Most of us feel that shiny hair is a genetic blessing. But we do not realize that we have a lot of control over our hair. Most of the issues of dry and damaged hair can be managed by oneself. Many of you might be going to salons and taking expensive treatments for repairing the hair damage. However, it is very easy to make hair silky by following simple lifestyle protocols. It is also very easy to make DIY hair masks for providing the soft and silky hair that you always wanted.
For many people, dry hair is a daily menace. All the styling practices that are popular today are extremely harsh on dry hair as they employ chemicals or heat which further makes the hair drier, making it brittle, prone to breakage, and giving it a very dull look. Here we discuss the methods that will give you shiny hair along with improving the health of your hair and scalp. These lifestyle changes and DIY masks are much better alternatives to using chemical-based treatments or medications.
What to do to make hair silky
How to make hair silky? Achieving silky hair is not a result of a single session but rather a fruit of lifestyle changes that promote healthy hair. We discuss here a few of these practices that will answer your questions on how to make hair silky.
Cold water seals the cuticles of your hair, locking in the moisture, making the hair smooth and silky. Warm water opens up the hair cuticles which can let the moisture escape. This can make dry hair look more lifeless due to the acute absence of moisture. A cold water rinse, on the other hand, prevents the loss of moisture from the hair, helping the hair strands stay flat.
If you are looking at how to make your hair silky, it is important to shampoo correctly, the correct number of times per week. Although rinsing with cold water locks the moisture in the hair cuticles, it is not effective against the damage that excessive shampooing can do. You are recommended that you extend the period between subsequent hair washes and do not wash your hair more than three times a week.
It is also recommended that you avoid the blow-dry and let your hair dry naturally, after using the towel for drying. The most common practice of drying the hair using a towel involves rubbing the hair and scalp to remove water. The rubbing action causes the hair to roughen up, causing it to break, encouraging frizz. You should use the towel in a bolting action and gently squeeze the hair with the towel to remove the water. Drying the hair correctly is central to how to make hair silky.
Regular usage of a blow dryer and flat iron can damage the hair and rob its moisture, giving it a dull look. Though these procedures provide an instant hair shine, in the long run, they reduce the shine of your hair. If such steps form a part of your hair care routine, it is recommended that you use a protective serum before going for these heat-based hair styling options. This will protect your hair against the damage that the heat from these appliances causes.
Regular trims are very important if you plan to keep your hair soft and especially silky. Regular trims maintain smooth ends and help you get rid of split ends. Even if you are growing your hair right now and the roots present a very healthy picture, the split ends may move upwards on the hair shaft. Getting a trim every six to eight weeks is recommended to keep your hair silky and frizz-free.
If you want silky hair, it is very important to comb your hair the right way. After you have washed your hair, use a wide-toothed comb and work on your hair in sections, combing vertically down. A wide-toothed comb prevents breakage. If you are experiencing tangling of hair, make sure to use a hair serum before combing. Using a brush on wet hair must be avoided. Wet hair must only be combed using a wide-toothed comb as wet hair is most vulnerable to breaking.
A wide-toothed comb is also ideal when you are detangling your hair. Always detangle by working first the ends and gradually move to the middle and then the roots. You can use a boar bristle brush after detangling, brushing from the roots to the tips of the hair. This will distribute the oils from the scalp on the hair strands, making them shiny and silky. The hairbrush must be used only after the hair has dried.
If you’re thinking about how to make hair silky and shiny at home, the answer is simple. Your home, especially your kitchen is a goldmine when it comes to ingredients that can help you make your hair silky. In this section, we look at how to make hair straight and silky naturally through the easiest DIY hair masks.
Aloe vera contains enzymes that repair the damaged cells in the scalp. This improves the health of the hair follicle and the hair shaft. The moisture in the aloe vera hydrates the hair and can maintain conditioning sometimes for even up to an entire day. Using this mask will give your hair a smooth texture and will reduce frizz.
- Slice an aloe vera leaf and extract the fresh pulp using a spoon. Remove the yellow part of the pulp.
- Blend the pulp to get a paste with a smooth consistency.
- Add a few tablespoons of water to the paste and mix well.
- Pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
- After your hair is washed and dry, spray the hair with this solution and leave it on the hair just like hairspray.
- You can repeat this after every wash and dry, or three to four times a week.
Curd contains vitamin B5 and D. These are essential for the growth of your hair. Curd also strengthens the hair shaft as well as fights against dandruff. Amla on the other hand is rich in vitamin C and gives the scalp a nutrition boost. This mask will give you stronger and shinier hair.
- Mix one cup of curd with two tablespoons of amla powder.
- Apply this paste to your hair and scalp.
- Leave applied for about half an hour.
- Wash off with a mild shampoo followed by a conditioner.
- Repeat one to two times a week.
Eggs are loaded with proteins and thus are very beneficial for the hair as the basic building component of the hair is also a protein called keratin. Eggs repair the damage in the hair and improve the hair texture. If you use this hair mask regularly, your hair will become very conditioned, strong, and manageable.
- Whisk one whole egg and one tablespoon of olive oil and honey into a fine paste.
- Apply this to your hair and scalp. Cover with a shower cap.
- Keep it applied for about half an hour.
- Wash your hair with cold water and mild shampoo followed by a conditioner.
- Repeat one to two times a week.
Fenugreek or Methi is rich in potassium, iron, protein, and vitamin C. Methi is one of the most useful herbs for the hair. The nutrients it contains help in preventing hair loss and greying. It also provides the hair with strength and volume.
- Soak one-fourth cup of methi seeds overnight.
- In the morning, grind the seeds with a little water into a fine paste.
- Apply this paste on your hair and scalp, keep it applied for about half an hour.
- Wash your hair with cold water and mild shampoo followed by a conditioner.
- Repeat once a week.
Onion juice is rich in biotin, vitamin C, flavonoids, and folic acid. All these nutrients restore the health and shine of your hair. Due to its high sulphur content, onion also boosts blood circulation, affecting the delivery of more nutrients to the hair follicle. Using onion juice on your hair can curb hair fall and boost hair regrowth.
- Grate a large onion and extract its juice using a cotton cloth.
- Add three to four drops of lavender essential oil to the onion juice and mix thoroughly.
- Apply this on your hair and scalp, keep it applied for about 10 -15 minutes.
- Wash your hair with cold water and mild shampoo followed by a conditioner.
- Repeat twice a week.
Apple cider vinegar can help in giving your hair a soft and silky look. The treatment described here cleans your scalp of dirt, oil, and build-up from products.
- To one cup of water, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and keep it aside.
- Wash your hair with cold water and mild shampoo followed by a conditioner.
- After conditioning, pour the diluted vinegar over your hair. Do not rinse after this.
- Repeat once a week.
What to not do to make hair silky
It is also very important to keep note of certain practices that could be making your hair dry and frizzy. We often do these things in ignorance but taking care of these small things will go a long way in making your hair silky.
If you have very oily hair, or you work or live in an environment that is very humid or polluted, you might need to shampoo every day. Other than this, no other hair type needs a daily wash. Most shampoos today are made from chemicals that are very harsh on your hair. They rob the hair of its natural moisture and oils, leaving behind a lack of shine in the hair.
Washing your hair to a maximum of two to three times a day should be enough to keep your hair and scalp clean and free of dirt. Washing more than thrice a week can make the hair dull and lifeless. If you have naturally straight hair, the oil from the scalp goes from the roots to the length of the hair strands easily because of the action of gravity. If you have curly hair, the oil does not reach the entire length of the hair as it has to move around curls and this movement is not assisted by gravity. Thus, people with curly hair need hair washes even a lesser number of times per week.
When shampooing, avoid piling the shampoo on the top of your head, rather rub the shampoo on the entire length of your hair. Piling and rubbing in on place can create tangles and damage the hair even further. This action can cause split ends, hair breakage, and loss of shine and silkiness.
All hair wash using a shampoo should be followed by conditioning. A conditioner restores the moisture of the hair that is robbed by the shampoo because of its action of removing dirt and oils. If you have very dry hair, you can go for a leave-in conditioner. It is also recommended that you apply a homemade hair mask once a week to condition your hair and give it the silky look.
Most people today use styling tools that employ heat for action. Appliances such as blow-dryers, hair straighteners cause damage to the hair by removing its moisture. This leaves the hair dry, frizz-prone, and not silky. It is a good idea to switch to non-heat-based styling tools if you want silky hair.
If the situation demands that you use a blow dryer, you must use it correctly, to cause minimum damage to the hair. Point the nozzle of the hairdryer downwards when you’re using it – this will help the hair cuticle stay smooth and flat. The popular action of keeping the nozzle up can make the hair cuticle open right up and lose its moisture.
Chemical treatments such as bleaching, dying, or straightening employ ingredients that are very harsh on the hair and impact its ability to retain moisture. If such treatments are done on a very frequent basis, the hair will become very dry and frizzy. You must try and reduce the frequency of such treatments and also try to find natural alternatives that do not impact the health of the hair negatively.
Tips to make hair silky
Now that we have seen the actions that you must take and the actions that you must avoid for making your hair silky, let's look at a few more tips on how to get smooth hair. These are more lifestyle tips and can go a long way in making your hair silky and shiny. As with everything, right food intake is central. Then comes the choice of hair styling products and a few other tips.
If you’re wondering how to make hair silky permanently, the answer is that this journey starts with your food habits. A balanced diet is extremely important for the health of the hair. If the hair is not nourished from the inside, what we apply to it in the form of a hair mask or products might not have the desired effect. You must make sure that you are fulfilling your daily body need of nutrients, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. A protein-rich diet needs a special mention here as proteins are the building block of your hair. Keeping yourself hydrated is also a small but significant step in making and keeping your hair healthy and silky.
Using natural or herbal hair products will strongly aid your hair health journey. The traditional shampoos available in the market today have a lot of chemicals such as sulfates which affect the health of the hair adversely. The case with conditioners is the same as they contain chemicals known as silicones which make your hair heavy, weighing it down. If you switch to herbal shampoo and conditioners, you can avoid damage to your hair, and keep it moisturized and shiny.
At least once a week, it is essential to give yourself a head oil massage. You can use any natural or herbal oil for this purpose. Oil massages relieve tension and promote blood circulation in the scalp. This makes sure that the hair follicles are well nourished and the hair is healthy.
You can also go for a hot oil massage using coconut or olive oil. A hot oil massage stimulates the hair follicles and prevents dandruff. Heat the oil for a few seconds till it is slightly warm and massage the length of your hair with this oil. Massage the scalp thoroughly for about fifteen minutes. Cover your hair with a hot towel and then leave the oil applied for about half an hour. Later, wash with a mild shampoo followed by conditioning. You can do this hot oil treatment twice a week for the best results.
Using a satin pillowcase while sleeping can help in maintaining the silkiness and smoothness of your hair. A satin pillowcase does not absorb moisture from the hair as a cotton pillowcase might. Also, the satin does not roughen up the hair cuticles while sleeping, thus preventing frizz and hair follicle damage.
As you incorporate these tips into your routine, you will notice a marked improvement in the silkiness of your hair. Good cleaning habits and usage of suitable herbal products enhance the health of your hair and provide your hair with the shine and lustre and that you desire.
