Expert Tips To Make Your Hair Stronger

Shine, volume, body—it all happens when your hair is resilient to everyday torture. Here’s your best defense against damage.

- Rebecca Dancer

Although hair starts as a living cell, the part you see is actually a dead fiber, which naturally degrades with time, says Michelle Blaisure, a certified trichologist (hair and scalp specialist) for Bosley Professional Strength hair care. Technically, hair fibers can’t be rebuilt after they’ve left the follicle, but you can fortify and protect the hair’s outer cuticle layer with proper care. The result: silkier and healthier-looking strands overall.

Wipe the slate clean

“Dry shampoos are great for a second or third day, but they don’t take the place of a shampoo,” Blaisure says. “There’s a whole microbiome of bacteria on the scalp that needs to be cleansed on a regular basis; otherwise you’ll get buildup that could affect growth.” When you do cleanse, which should be at least twice a week, depending on your hair texture, go for a mild yet strand-fortifying shampoo like L’Occitane Aromachologie Body & Strength Shampoo (RM106, my.loccitane.com). For coloured or chemically treated hair, use an even milder option, such as Neal’s Yard Remedies Nurturing Rose Shampoo (RM106, nealsyardremedies.com.my).

Feed your follicles