6 New Year's Resolutions for Healthy Hair

Who doesn’t dream of healthy hair? Strong and nourished hair can boost confidence, make styling easier, and prevent problems such as dandruff, hair loss, and scalp infections. Hair health should be important year-round, but like with many things in life, it often gets neglected as time passes. However, the new year is the perfect time to reassess your hair care routine. If prioritising your hair health is one of your New Year's resolutions, the tips below can help you achieve your goals! 

Prioritise Scalp Health

If your goal is to grow long, healthy, natural hair, this outcome begins at the root. A scalp-care routine helps ensure the scalp is regularly cleansed, removing excess oil, bacteria, and product buildup, all of which can block follicles and even cause hair loss. 

To get your scalp thriving, introduce scalp treatments, such as a scalp scrub to remove product and clear out blocked follicles or oil to keep it nourished and prevent dryness. Some other tips include limiting dry shampoo use, getting a scalp massage, and opting for clip-in hair extensions rather than permanent ones. 

Read our full guide on caring for your scalp for extra tips and product recommendations. 

Adopt a Consistent Hair Care Routine

Many of us have a daily skincare routine, and this shouldn't be any different for your hair! A consistent hair care routine can include: 

• Washing your hair 1-3 times a week (depending on your hair type)

• Avoiding over-or under-washing

• Using conditioner after every hair wash

• Applying a conditioning hair mask weekly

• Using a leave-in conditioner between washes

• Sleeping with a satin pillowcase or bonnet

• Using a gentle, detangling brush

• Getting regular trims

Making your hair-care part of your self-care routine can help keep your locks healthy, strong, and lustrous, plus, it’s a nice treat to have that ‘you’ time and feel good!

Choose Gentle, Hair-friendly Products

Many day-to-day hair care products include chemicals that support the specific product goals, but can also actually cause harm to your hair.

Sulfates are commonly found in shampoo, as they create the lathering effect that removes dirt and oil. However, this ingredient can also strip moisture, which may result in dry, frizzy, and brittle hair. 

Parabens are a preservative ingredient, often used as an inexpensive and effective method for extending the shelf life of shampoos and conditioners. However, some customers experience irritation, an itchy scalp, and dry, dull hair after using parabens. 

Silicones are found in a wide variety of hair products, including shampoos, conditioners, serums, and hair masks! This ingredient creates a protective film around hair strands to add shine and minimise frizz. However, certain silicones, such as dimethicone, can be especially difficult to remove from the hair, which can create a lot of product buildup, preventing moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and leading to dry, dull hair. 

Avoiding harsh chemicals will make a huge difference to your hair, helping limit dryness and reduce the risk of breakage. Here are our recommendations for the best sulphate-free shampoos.

Be Sensible with Heat

Avoiding heat is extremely beneficial for hair health. Heat strips hair of its natural oils, leaving it dry and brittle, and damages the protein structure of hair, which reduces its strength and elasticity. However, it’s not always possible to completely avoid heat. If using heated styling tools, such as straighteners and curlers, keep them at the lowest effective temperature and avoid passing over the same section multiple times to minimise the damage.

Also, ensure you apply a heat protectant spray. This product creates a physical barrier on the hair strand to slow down heat conduction and protect the cuticle and cortex from damage.

However, there are ways to style your hair and have it looking fabulous without needing any heat! Heatless curls have become a well-known hair hack in recent years, from using socks to specially made products. 

Nourish from Within

Eating healthier and drinking more water is a common New Year’s resolution for many, usually for improving physical health. However, a balanced diet can also help with hair health, as essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats promote hair growth, prevent breakage, and keep the scalp moisturised. This supports blood flow to hair follicles, keratin production, and collagen fusion. A lack of certain nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and vitamin D, can damage hair.

You can find more information on how key nutrients help with healthy hair in our blog.

Reduce Mechanical Damage 

There are many small daily habits that we do without realising they can damage our hair. Tight ponytails, harsh towel drying, and vigorous brushing can all weaken the hair and affect overall hair health. 

There are simple fixes to prevent this damage, such as using a microfibre towel to dry hair and using a gentle detangling brush to untangle hair from the ends. Opting for comfortable loose hairstyles, such as clipping up with a claw clip, can also avoid the harm caused by tight styles that pull too hard on the hair strands. 

By embracing even just a few of these resolutions, you will achieve your goals of having stronger, healthier hair throughout 2026. Small, consistent changes, such as avoiding heat or being gentler with your hair, add up, and your hair will thank you. Here’s to a year of hair health!