The 7 Commandments to Thicker, Healthier Hair

Good hair starts with a good routine. Reset yours with these foolproof habits.

Published May 21, 2024

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A lot of people have no idea that they’re walking around with dry, damaged hair. Or they do, they just haven’t considered a remedy besides shaving it all off. That’s not a longterm solution. If hair is brittle, frayed or parched, the follicle is likely on life support, too. That means it’s malnourished and unable to grow firm and shiny hair.

Hair can become damaged for many reasons, though it’s usually some combination of a couple. These include things like smoking, sleeplessness, consuming alcohol and sugary foods, dehydration, poor hygiene, dandruff, environmental elements (such as air pollution) and a lack of protein or vitamins. Even dyeing hair or using a blow dryer can significantly hinder its health.

The good news is that damaged hair is not irreversible. Follow these six tips set you up for healthier, firmer, shinier, fuller hair.

1. Hydrate thy hair

This one’s easy: get a hydrating shampoo. Look for bottles that express their hydrating powers. They’re the ones that swap out sulfates and other drying agents, and are also plugged full of nutrients (almost like a conditioner).

In general, cheap means dry. The cheaper the product, the worse its ingredients.

Use this shampoo every second or third day. Yep — that’s the limit. Exceptions can be made if you find that the extra-washed hair stays more voluminous. But therein lies the problem. There’s more volume when hair is parched. And there are other ways to achieve that effect while keeping it healthy.

Next, follow every wash with a conditioner and use it once on the days between shampoos. This will flush much of the excess oil, gunk, and product from the scalp and hair, but I’ll address those matters later. Since you’re no longer stripping it over moisture on the daily, your scalp will slowly train itself to produce less oil, anyhow.

Finally, never combine your shampoo and conditioner — always use the conditioner last or on its own. Its job is to fill your hairs full of vitamins and nutrients that keep it soft but strong. Don’t skimp on it either. In general, cheap means dry. The cheaper the product, the worse its ingredients.

2. Use water-soluble stylers

Here’s a cheat code to having healthier hair: if it looks healthy, it probably is.

I’m not suggesting any shortcuts nor products that will compromise your hair’s health. But if you use styling products that naturally bind to the hair and give it a thicker appearance, you can make your hair seem fuller, thicker and stronger instantly.

If you use styling products that naturally bind to the hair and give it a thicker appearance, you can make your hair seem fuller, thicker and stronger instantly.

The key, though, is to find water-soluble products that will simply rinse out on their own (requiring no shampoo). Many stylers are made this way now, but it never hurts to ask. And yes, the rest of our tips will address more permanent solutions and habits to build.

3. Honor thy scalp

Your hair’s health is directly tied to that of your scalp. After all, that’s where each follicle resides. It’s kind of like expecting to grow healthy crops from dried, poisoned soil: you have to address the dirt if you want the plants to grow properly.

This includes preventing (or eliminating) flakes and dandruff, as well as toning the scalp in order to produce less (or more) oil, depending on which is needed.

Your hair’s health is directly tied to that of your scalp. After all, that’s where each follicle resides.

The scalp can easily become irritated, playing host to bacterial or fungal outbreaks, and it’s especially sensitive to the elements—the hot sun (not to mention sunburn), excessively hot water and bone-dry winters can all compromise the scalp and in turn each of the hairs that spring from it.

There are a few proactive ways to stay on top of your scalp. Periodically swap in a dandruff shampoo for your usual one — perhaps twice a month — or using a scalp-focused duo. You can also use a scalp-toning serum (with ingredients like charcoal or tea-tree oil).

If you suffer from build-up, using a scalp scrub once a week to lift any excess flakes and simultaneously tone the skin can address that. It also massages the scalp to stimulate blood flow to the hair follicles, and in turn, strengthen and fortify each one.

4. Use hair masks

Hair masks and leave-in conditioners are similar, in that you apply them to freshly washed hair and they juice up each strand with an extra dose of nutrients. Masks you rinse out, and leave-in conditioners … you get it.

These hair treatments, however, only make sense for medium or longer styles.

5. Shower before bed

It’s always good to shower before bed if you want to prioritize healthy hair.

Of course, you can do a quick rinse in the morning to wake up and get your face clean and all that, but at night, you want wash away the grime and pollution you’ve accumulated during the day, and to maximize the benefits from any treatments.

At night, you want wash away the grime and pollution you’ve accumulated during the day.

There’s far less threat awaiting your hair while you sleep, so a simple rinse in the morning is sufficient — you can often even skip the conditioner.

6. Consider hair supplements

This is only something to consider if your hair woes stem from thinning or excessive fall. Talk to your dermatologist about the ways that certain products, pills, and potions may help your hair grow thicker, fuller and denser. Often times, you can restore any hair lost from the crown (that is, excluding recession) if you act within a year or two. This varies for all men. Your doctor can also address potential health risks associated with medicines.

You can restore any hair lost from the crown if you act within a year or two.

Once you start, you may notice results in as little as three months, though you may also notice that some hair falls out when you begin use. That’s because it’s restarting its growth cycle, just as the dormant follicles are getting stronger and generating new hair cycles as well.

You may notice sprouts in those first few months, and by six months, you should notice significant extra coverage, assuming you’re a prime candidate for these remedies.

Some companies approach hair loss from within, by selling proprietary supplements focused on hair strength and endurance. You can also simplify that by ensuring you eat plenty of protein and ingest enough biotin, but these well-regarded companies (like Nutrafol and Viviscal) have armies of fans who swear by the results.

7. Change thy habits

Let’s cut to the chase: vices are exactly that. Smoking, drinking, partying, drug use, poorly resting, eating sugary and processed foods, and even ingesting excessive caffeine — it’s all bad for your body, it’s bad your skin, including your scalp, and it’s bad for your hair.

Smoking, drinking, partying — it’s all bad for your body and it’s bad for your hair.

Staying hydrated and eating nutritious, whole foods are surefire ways to have healthy hair and healthy everything. Magnify the results by staying physically active and getting quality rest — ideally seven to eight hours nightly.

Make a change now and you’ll notice a unilateral boost to your reflection in no time.