The start of a new year is the perfect time for a wellness overhaul, and your hair—yes, your hair—should be the guest of honor! This year, let's stop treating our hair like an afterthought and give it a proper reset by focusing on habits that lead to strong, vibrant strands.
Here are five key areas to reset your routine for a happier, healthier head of hair:
Stress Management: Because Your Hair Deserves a Break
Chronic stress is that one party guest who just won't leave, and unfortunately, it's a silent enemy of healthy hair, commonly leading to uninvited visitors such as hair loss and dullness. This year let's keep stress and hair loss off the guest list and be more selective about what habits we invite into the new year.
Prioritize techniques to manage your stress and hair thinning. Breathwork, meditation, or simply scheduling time each day to unplug are excellent active habits to incorporate within your daily routine. By the way, even five minutes of "I'm just sitting here staring at the wall" counts! By keeping your inner drama—a.k.a. cortisol levels—in check, you create a zen-like internal atmosphere where your hair can genuinely thrive.
Rethink Hair Care as Self-Care: You're Worth the Lather
Rethinking hair care as self-care is a healthy approach that supports total wellness. Instead of viewing wash day as a chore—that thing you do between laundry and realizing you need to buy more toothpaste—reframe hair care as a caring, healthy habit.
Taking a few minutes for a second shampoo (a well-deserved deep clean) and an extra cool rinse can become a mindful ritual. Notice the sensations of the water flowing over your scalp and imagine your stress being washed away —an uninterrupted moment to nurture yourself.
Consider revamping your shower with a haircare upgrade—a clean and luxurious shampoo and conditioner—to make this routine something you’ll actually look forward to. Think of it as a beauty regimen that also cleans your hair! Your new ‘do starts now!
Hint: You don't have to wait until spring to release the old haircare products that didn't work for you. In fact, decluttering is an important part of self-care - helping reduce stress and create a calm space.
And now that you’re on a self-care roll, follow by massaging a hair serum into your scalp, concentrating on the areas of tension and feeling the relaxation flow over you.
Sleep: The Ultimate Beauty Secret (It’s Not Just for Skin)
Sure, getting enough rest is always a good goal to become healthier and more well-rested, but let’s make sleep a VIP guest with an added layer of intention: better hair.
While you're off dreaming of fabulous hair days, your body, including your hair follicles, is in serious repair mode. Give your hair its best chance of living up to your dreams by aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep and treating yourself to the ultimate dry January nightcap—a silk pillowcase. Better hair starts while you're dreaming of it.
Continuous rest, combined with friction-free slumber, will help prevent breakage and transform your nightly rest into a dedicated beauty treatment for your hair. Less frizz, more zzzs—a win-win!
Diet And Hair Growth: Fuel Your Mane Event
Your diet isn't just for fitting into those New Year's Resolution jeans; it’s the foundation of healthy hair. Re-focusing on your eating habits, not to lose weight or slim down, but specifically for healthier hair, is an excellent way to reset your haircare journey.
Thinning hair and diet deficiencies are well-acquainted frenemies. Your follicles rely on a steady supply of vitamins, minerals, and proteins to produce strong strands. But left without proper fuel, hair thinning ensues.
That’s why it’s critical to ensure you incorporate a variety of nutrient-dense foods into your diet. So, what are the best foods to eat for hair loss and healthier hair in general? While there’s no substitute for a mom nagging you to eat right, check out our guide of the top healthy hair foods to make staples in your hair recovery:
- Salmon
- Beef
- Prunes
- Green tea
- Carrots
- Eggs
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Brown Rice
- Oysters
- Walnuts
- Green peas
- Lentils
- Bell peppers
- Whole grains
- Sweet potatoes
- Blueberries
- Bacon
- Shrimp
- Pumpkin seeds
For more information, visit our blog focusing on the best foods for healthy hair.
Exercise and Hair Health: The Little-Known Connection
Did you know getting your body moving can benefit your hair? While many now cast aside New Year’s resolutions to get fit, if hair health is a priority, you might want to reconsider.
Redoubling your efforts to exercise will do more than build your muscles. When you exercise—whether it’s a full gym session or a spur-of-the-moment dance party in your living room—you boost circulation. This increased blood flow helps shuttle crucial nutrients and oxygen not just to your muscles but also to your scalp, nourishing your hair follicles from the inside out. Plus, let's be honest, working up a sweat and getting those endorphins flowing is a fantastic stress-buster, and less stress means happier hair. So go on, get moving, and let your hair flourish.
By putting these small, intentional changes into practice across stress management, self-care, sleep, diet, and movement, you can give your hair the reset it deserves for the new year. Get ready to have a “Hairy New Year” (in a good way, of course)!