Do you want to know how to get shiny natural hair? Shiny, healthy hair is a dream for many women but it can be difficult to achieve without the proper know how.
I have some great tips that you can begin to use right away that will take the dullness away and leave you with healthy shiny looking hair.
The best part?
These tips work on all types of hair no matter if you have very tightly kinky hair, curly hair or even straight hair, these tips will work for you!
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Here’s 11 Tips On How To Get Shiny Natural Hair With Just A Few Simple Little Tweaks
1. Get Rid of Product Build-up
Having product build-up on your hair and scalp gives such a negative experience to your hair. It’s one of the worst things you can do.
Product build-up leaves your hair unable to breathe and be able to fully flourish. It also leaves your hair feeling weighed down and greasy.
It’s so important to have a good hair routine that you stick to, to ensure that you don’t go for long periods without washing your hair.
Don’t forget that it’s not just not washing your hair that causes buildup it’s also overusing products or using the wrong types of products for your hair that is going to give you problems.
2. Use A Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoos are great because they ensure that you get rid of all that product build-up on your hair and scalp.
Make sure you use the clarifying shampoo on your roots as well as along the length of your strands to ensure even coverage and cleanliness.
I like to think of a clarifying shampoo as taking your hair back to its original state because it gets rid of all the grease and day to day dirt that your hair would have attracted.
You can also use apple cider vinegar to help cleanse your hair and scalp of buildup.
3. Rinse With Cool Water
Did you know that cool water is your friend? Rinsing your hair with cool water instead of hot water ensures that you close the cuticles and seal in all of those nutrients you’ve worked so hard to get into your hair.
Hot water on the other hand opens up the hair cuticles allowing it to lose moisture which is not a great thing for your hair or scalp’s health.
Rinsing your hair with cool water also has massive benefits if you have low porosity hair because it closes up all of those gaps in your hair’s cuticles which helps with moisture penetration and shine.
Don’t feel pressured to use freezing cold water to rinse your hair, this is not a torture exercise. Cool or room temperature water is perfectly acceptable.
4. Add Moisture
Moisture is the holy grail for your hair. Not moisturising your hair is like having a plant and expecting it to grow without giving it the proper nutrients that it needs.
You can add moisture to your hair in lots of different ways like using natural oils such as Coconut oil and Olive oil.
I’ve found that Shea butter is very moisturising and because it’s solid at room temperature it seals everything into the hair cuticles. If shea butter doesn’t tickle your fancy because I know it’s not to everyone’s taste due to its strong smell and heaviness then you can try a leave in conditioner such as As I Am leave in conditioner.
Leave-in conditioners are great because they are generally not too weighty and moisturise your hair without it accumulating too much buildup quickly.
5. Try A Hot Oil Treatment
Hot oil treatments can really be a great treat for your hair they add so much shine to your hair and make your hair feel wonderfully soft at the same time.
You can purchase a hot oil treatment from here or you can make your own especially if you know the kind of oils that your hair already loves.
Hot oil treatments can be done before or after you shampoo your hair. I personally like to do it before because it gives more time for the oil to really soak into the hair.
You can use oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and castor oil to name a few.
Remember not to make your oil too hot or risk getting a serious burn. Warming the oils in the microwave for just a few short seconds should suffice.
6. Don’t Wash Your Hair Too Much
I know this might sound a little bit contradictory to some of the earlier points but it really is not.
Washing your hair too often will leave it stripped of its natural oils. That’s not a good thing.
Natural oils help your hair become stronger and healthier over time. Your natural oil is the best moisturiser your hair can get so don’t be so quick to wash it away too soon.
If you wash your hair too much it will be left feeling very dry and brittle. I would say there is no need to wash your hair more than twice a week unless there is a particular reason as to why.
7. Treat Yourself To Some Protein
Protein is one of those things that I never like to miss out on. Doing the occasional protein treatment is like taking your hair to the spa once in a while.
Protein treatments are great because they encourage growth and they strengthen your strands which helps with shine!
Protein treatments really help to revitalise your hair and restore moisture to the hair.
You can purchase protein treatments from here or you can add things like avocado and eggs to your shampoo. Personally, I don’t have a lot of time on my hands so I prefer to get something shop bought that I can just pull out of the cupboard when I need it.
8. Drink Lots of Water
Water is the key to everything!
Just think about it, your body is made up of 70% water so why wouldn’t it work for your hair?
Water flushes out the toxins that may have accumulated over time. Drinking lots of water helps to hydrate your body which means you will be hydrating your hair follicles at the same time. This results in stronger, healthier and shinier strands.
9. Scalp Massage
Scalp massages are one of the tension releasing things you can do for yourself. I never need an excuse to have one done so the fact that it comes with benefits for my hair is just a complete bonus!
Doing a scalp massage not only helps with blood circulation but it also helps your hair with shine because it encourages sebum (natural oils) production on your head.
Once those oils start flowing they will go all the way down your strands of hair giving you the most beautiful shiny head of hair.
10. Deep Condition At Least Once A Month
Deep conditioning is another great treatment for your hair because it really helps to restore hydration and shine to your hair.
When you deep condition your hair you are allowing your hair an extra deeper dose of moisture. Deep conditioners can go to places that a regular condition can not go.
I recommend that you try to deep condition your hair at least once a month if you can. If you are not sure which deep conditioner to go for I would say give this one a try, its pretty good and always leaves my hair feeling so soft and looking shiny afterwards.
This is my favourite deep conditing heat cap if you really want to make the most of that deep conditioning treatment.
11. Use Satin Bonnets/ Pillowcases
Without using a satin bonnet or pillowcase at night times all of the work that you have done to add moisture and shine to your hair will be undone overnight. Your hard work would have been for nothing.
If you go to sleep on a regular pillowcase it will just soak up all of the oils and moisture that you spent so much time putting in. It can even cause frizzy hair which no one wants.
When you use a satin bonnet or pillowcase there will be no friction taking place between your hair and the pillowcase. Satin does not absorb moisture in the same way that a regular pillowcase does.
You can get the most beautiful satin headscarf from here.
Final Thoughts On How To Get Shiny Natural Hair
Getting shiny natural hair is not so difficult after all. With the right tweaks, you can turn your hair situation right around.
Having shine in your hair is not just about it looking shiny, If it was then we would only need to grab the hair grease. Having shiny natural hair is also about its health too.
You get shiny hair when the light is able to bounce off your hair easily. Shiny hair is healthy hair, remember that.
Related posts:
Can you over moisturise your natural hair?
Have you been co-washing your hair the right way?
How you can get soft natural hair easily!
Have you considered water only washing?
