Eva’s simple ‘short cuts’ for strong and shiny Springtime hair!

“After a long, gloomy winter, most of us experience a spring in our step as we welcome longer days, more sunshine and bluer skies. However, with that Spring-time optimism, comes the thought of having to peel back the layers and starting to get ourselves ready for Spring and Summer with renewed seasonal skin care routines, treating ourselves to manicures and pedicures (as the socks and gloves come off), as well as dusting down our training shoes and embracing the joys of outdoor exercise again.

“But, what do we need to do for our hair and scalp to ensure it’s all in tip top condition for the warmer weather?

“During the Autumn and Winter months our hair and scalps can become a little bit neglected and, in some cases, damaged due to a range of seasonal factors, such as harsh weather; wearing hats and scarves regularly and also skipping our regular hair care routines.  So, to help get your hair ready and raring to go into Spring, here are a few of my top tips:

No splitting hairs about this!

Get a good trim; the ends of the hair are always more prone to damage and breakage from many factors such as colour; the effect of cold weather and windy conditions; friction from collars and scarves and too much heat or a grown-out colour (that many of us turn a blind eye to during the drab winter months!) A professional trim will take off those damaged ends, giving an improved look and feel that can be maintained with ongoing good hair care.

Tone up (or down!)

Think about investing in a colour refresh – our skin tone often changes in the Spring and Summer, and as such, your hair should also change in tone to ensure your complexion and hair colour complement each other.

Consider a supplement this Spring!

Whilst there should be no such thing as feeling pressured to become “beach body ready”, if you do decide to reassess your eating habits ahead of the summer holidays, please ensure that you are having enough protein daily, and don’t drop down below 1000 calories each day.  A very low dietary intake can cause excessive hair shedding and thinning, which is exactly what we, as trichologists, don’t ever want to see. Keeping the protein content up in the diet will help your hair to be at its healthiest.  But, if you do feel that Spring is the time to reduce your calorie intake, possibly limiting food groups, take a really good multi-mineral vitamin supplement such as Tricoextra to keep stored levels where they need to be for healthy hair.

Foods that are great for hair health and contain a good amount of protein include salmon, tuna, red meat, chicken, eggs and yogurt.  Seeds such as chia, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame are all great to add a sneaky protein hit as are soybeans and lentils.  Keep the vitamin C content up to help with iron absorption from your protein. And, always try to get outside to enjoy the Spring sunshine to soak up the all-important Vitamin D.