Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video, we'll be discussing our 15 top tips for keeping your hair
looking healthy. It's no secret that for better or for worse, modern society
places a high premium on appearance. As we've said many times before here, this
wouldn't be the case in an ideal world where people would simply judge one
another based on their character and personality. Given that these biases are
ever-present then, we're of the mind that the discerning gentleman can leverage
them to his advantage in order to look more confident, polished, and put together.
And, of course, we spend a good deal of time here at the gentleman's Gazette
talking about how clothing can have this effect. Equally as important as clothing,
however, is your face and your hair thus today's video. The first in a series
of three, we'll talk about how to keep your hair looking healthy. Before we get
into the list proper today though here's some prior knowledge that would be
helpful to know first. Caring for your hair has a lot to do with caring for
your scalp. After all, while hair follicles can be of different
thicknesses and of different shapes resulting therefore in straight, wavy,
kinky, or curly hair, the strands themselves aren't actually living. Therefore, proper hair care starts at the scalp. Your scalp naturally secretes an oil
called sebum which is what keeps both your scalp and your hair hydrated and
healthy, therefore, it's important to know that different people have different
scalp types. There are three types overall, those being oily, dry, and normal.
If you have an oily scalp, you're probably already aware of it because
your hair will often look oily or even greasy even if you're not doing anything
to it regularly. As far as products for an oily scalp are concerned, you should
avoid things that market themselves as hydrating or moisturizing and gravitate
more toward products that talk about strengthening and balancing the hair.
One more note about managing oily hair, don't over scrub. Though it may seem
natural to really get in there with a lot of force, treating an oily scalp
gently is actually going to be your best bet as if you over stimulate your scalp
will actually produce more sebum thus compounding the problem. On the opposite
side of the spectrum then is a dry scalp. These are the types of scalps that
usually result in conditions like dandruff or other flaky dry skin. As such,
here's where you'll want to look for shampoos conditioners and other products
that place an emphasis on hydrating and of course, if you suffer from an
extremely dry scalp that over-the-counter products alone don't
solve, consult your doctor. Finally, if you don't have a scalp that's overly
oily or overly dry, congratulations! You just have a normal scalp. Here you don't
have to look for products with any particular benefits placed above others,
just make sure that you have a good balance between hydrating and fortifying.
Okay, with scalp types out of the way, let's now get into our actual list of 15
tips for healthy hair. We'll start here with tip number 1 which is to take
lukewarm showers. Taking piping hot showers, while they can certainly feel
good, will strip all of the natural oils out of your hair making it look dry and
also more prone to frizziness and split ends but while you may think that the
answer would then be to take a bracing cold shower,
this actually won't help you a lot in the long run either. If the water in your
shower is too cold, the capillaries in your scalp are going to narrow and
constrict meaning that blood flow in the area will be lesser and therefore, your
hair won't be receiving the nutrients it needs. So the easiest solution is to find
a happy medium and shower in water that's lukewarm. Next, while we're in the
shower, let's talk about what products to use regarding shampoos. Tip number two is
that you're going to want to look for something that's sulfate free. The issue
with most cheaper shampoos is that they'll contain compounds called
sulfates. You'll usually see these in the ingredients list under names like sodium
lauryl sulfate, for example. The main point of these ingredients is to make
shampoo foam more and create more suds because naturally, we feel that if a
product is sudsing, it's doing a better job of cleaning things, it's just a
natural human impulse. In addition to creating more bubbles though, these
sulfates are going to take the natural oils out of your hair, which as we've
already discussed, isn't a good thing. Your hair will end up dry and brittle as
such, finding a shampoo that's free of sulfates and naturally cleanses and
strengthens your hair is going to be your best bet.
Sometimes, these sulfate free shampoos can be a bit more difficult to find but
your barber will probably have some ideas for you. In particular, you're going
to want to look for certain ingredients like hydrolyzed wheat protein, amino
acids, and vitamin E. Also, the occasional use of a clarifying shampoo will get out
any built-up hair product that you may have gotten in your hair over time. Point
number three is that you don't have to shampoo your hair as often as you'd
think. Most men probably shampoo their hair
every time they take a shower but this simply isn't necessary. Even shampoos
that are free of sulfates are going to take the natural oils out of your hair
more quickly. As such, even though it probably is important that you maintain
a daily showering routine, just rinsing your hair with water is going to be more
helpful than shampooing every time. Most barbers recommend that you only shampoo
your hair two to three times a week. Furthermore, if you're using quality
styling products, most of them are going to be water soluble so you won't need to
worry but as we've said already, occasionally using a clarifying shampoo
will get out any product buildup. So if you're not supposed to use shampoo every
time you shower then what should you be using instead? That's tip number four
which is to use conditioner. When you shower, conditioner is designed to
moisturize and protect your hair and also soothe and settle down its cuticles
which are the rough shingle like edges around the
central hair shaft. Men with curly hair are going to benefit especially from
using conditioner daily as smoothing down these cuticles of curly hair will
help it look its best. So the best way to care for your hair in the shower is to
rinse it with lukewarm water and apply conditioner on a daily basis and
occasionally, to use shampoo a few times a week. Here's a related point, if
you've ever heard the old saying "rinse and repeat", don't actually apply this
knowledge in the shower. Just one application of conditioner and of course,
of shampoo is going to be more than enough for your hair without drying it
out. Tip number five then naturally comes after you've washed your hair, when
towelling off, be gentle. While it's tempting to want to get your hair dry
right away and do this by aggressively scrubbing with your towel, doing this to
wet hair which is more vulnerable is probably going to lead to excess
breakage. Therefore, using the towel with a bit of a softer touch and working in
the natural direction that your hair grows is going to be better for it in
the long run. Some men may even consider using a soft
cotton t-shirt instead of a standard terry cloth towel as hair will be less
likely to get caught in the fibers. Tip number six is also in the subject of
drying your hair, avoid the blow-dryer. Not only will the hot air from most blow
dryers lead to more frizziness and split ends, it's also going to dry out your
scalp. If you do want to use a blow dryer to add some more volume to your hair
style, using one that has a cool setting is going to be your best bet.
Overall though, just letting your hair air dry will be healthiest in the long
run. Tip number seven is to use the appropriate amount of styling product.
Using product to add more life to your hair or just to do something different
with it than it would naturally is a great way to change things up and
enhance your look. Still, if you use too much product, your hair is probably going
to look matted down or otherwise, unnatural.
Therefore, experiment a little bit to find out what the right amount of
product is for you and then don't use too much
and if you're unsure of what specific type of hair product is going to be best
for you, you can take a look at our video guide to hair products here. Tip number
eight is also on this same subject which is to keep your hair natural. What we
mean by this is excessive perming, coloring, straightening, and so on is just
going to excessively damage your hair. Of course, men are probably less likely to
have these procedures done but even so, only do them every so often
if you'd like to experiment and to keep your hair healthy, avoid
undergoing these kinds of hair procedures. Tip number nine is to use the
right tools in the right ways. Hair is naturally delicate so it's important
that you know how to style it without doing any damage. For example, because wet
hair is more susceptible to damage than dry hair, you shouldn't use a hairbrush
when your hair is wet. The hair strands can get tangled in the many bristles of
the brush and can get pulled out more easily. If you're going to style your
hair when it's wet, it's better to use your hands or to use a relatively wide
toothed comb and when using a tool to styling your hair, it's important to do
so with smooth movement. If you move too quickly or use too much force, you're
probably going to have an increased chance of pulling hair out of your scalp
or damaging the scalp itself. So those are all of our tips covering the
specific haircare routines of most men. To round out our list today, here are a
few more pieces of general advice. Tip number ten is to get a haircut regularly
to keep your hair looking neat and trim. It's important that you have a regular
haircut routine. Most barbers recommend that you get your hair cut around every
four to six weeks. In other words, every month to month and a half. One additional
note here, if your barber or stylist takes appointments, try to get one in the
morning since they won't have already been
cutting hair all day. By the time you get to them, they'll probably have a slightly
sharper eye when cutting your hair. Tip number 11 is to avoid hats,
headbands, and other headgear that's too tight on your head. Putting on head wear
that's too tight may cause decreased blood circulation to your scalp and
therefore, your hair might be less healthy. For example, if you're engaged in
a helmet sports like bicycling where the helmet is rubbing on your scalp for most
of the time, you may suffer from something called friction alopecia where
this rubbing causes hair to fall out more easily. Luckily, most healthcare
experts believe that friction alopecia is more temporary. More permanent, however,
is the condition known as traction alopecia which is caused by pulling the
hair back tightly for extended periods of time, as in the recent fad for man
buns, for example, and if you are wearing tight head wear or have your
hair pulled back tightly for strenuous physical activity, not only is the
friction or tension alopecia going to be at play but also the increased sweat
production probably won't be great for your scalp either. The solution here then
is to just make sure that you're wearing head wear that fits your head properly
and that your hair isn't under any additional tension. Of course, it's
slightly different from something like a bike helmet but on the topic of head
wear in general, if you'd like to look at some more stylish options you can
consult our playlist on hats here. Tip number 12 is to avoid chlorine as much
as possible. The chlorine that you'll typically find in swimming pools is very
harmful to your hair as it's going to dry out both the hair and the scalp. In
order to protect your hair from the chlorine then, before getting into the
pool, you can wet your hair and apply just a bit of mild conditioner and if
you're confident enough in your own image, wearing a swim cap could be
another choice and on the subject of things to avoid,
tip number 13 here is to avoid excessive time in the Sun without head wear. Of
course, as we said earlier, you should make sure that your head wear fits but
don't spend too much time in the Sun with your head exposed especially
you've already got thinning hair. If your scalp is subjected to a sunburn, it can
produce a compound called a superoxide which will cause your hair to switch
from being in a growth mode to being more in a shedding mode, not good. Tip
number 14 is to avoid stress. Of course, in today's fast-paced society, there are
any number of things to be stressed about but if you can take a few moments
each day to center yourself and find a place of calm, not only is this going to
have numerous other health benefits but it's also going to help your hair as
well. Specifically, this is because stress has been shown to tighten the scalp and
restrict blood flow therefore cutting things off to the hair. In addition to
finding time to de-stress each day, getting regular scalp massages will feel
great and will also be healthy for your hair and our final tip number 15 is in
general try to stay healthy as much as possible. What do we mean by this? Well, as
you might expect, it's as simple as trying to eat right, get enough sleep, and
exercise as much as you can. These general pieces of advice in addition to
slightly increasing your intake of things like zinc vitamin C and vitamin D
will lead to healthier and more vibrant hair. Armed with these 15 tips then not
only will your hair be healthier but it should also give you less trouble as you
try to groom it so you can avoid those hair raising situations. Before we go
here's a note to check out our guides to five classic hairstyles for gentlemen
here and also 15 common grooming mistakes and how to avoid them here
today's video features a simple and casual outfit good for doing some
grooming at home my polo shirt is gray blue in color and it features multi
track stripes in white by the way if you're curious about multi track stripes
or any other definitions you can check out our guide to stripes here the collar
is plain in color for a bit of contrast and the brown button
harmonised well with the brown elements in my outfit speaking of which my
trousers are plain brown my belt is medium brown and my shoes are dark
oxblood penny loafers however the color difference between the belt and the
shoes isn't too great so nothing is jarring my socks meanwhile are also gray
blue in color to harmonize with my shirt and they feature a herringbone pattern
of course my outfit is exceptionally casual today so I'm not wearing any
accessories but if you're interested in finding such accessories such as collar
pins boutonnieres pocket squares and so on you can find them in the Fort
Belvedere shop here
