thick your hair is? Let’s find out.
Hair bounces back
One way to test elasticity is by making a few curls when after shampooing or while the strands are wet. Stretch out the curls and if it returns to its shrunken state, then your hair is healthy. If not, you will need to add moisture or maybe undergo some protein treatments.
No breakage when styling
Strength is closely related to elasticity. This means that hair does not break or become dry or brittle during manipulation or styling. Check your combs and brushes for an unusual increase in shedding of hair. If your hair is weak, more strands of hair are more likely to break off.
Retaining moisture is still the key here to prevent dry, brittle hair that leads to breakage. Hair has different porosity levels, but remember that healthy hair must be able to retain moisture. If it quickly loses moisture, that may mean damaged cuticles on the hair shaft.
No coarse, dry hair
Naturally shiny
No, applying loads of oil is not valid. Healthy hair has a natural shine and luster to it. However, there are hair textures that do not reflect light as easily, and though they may be as healthy, they may not come off as shiny. The best time to check the luster of hair is to wash it off of all hair products. After that, observe your hair in its most natural state. Does it shine?
Smoothness you can feel
Normal shedding
It is normal to lose up to 200 strands of hair every day. We hear this all the time. Just be sure that “lose” here means an entire strand and not simply breakage. It is normal for the root of hair to detach from the scalp because this shows an end to the hair cycle. Check a hair strand for that tiny small white bulb on top. You also have to check the length and make sure that they are actual strands and not just brittle hair that broke and fell off.
One sign that your natural hair is healthy is when it barely breaks or sheds. Breakage is normally caused by lack of moisture or elasticity. If the shedding caused huge patches in your scalp, you may be suffering from a more serious condition and you should talk to your doctor about it.
Yes! No split ends
Hair continues to grow
However, if your hair breaks just as fast as it grows, then you most likely have otherwise. You should be alarmed with less hair growth or excessive hair loss as unhealthy hair may already be a serious condition.
Hair you can manage
You feel confident about your hair
Having healthy hair is more than just vanity. Brittle and damaged hair can mean more than lack of moisture or hair nutrients. It could also be a symptom of a more serious health condition that you have to get treated as soon as possible to get natural healthy hair back. It won’t take a lot of your time to check up on those tresses regularly, won’t it? Any sign that says otherwise might mean you should take more time in caring for your hair. After all, you should always aim for the shiny, bouncy, and healthy hair you’ve always wanted.