Do you often wonder how healthy your hair really is? Especially if you have thin hair or hair that often goes limp? Chances are that your hair is naturally fine does not have any problems. That could just be how your hair happens to be, and it has nothing to do with poor hair health. It can be all about genetics. But really, how do you know whether or not your hair is healthy? That is because there are four tests you can do in order to make that determination. Let’s talk more about that right now, starting with the follicle test.
The Hair Follicle Test
What you do when you are doing the hair follicle test is by grabbing one hair strand from your face or from your head and examining the root of the strand which is the follicle. If your hair is healthy, the root of the strand would have a bulb-like appearance. Therefore, you would not have to worry about there being an issue with your hair follicles. However, if there is no bulb-like appearance at the follicle or appears puny, then this is a sign that your hair is weak and requires care. Fortunately, there are things you can do to nourish your hair if it does not pass the follicle test.
You will want to adopt a healthier diet and the Mediterranean diet is a good one to start with as you focus on eating more vegetables that are nutrient-rich and fewer carbohydrates. You will also want to avoid putting your hair in tight ponytails, especially at bedtime when you will keep your hair back throughout the time you are sleeping. You also will want to take certain minerals and vitamins to talk to your doctor about. The next test that will be talked about is also highly effective in determining how healthy your hair happens to be.
Put A Strand Of Hair Into A Cup Of Water
Take a cup and fill it half-way or almost to the top with water. Take out a few hair strands from different areas of your head and place them in the cup of water. If they float or go down just a little, your hair is healthy. However, if they sink. then they are not healthy. This means the hair is very porous and you don’t want that at all.
Methods to treat very porous hair is by applying oils or butter onto your hair and that helps to lock in moisture. You also want to use a hair conditioner when you wash your hair, and you can also apply aloe vera as well as apple cider vinegar to neutralize the pH balance. The next test to perform to determine your hair health is the tug test.
The Tug Test
You will want to see the elasticity of your hair, and the tug test will help you see that. Take a strand of hair and gently pull it out. And then you will want to pull it in a gentle way on both ends. It stretches well and immediately bounces back as you let go, then your hair is healthy. However, if it breaks immediately, then it is brittle and damaged. There are ways to help solve the issue.
You no longer want to apply heat to the hair as too much heat will cause damage. Therefore, put your hairdryer away and air-dry it instead. You can also massage your hair with jojoba oil which will help strengthen it, and you can even apply honey to each of the strands which will help lock in moisture. The last test will determine if your hair cuticle is healthy.
Slide A Hair Strand Through Your Fingers
You will see the condition of the hair cuticle by performing a test that involves you sliding a hair strand through your fingers from the top of the root. You will have to pay attention to how it feels. If your hair feels smooth, it is healthy. If it has a rough or uneven feeling, then there is damage.
In order to fix this, you will want to try a keratin treatment that removes the frizz. You can also put rice water into your hair as it will help keep it safe from damage. You will also not want to apply heat from blowdrying or using a hot iron or curling your hair. Try to avoid dying your hair as well.
Fortunately, the ways to improve your hair health are easy, but it will just mean either make some lifestyle changes or square in time during your day to nurture your hair. Attaining healthy hair is easier than you think!
