La Shea's Barber Shop

Brush Less to Limit Hair Loss
Don't believe that myth about 100 brush strokes a day. Too much brushing will snap off hairs. Some hair loss is normal – most people lose 50 to 100 hairs every day. These have stopped growing and have reached a resting stage. To keep from losing any more hair than normal, use a brush with ball-tipped bristles. And never brush wet hair; use a comb instead.

Skip High-Powered Blow Dryers
You might expect a powerful blow dryer to slice a few precious minutes off your styling routine. But in a comparison of blow dryers, Consumer Reports found they all dried hair in about the same amount of time. Some are much noisier than others, though. The group found the more expensive dryers were the quietest, and the noisiest were as loud as a lawn mower.

Don't Treat Dandruff With Oils
Dandruff is not a type of dry skin at all -- despite the white flakes that float down to your shoulders. A minor skin disorder of the scalp is to blame. Rubbing oil into the scalp can just make it worse. Shampoos with medicine are the best fix -- from a drugstore or a dermatologist. Leave the shampoo on for 5 minutes to soak into your scalp. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Get That 'Redhead Bounce'
The fullness of your hair is in your genes -- and your styling technique. Natural redheads have thicker hair, while blondes have the thinnest but greatest number of hairs. Luckily, you can plump up the volume whatever its color. Use a leave-in conditioner or mousse and dry the root area first. Flip your hair upside down as you dry, for an extra volume boost. If your hair is very fine, use low heat with any hot tool.

Take Care With Tightly Wound Hair
Ponytails and braids are great ways to showcase your personal style. But when they're too tight, they can break off hair and damage the roots. Wearing a tight style around the clock can even make your hair fall out. Set your hair free every night! For braided styles meant to last months, leave hair a little loose at the scalp. If you wear heavy extensions, give your hair a break after three months.

Boost Thin Hair With Silicone
Thin, lifeless hair is a common complaint, yet few women know the best remedy. Heavy conditioners will just leave your hair limp. A better bet is to use products with silicone, such as dimethicone or cyclomethicone. These coat the strands with a thin film, creating fuller hair that doesn't look greasy. The silicone stays put even after you rinse.

Choose the Right Styling Products
With a base of healthy, clean, nourished hair, it'll be much easier to style your hair the way you like it.

However, you won't be able to complete the job without the right styling products. When in doubt, go with a pomade. These products are designed to be lightweight and universal. So, someone with curly hair could use it just as effectively as someone with straight strands.

There are specialty hair products out there, too. Clay-based products are designed for thinning hair, for example. And then you have gels, which provide visual hold — in other words, your hair will look slick and shiny once you apply the gel.

This step will require a bit of trial and error on your part, too. So, grab a new pomade or gel and see how it looks and feels. Experiment until you find the right way to style your hair from home.

Pat Your Hair Dry

There are plenty of ways to stall the hair-thinning process. One of them takes just a few minutes post-shower.

Start patting your hair dry, rather than tousling it with a towel. Rubbing your hair can create friction, which causes breakage of the strands.

Even if thinning isn't yet on your radar, you might want to try the hair-patting method to make styling easier. Broken strands aren't as easy to control and style as healthy, smooth hair.

Apply Conditioner, Too
Like we said, that all-in-one bottle of soap in your shower isn't going to help you control your coif.

Buy a separate bottle of conditioner and use it every time you wash. Conditioner is vital to the health and look of your strands. Shampoo pulls away dirt and oil from your scalp, and then conditioner comes in to nourish and strengthen your hair.

Again, you'll want to adjust your wash-and-condition schedule to suit your hair type and texture. You've got nothing but time during lockdown for a bit of trial and error — start spreading out your hair washes to see how your mane reacts.