How To Improve Your Hair’s Volume & Shine

Photo by Ali Pazani on Unsplash

We all want hair like our favourite celebrity, that is full of volume and shine. But sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to achieving it.

Lifestyle choices like too much alcohol, smoking, a bad diet, and lack of sleep can all contribute to hair loss and damage in the long run.

While using heat tools and bad hair styling products, as well as wearing our ponytails too tight and even prolonged exposure to UV rays, heavy metals in water, and air pollution, can all cause damage too.

The good news is that if you want hair that you can be proud of – resplendent with bounce, volume, and shine – there are several things you can do to create it.

In this article, we will guide you as to what they are so that you can fall in love with your lovely locks again.

Tips to improve your hair’s volume and shine

Improving your hair’s volume and shine is not something that will happen overnight. However, if you take these steps and use Kintsugi Hair, you will put yourself well on the road to achieving the result you desire.

Settle on the right wash frequency

The first thing you should do to achieve voluminous and shiny hair is to be mindful of how often you wash it.

Contrary to some beliefs, washing your hair every day is not advisable as it can lead to a dried-out scalp and hair that resembles straw.

As a rule, straighter hair generally needs to be washed more regularly than curlier and coarser hair. But regardless of what type you have, you should aim to thoroughly wash it around once every three days.

Wash your hair properly

Having established how often you should wash your hair; it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the correct way of washing it.

According to celebrity hairstylist Leonardo Rocco, it is important to shampoo your hair twice when you are in the shower.

The first time is basically for cleaning the scalp and eradicating hair buildup. While the second acts as more of a treatment.

Whilst doing this, he also recommends you treat yourself to give a gentle scalp massage to stimulate blood flow to the scalp. This will help to rejuvenate your hair roots by attracting new blood cells to the area. 

Use the right shampoo

The type of shampoo you use is very important to the overall look and health of your hair.

There is no ‘ultimate’ shampoo that women should use. So, the best thing you can do is find a top-quality shampoo that is specifically designed for your hair texture or type.

When it comes to shampoos there are lots of brands to choose from. Some are perfectly suited for coarse hair, while others are meant for curls.

The best thing you can do is find an organic ‘nourishing’ shampoo that will clean and moisturize your hair concurrently.

It is also worth using one that includes ingredients like shea butter, coconut oils, ceramides, jojoba, dimethicone, and glycerine, especially if your hair is a bit on the dry side.

When it comes to shampoos it is also worth remembering that you get what you pay for. So, if you want hair with volume and shine, try not to skimp on price.

Also, be aware there are plenty of shampoos that contain chemicals that are bad for not only your hair but also the environment. So, give those brands that have alcohol, triclosan, sulfur, sodium chloride, parabens, and formaldehyde, a very wide berth.

Always follow with conditioner

It is important to always use a good conditioner after shampooing, as it makes your hair a lot easier to untangle and generally manage.

Again, you should use the same principles to find the right conditioner for your hair, as you did when sourcing shampoo. Also, be sure to only ever use a quarter-size piece of conditioner and apply it a couple of inches away from your scalp.

Considering hair oiling

Hair oiling is an ayurvedic concept that has been around for over 5000 years. It involves massaging your hair and scalp, in a circular motion, with warm oils to improve blood circulation and thus make your roots a lot healthier.

Best done at least once a week, try to use jojoba, lavender, almond, or coconut oil when doing this. Although rosemary oil is an excellent way to combat dandruff.

Once you have given yourself the massage, be sure to wrap your hair in a warm towel for a good 10 – 20 minutes to provide your hair with further conditioning.

As most essential oils have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties in them, massaging your scalp in this way will help it to retain moisture and prevent microbes from growing.

The mineral oils will also help to minimize hair fall, enhance your overall hair quality and facilitate more growth.

Vitamins and minerals

You can also improve your hair’s volume and shine by taking vitamin and mineral supplements, such as those offered by Life Botanics.

Vitamins are essential for the growth of healthy hair and can even help to eradicate hair thinning and shedding.

For hair growth, the best vitamins and minerals are vitamins B, D, and E, as well as iron, zinc, and biotin.

Research suggests that a deficiency in these types of vitamins and minerals can contribute to hair loss and a lack of normal cell growth. So, it is worth topping up these levels regularly if you can.

Eat the right foods!

For that reason, you might want to modify your diet too.

Several foods may contribute to damaged hair, including anything with high sugars and refined carbs in it, as well as alcohol, carbonated soft drinks, and dairy.

If you want hair with plenty of volume and shine, you should try and eliminate these items from your regular intake and instead swap them with foods rich in vitamins B, D, and E, as well as minerals like zinc, iron, and biotin.

To achieve healthier hair, some great foods to eat include eggs, cucumber, berries, spinach, sprouts, avocado, figs, fatty fish, amla, and sweet potatoes.

Drink more water!

As well as eating healthier, try and drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.

This will help to strengthen your hair and thus increase its chance of growing. It also has several other health benefits too. 

Do Yoga!

Did you know yoga can reduce your risk of being afflicted with hair loss or even grey hair?

Well, it’s true!

Balayam is a style of yoga asana that is renowned for preventing a range of hair damage issues.

To do that, all you need to do is rub your fingernails for about 10 minutes a day, as this stimulates hair growth.

You might want to avoid rubbing your thumbnails though, as this may cause facial hair to grow!

Sleep on a silk pillowcase

You might not be aware of this, but the type of pillowcase you sleep on could be causing your hair damage.

Certain fabrics like cotton, are very absorbent and therefore draw a lot of moisture out of your hair. As a result, sleeping on these types of pillows regularly could result in them drying out and losing some of their shine.

Friction on this type of pillowcases may also cause your hair to break over time. So, if you can, try and sleep on a silk pillowcase, as this is the most hair-friendly material available right now.