Taking proper steps to care for your hair can make a difference in your entire life. You are sure to feel better about yourself when you run your fingers through hair that is healthy. The following tips will help you accomplish getting the healthiest hair possible as quickly as possible.

When you are using products for your hair make sure that you apply them directly to the hair and not on the scalp. This is important because adding hair products to your scalp can clog the pores of your head, which could lead to hair damage and/or loss of hair.

Do you suffer from dandruff? Seek out a shampoo and conditioner with an ingredient called tea tree oil! Tea tree oil is all-natural, and will work to soothe a dry scalp. This helps to prevent dandruff from being formed, and will leave your hair looking, feeling and even, smelling great.

When choosing your hair products, look for products with no alcohol. Applying alcohol on your hair will make it very dry and fragile. If you still want to use products containing alcohol, avoid using these products on a daily basis and wash your hair thoroughly afterward, so that the product is rinsed out.

If you are going to condition your hair make sure you do it directly after shampooing it. This will make sure you get the most out of your conditioning and it will be softer and more managable than if you just shampooed it. You will have a more beautiful head of hair.

If you colored your hair, remember to wait forty eight hours before using a shampoo. Chemical treatment of the hair damages the cuticle, which needs time to repair itself so that the dye won’t wear off. Your hair cuticle can re-open if it gets wet for a few days. Following the directions for after care will leave your hair healthier and make your hair color last longer.

Do not shower with extremely hot water. Only set the temperature to a nice warm water. This will help to keep the scalp from drying and becoming irritated. Once your scalp is unhealthy, your hair will quickly become unhealthy. If you get a hot shower, rinse your hair and scalp with cold water before getting out. This will reduce some of the damage done from the hot water.

Do not put hair up into tight ponytails when it is wet. This can cause you to have split ends where your ponytail is located. Your best bet is to either dry hair completely before hand, or slick it back and use a headband. This simple tip will keep your hair stronger than ever.

If you insist upon blow drying your hair, you should do so with care. If you use a vented, wide-toothed brush and a low heat setting, you can minimize the damage you inflict on your tresses during styling. Ideally, you should keep the dryer about six inches from your head and moving at all times.

One of the things that you can do during the day to restore blood flow in your scalp is to give your head a massage. This procedure can also help to reduce drying of your hair, as you are keeping your head and scalp active. Rub your hands slowly through your hair, in order to improve your overall hair health.

Never brush your hair when it is wet. Brushing wet hair is one sure-fire way to cause excessive breakage and induce split ends. It is much better to use a wide toothed comb to detangle your delicate wet hair. Save the brush for when your hair is completely dry.

If you have long hair you should avoid sleeping it with in a pony tail or braid. This can cause your hair to become damaged and break off. You should either sleep with your hair loose or if you must sleep with it in a pony tail it should be a low and loose one.

While an old wives tale states that you must brush your hair for one hundred strokes every day to achieve health, this is untrue. The only thing you will achieve by brushing this often is an overstimulated scalp that produces too much oil and makes your hair look oily and flat. Only brush until the tangles are removed.

It is important that you never use hot water to wash your hair. The only thing this is going to do is dry your hair out and when using hot water frequently, it could even cause irreparable damage to it. It is recommended that you use lukewarm water when washing your hair.

Keeping hair trimmed is vital to healthy looking hair. To help save money, learn how to trim your hair. If you visit a salon every month and a half you will be spending quite a bit to trim your hair. Learning how you can trim it at home will allow you to save some cash. As with anything else you might want to know, the place to go to learn how to cut our hair is trusty old YouTube. There are many different tutorials you can watch.

Try using gel for controlling hair when you desire that “wet” effect. Apply a little gel to your hair after it’s styled. When braiding, use it on all of the hair prior to braiding, or when you need your hair off your face. You may even use it on the perimeter of your hairline, where the hair is shorter.

If you find yourself free of dandruff after using a shampoo for that purpose, keep on using it. If you stop using that shampoo, it is likely that dandruff could reoccur because of the fact that there is no cure for dandruff. The shampoo you are using is keeping it away, so you should keep using it.

Use the tips that you have found here to care for your hair. You will see results that will help you feel great about yourself when you look in the mirror or run your fingers through your hair. Keep using the provided tips to optimize the look and style of your hair.