Tips for Great Hair

I have received some compliments and questions about my hair lately so I thought I'd do a post on what I do to grow and keep a great head of dark hair at 45.

First, I have to admit the genes are responsible for me still having hair while other guys my age look like Friar Tuck. Sorry guys, but if you don't have the genes, there isn't much you can do. But if you do have some hair left here are some tips on how to keep it in great shape.

Diet
If you aren't eating red meat at least once a week, you have no chance of growing great hair. Red Meat is a complete protein as it gives you all of the amino acids your body needs. I'd suggest a Ruth's Chris bone-in rib-eye medium rare, but any rare red meat will help. Sorry Vegans, you are doomed to have crappy hair.

Vitamin D
The sun is your friend. If you live north of the Mason-Dixon line you need to tan and/or take a vitamin D supplement in the winter. I tan as I prefer the natural D and it also helps prevent other SAD issues like cabin fever and massive drinking and eating binges. Winter really sucks in MN!

Scalp
You can't grow great wheat in a dry field so why would you think that you can have great hair with a dry scalp? Dandruff is a clue that you aren't taking proper care of your scalp. A great conditioner should help with this, but you may need to occasionally take extra measures like a scalp massage or a hair masque to keep your scalp moist. I only have this issue in the middle of our Sahara dry MN winters.

Shampoo
Get a gentle shampoo. You just need to clean your scalp and remove any dirt and product from the previous day. If your shampoo leaves your hair "squeaky clean" it's too strong. It should your hair almost as soft as it feels after conditioning after washing.

Conditioner
You need a conditioner that hydrates. Here is an easy test to see if your hair is properly hydrated, run your fingers through it and see how it feels. If your hair is smooth and silky, you're doing fine. If it's feels dry, you need a gentler shampoo and a better conditioner.

I usually avoid drug store brands like the plague but the new Herbal Essences Hello Hydration line actually works really good.

One trick for guys is to shampoo first thing when you get a shower, then apply your conditioner and then shave in the shower (The Art of Shaving) . This extra time gives your conditioner more time to soak in.

After Shower Care
Towel Dry your hair and then spray on an all day conditioner like the Bumble and Bumble tonic pictured. Get an alcohol free gel, as alcohol drys out your hair. A volumizer might also help give your hair some lift and help you avoid over styling.

Ditch the blow dryer
Let your hair air dry. I usually open the sun roof on the way to work to expedite this process. This also helps with the vitamin D.

Stress (Here's where everyone gets an out)

Current conventional wisdom says that stress and grey hair are unrelated, this is pure BS. Just look at any before and after picture of a US president, they all go grey. Here is a tip on how to reduce your stress, turn off your alarm clock. If you are getting enough sleep, you will wake up naturally when you need to get up. I rarely set an alarm clock. Also, try not to go to bed stressed, reading a good book before bed helps, watching the news doesn't.

That's about it. I didn't say this would be simple or easy but it has worked for me.