If you are embarking on a healthy hair journey for the first time, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available online about healthy hair care. You probably read and/or hear people promoting a variety of techniques or products, and you may not sure which ones work for you. Here are some of my personal tips for embarking on a healthy hair journey: 

1) Determine what you want out of your healthy hair regimen: One of the best ways to help your hair get healthier is to figure out what is wrong with it. Does your hair break way too easily? Do you want it to be thicker? Too many split ends? Do you want to nurture your scalp and provide the best environment for hair growth and nourishment? Create a journal and list out your goals.

2) Start doing some preliminary research on those issues: Peruse books, online articles, as well as YouTube videos that provide insight into your hair issues. Learn as much as you can from a variety of sources. After a while, you will be able to "sift the wheat from the chaff" when it comes to valid information that you can rely on, and opinion that may or may not have any scientific validity or usefulness in your hair care regimen. 

3) Start doing preliminary research on products and ingredients: Many women are able to figure out their hair issues but fall prey to product marketing and buy products with ingredients that do not help their hair at all. Just because a product claims to be a perfect match for you does not mean it will work for you, or that it won't actually make your hair issue even worse than it is now. Google is your friend when it comes to product research and learning about product ingredients. Check out reviews on that shampoo/conditioner set that you really want to buy, and then do some research on its ingredients. Also, pay close attention to the order of the ingredients on the products. For example, if an ingredient is higher up on the list, the product contains more of that item than something much lower on the list. (That is why I stay far away from products that list "fragrance" as one of the top five ingredients. I don't need perfume in my hair). 

4) Keep your health and fitness in mind: Many women mistakenly isolate hair from their body's health, as if the two don't go hand in hand. If you have a poor diet, it reflects in your hair's health. In addition, cardiovascular workouts help nourish your scalp and follicles, promoting a healthier scalp and hair growth. Also keep in mind that various chemicals that you ingest (e.g., prescription drugs) show up in your hair and can impact the health of your hair strands over time. 

5) Craft out a plan: Once you have exhausted all research, journal out your healthy hair plan, goals, and products that you must buy for your regimen. Writing down your plan really helps you stick to it, which is necessary for healthy hair progress over time. (It also helps you stay within a budget and avoid buying products that you don't need!) If you keep switching too much between products, for example, it will be much more difficult to figure out which products actually work for your hair over a long period of time. Also, your hair can be impacted by "product/chemical confusion" where you are constantly exposing it to so many different ingredients and chemicals, which may not interact well when they are introduced to your hair within short intervals of time. 

6) Embark on your healthy hair journey and have fun with it: Embark on your healthy hair journey and keep up with your journaling about how your journey is going and any changes that you make along the way. Keep track of what you think may be working, and what you think may be hurting your hair goals. Taking pictures of your hair helps you keep a visual log of your hair progress. Over time, you'll be able to look back over your journal and see how you've been able to make positive, permanent changes to attain healthier, more beautiful hair!

Good luck on your healthy hair journey!

-Written by: Cafe Belle's Healthy Hair Barista