by Elise Minton
 
It’s been said time and time again that the real secret to healthy hair is a mix of using the right and frequent hair cuts. “You definitely want to keep up with regular haircuts to maintain the shape of your cut and keep the ends fresh and healthy,” says stylist Thai Le of John Barrett Salon in Palm Beach, FL. “If you don’t, your hair will lose its shape and the ends will start to look dry and dull.”
 
So why the magic number of six weeks? It takes about that long for your hair to grow just enough that any damage that exists is visible. “On average, you should get your hair cut every four to six weeks—hair above the shoulders needs it every four weeks; longer styles can a bit longer,” says Le.
 
On the flipside, if you’re trying to grow your hair out long and your hair is healthy and not exposed to much damage (think heat-based styling tools, chemical processes and the sun) Le says you can probably stretch your cuts out to every eight weeks. “You can do ‘dry dustings,’ where the hair is cut dry to see exactly what needs to be taken off, to maintain a nice shape without losing the length. It’s a little more conservative so you don’t take too much off.”
 
To keep your hair looking its best, make sure you use moisturizing conditioning treatments, take care of your scalp and limit how much heat you’re putting on your hair, which only damages it and makes the need for a cut more necessary. “On average, hair grows about half an inch per month, so if you’re getting your hair cut every four weeks or so, just ask your stylist not to take of more than half an inch,” advises Le.

The biggest misconception about men’s hair is that it’s easier than women’s. If you’ve ever seen how long it takes my better half to get ready, you’d agree! 

Getting your space in the shower can be challenging when its loaded up at every corner with your mate’s shampoos, conditioners, deep conditioners and who knows what else!  Gentlemen, this leaves you with little to no room at all for your gear, so having your own go-to bottles is the key.  Claim your space in the shower.

You will realize that the shower is just another piece in the puzzle of good grooming when you wipe away the steam from the mirror and look remaining struggles directly in the eyeballs.

So, now that your hair is wet and considering that you’re at least a week late on that haircut and also being mindful that you don’t have much of an idea for what to do with the mop on top of your head realize that this is precisely the moment when good styling will save your life.

If your hair is textured opt for clay or paste and apply to wet hair and DRY IT, yes that’s right dry it, there are tools to accelerate the drying process and they are powerful. If you don’t have a dryer borrow hers (or his), we won't tell anyone.

On wet or dry hair, the clay will offer up a mix of thickening, activate the texture and provide a bit of definition whereas, the paste is moldable, smoothing and controls texture, cowlicks and fly-aways for the remainder of the day. Are the curls simply out of control? Tame and smooth curls and accentuate natural waves with the water soluble pomade.

Straight hair? That happens. Sometimes straight can become quite the challenge because it simply doesn’t want to do much of anything. Use pomade to slick it into a classic look with a high sheen. 

Long locks? Avoid any urges you may have to succumb to the comb over. Consider applying a paste to damp hair and air drying to accentuate your hairs natural texture. Maybe throw a bun, top knot or braid into the mix.  Man braids are so on point right now and look great when paired with classic looks like fades, hard parts, pompadours and other retro looks. 

So just remember, take the struggle out of the shower and use styling goods to tame your tresses. 

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Raise your hand if you agree that a scalp massage is one of the best things about getting your hair done at the salon. All of our worries seem to fade away once our stylist or their assistant rubs our scalp with their fingertips in gentle, circular motions. In fact, we get so comfortable that there have been multiple times when we fell asleep at the shampoo bowl only to be awoken by loud hair dryers.

It’s pretty obvious that scalp massages help to instantly alleviate stress. Yet, we’ve heard many times that this simple technique is also great for the overall health of our scalp and hair. We’d believe just about anything after a five-minute massage. So we asked Anabel Kingsley, a trichologist at Philip Kingsley, and Triana Francois, a hairstylist at Haven Spa in New York City, to explain the health and beauty benefits of a scalp massage.

Scalp massages can decrease stress and boost your mood.
Stress prevents the body from functioning properly, according to Francois. “Scalp massages increase the production of serotonin, a chemical in your body that increases your mood,” she says.

Scalp massages help to create a good environment for hair growth.
The treatment promotes circulation to the hair follicles. Francois explains, “Blood flow to the hair cells means healthier hair growing out of your scalp.”

Scalp massages stimulate blood flow to and from the skin.
As Kingsley notes, this increases oxygen supply, aids in lymphatic drainage and improves the suppleness of the skin. Be sure to look for active ingredients like menthol and peppermint in scalp masks, drops and toners to deeply penetrate into the skin.

Two basic types of scalp massages are effleurage and petrissage.
Effleurage involves circular, stroking movements and petrissage is gentle kneading and lifting of the scalp. These two are the most common types, according to Kingsley. “Scalp massage should start at the front of the scalp and work towards the back. It should be done gently yet firmly with consistent pressure,” she says.

Scalp massages should be a regular part of your hair regimen.
While there is not set amount of scalp massage you must give yourself, Kinglsey advises doing the treatment once to twice a week for 5 to 10 minutes.

“It should be stressed that where hair loss and/or hair thinning is an issue, diet, lifestyle and metabolic functions must be looked into,” says Kingsley. “Scalp massages using the appropriate products will help encourage and support new growth, but alone it will not be enough to get sufficient results.”

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Many popular hairstyles, from beach waves to the top knot, rely on hair that isn’t freshly washed. Dirty, grungy, gritty texture is cool, so why would you want to use clarifying shampoo? A little grit can add texture and bounce to your mane, but too much and you’ll end up with greasy roots, limp strands, and no volume. If you like to go a few days in between washings you need to make your shampoos count. Even if you wash your hair every day or two you should do an occasional deep cleanse to remove product buildup, mineral deposits, and other deep level dirt. Learn more about clarifying your strands in the notes. ––  Laura Martin

Step: Select a clarifying shampoo that’s designed to address your specific needs. Some deep cleansers are designed for product buildup and dirt, others are designed to remove environmental pollutants and mineral deposits.

Step: Normally, when shampooing, you focus application at roots, but clarifying shampoos need to be distributed along the entire length of the strand. Work into scalp first, then massage down hair, all the way to tips, rubbing strands gently between strands to break up deposits.

Step: Rinse thoroughly, for at least two full minutes, and condition. A clarifying shampoo will strip away some of your natural hair oils, so follow a rich treatment conditioner like this hair repair masque.

Special thanks to Laura Martin for this post. Laura is a professional hair stylist, former senior educator at ARROJO cosmetology school, and a creative non-fiction MFA student at Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA. Follow her inspirations on twitter @LarMarStyle