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