Silky, Shiny Secrets: Get Year-Round Gleaming Hair

With the days growing dull and sunlight hours down to a minimum, there's no reason for your hair to lose its shine, too. Check out the following shine secrets to keep your hair at its shimmering best.

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Dryness

The lifting cuticle scales caused by dry, breaking hair are a key reason for dullness. Make sure you layer your hydration (conditioner-treatment-leave in-sealant) in order to take full advantage of the shine-enhancing properties of water, as well as the smooth, reflective base good moisturising products provide.


Not Rinsing Out Conditioner

This popular tenet of conventional haircare, especially conventional curly haircare, can be a huge no-no on many tresses. Not only do you run the risk of creating dullness by leaving in a product designed to disappear down the drain once its few minutes of work are done, but the added weight also constricts the natural movement of your hair. So if you've tried leaving in a bit of your conditioner, or even applying rinse-out conditioner as a leave in, and ended up with crispy, dull or even flaking hair, understand that this is not for your hair type and keep it moving. To avoid any risk of dullness, and to keep your hair's bounce in full effect, always rinse your conditioner out thoroughly, with plenty of warm water, Dominican style.


Dulling Products

Every head of hair is different, so products which cause dullness on one head of hair might be shine-enhancing on another. That said, creamy leave ins and some natural butters tend to be the biggest culprits as they do not adsorb well to some hair types, forming a crusty, white cast on the surface. If you find that your leave in is stealing your shine, there are a couple steps you can take. One is to reduce the amount you are using (sometimes it's just a case of there not being enough space left on your hair's surface for the amount of product you're using). The other is to clarify your hair to ensure there is no other buildup on the surface causing the dullness. If neither of these work, then it's probably time to pass the product on to someone else, or simply bin it. Then, enjoy sampling a range of different leave ins to find one that leaves your hair's natural sheen intact. If you find you have no luck whatsoever with creamy leave ins and butters, then try your luck with spritzes, oils or silicone drops – the latter two can be used over the spritz for a sealing effect or simply applied on wet-damp hair.

Hard Water

The dulling particles in hard water regions might not be big enough to see under running water, but once deposited on your hair they make their presence felt. Not only are hard water particles associated with breaking hair and scalp problems, they also create buildup on the strand, leaving them looking dull and lifeless. If hard water is a problem in your area,  try adding a filter to your showerhead.

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Silicone and Vitamin E.

Silicone may get a bad rap on a lot of hair sites, but few ingredients can compete with dimethicone on the shine factor. If you use shampoo, then getting rid of this silicone is as easy as washing your hair. If not, then Vitamin E oil has a similar, if lower wattage, shine-enhancing effect. Both are best used on wet hair or over a leave in.


Cold Water Caveat

While the famous cold water rinse is one of the oldest shine-enhancing secrets, beware that it doesn't work for every head of hair.  What produces resplendent gleam on some tresses, creates extreme matting and tangling - with no added shine - on others. If you've tried this method once, and got no discernible positives, feel free to put it to the side.


Colour Options

If you're not averse to changing your shade, then the world of hair colour has several illuminating options for you. Deeper shades tend to reflect the light better, so bear that in mind when deciding whether to go lighter or darker. Keeping damage to a minimum is always a priority, so opt for conditioning glosses and glazes, which add color and shine with minimal stress to the hair. 100% natural henna also wraps your hair in a water-permeable coating, adding an extra layer of shine as well as some conditioning benefits.


Satin Scarf

Don't forget the power of satin when it comes to smoothing your hair. Remember smoother hair = shinier hair and satin, whether in pillowcase, bonnet or scarf form, is the ultimate smoother. Don your satin scarf around the house when you're doing chores (add a couple drops of your favourite oil or moisturiser for a special mini-treatment on dry hair) to get a shine boost, and don't forget to wear it under your winter hat to avoid those wool fibres drinking up moisture and lubrication you can ill-afford to spare.

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Eat shiny hair foods

Foods that are rich in Vitamins A, B, C and E enhance the condition of your hair and thus its shine. Also look for the minerals selenium and silica which work on the hair shaft at the root, ensuring its intactness. Omega oils too, are a sine qua non of smooth, vibrant hair and skin working as an emollient from the inside out.

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