How to Tell if Your Hair is Healthy and How to Care for it

Last Updated on December 27, 2020

If your hair is healthy, it can stretch as much as 30% when it’s wet, and it can endure a strain of 3.5 ounces! Pretty amazing, right? However, these superpowers are exclusive to people whose hair is strong and healthy, since damaged hair will break more easily. But how to check your hair’s condition? You can do a few tests at home to determine if you are suffering from hair damage, and there are also some steps you can take to restore your perfect hair health.  Are you excited to start your healthy hair journey?

1. The hair follicle test

To check out your hair’s overall health and to be sure you don’t need to be concerned about hair loss, you should start by checking your roots. The process is pretty simple: Pull a single strand of your hair, but while doing so, try to hold it close to your head, so the root is still attached after the plucking. Then, proceed to closely check the follicle. A healthy follicle should be shaped like a bulb, so if this is the case for you, it means your hair is strong and healthy. However, if this is not the shape of your hair root, your hair might need some care. Before seeking hair loss treatment, you can try to prevent it. Following a Mediterranean diet can decrease your risk of hair loss. Plus, you should try to stay away from tight hairstyles, such as high ponytails and buns. If you feel like you are lacking minerals and vitamins, you can always opt for supplements. 

2. The sink test

This method can be used to test your hair’s porosity. While healthy hair is usually solid, damaged hair has a tendency to absorb liquids quite fast. So, in order to measure how porous your hair actually is, you need to pick a couple strands of hair from different parts of your scalp: the back, the front, and each side. Then, drop them into a water container. If your hair is damaged, the strands will sink immediately. If your precious strands are in a good condition, they will float. And if your hair happens to require some care, the strands will go down, but just a bit.  So, how to treat your hair if it happens to be porous? Oil and butter can be your biggest allies, as they help to seal in the moisture that your hair absorbs. On your wash day, make sure to apply enough hair conditioner. And to improve the pH balance in your hair, you can use aloe vera and apple cider vinegar as natural agents.