As women, we’ve been through about every iteration of haircut, colour and style throughout our lives. But the one thing that’s remained top of our priority list the entire time is healthy, strong strands.
As we age, achieving those shiny, healthy strands becomes more difficult to manage. Between the stress of life and our ever-challenging hormones, we’re likely to end up seeing more hair in the drain than on our head.
Keen to find a solution, we spoke to certified trichologist Lena Horvardas. Here are her top tips on achieving healthy, strong hair.
How to achieve healthy, strong strands
Scalp care
It’s possible that you’ve never given your scalp health a second thought. Why should you, when your luscious locks take precedence? Well, to keep those strands looking and feeling their best, you’ve got to start paying attention to what your scalp wants and needs. Lena lets us know that “healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp, and as hair plays such an important role in confidence and self-image, people are becoming more proactive about understanding what affects it.”
The main thing that impacts your scalp’s health is its microbiome. Lena explains that “the scalp microbiome refers to the community of bacteria, fungi and microorganisms that naturally live on the scalp. A balanced microbiome helps support the scalp barrier, regulate inflammation and maintain a healthy scalp environment. When this balance becomes disrupted, it may contribute to conditions such as dandruff, irritation or excess oiliness.”
To support a healthy scalp microbiome, Lena suggests “regular cleansing” as “one of the most important aspects of maintaining scalp health. Consistent cleansing hel maintain a healthier scalp environment and may reduce irritation and buildup-related concerns.” To keep your scalp cleansed, it’s best to use a shampoo dedicated to the task. Which is where OGX ProGrowth + Peptide Shampoo ($20.99 at Chemist Warehouse) comes in. With a 1.5 per cent mandelic acid formula, the shampoo gently cleanses the scalp — unclogging pores and removing any buildup.
Lena recommends these steps to help maintain a healthy scalp environment and even encourage hair growth: “scalp exfoliation and massage, targeted serums, managing stress, nutrition and sleep, avoiding overusing harsh chemicals or excessive styling and protection from excessive heat.”
Being mindful of external factors
You’ve likely heard the myth that ‘heat styling damages hair’, while it’s partially true, the reality is, when your strands get too hot, that is when damage occurs. It sounds pretty similar, and if you chose to forgo the extra hot blow-dry, we would understand. But what you should understand is that all the latest innovations in heated hair technologies focus on heat adaption, and measuring how hot your hair is actually getting, not just heating the tool.
So, if you’re not ready to get rid of your hot styling tools, look for adaptive heat technologies such as the new ghd Sculpt ($599 at ghd) or the Shark Glam Hot Tool Air Drying and Styling System ($699 at Myer). And be sure to add a heat-protecting mist such as OGX ProGrowth + Peptide Serum Mist ($29.99 at Chemist Warehouse).
At OGX, we believe healthy hair gives you the confidence to boldly be yourself. Our high-performance, ingredient-led formulas help support hair health and resilience from root to tip, empowering you to wear your hair your way, every day.
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