Just like a car, your hair needs regular maintenance and, while a good haircut is important, if you don’t take care of your hair, you are wasting your money at the hairdressers. Here are some great tips for men on how to keep your hair in the best possible condition, in between visits to the hairdresser:

1. Don’t over- wash your hair
A common mistake that many men make is that wash their hair too often. If you have dry and coarse hair, then limit washing to just twice a week and always use a conditioner for smoother, healthier looking hair.

2. Pat your hair dry, don’t rub it
Rubbing your hair might dry it quickly, but it will damage your hair by breaking it. Not good news, if your hair is already thinning, so our next good hair care tip for men is to pat your hair dry gently with a towel instead.

3. No comb-overs!
If your hair is thinning, then the best thing to do is have it cropped short. No comb-overs, please, that just looks silly!

4. Condition your hair with eggs
If it’s good enough for the girls, then it’s good enough for the guys! Eggs are full of hair nourishing protein, so massage some eggs into your hair, and then wash out, and it will leave your hair shiny and healthy looking.

5. Protect your hair when you go swimming
The chlorine in swimming pools can play havoc with your hair. It chemically bonds with the proteins and causes your hair to become dry and brittle. The easiest way to protect your hair against the effects of chlorine is to wet it thoroughly with clean water, and apply a little conditioner, before you dive in or wear a swimming cap.

6. Keep your hair shiny with clarifying shampoo
Over time, the product that you put on your hair can build up, and make your hair look dull and lifeless. You can buy clarifying shampoo that will remove this build up, once in a while. When you have finished, rinse your hair thoroughly and then rinse once more with vinegar, to restore the pH balance and then rinse thoroughly again. It might sound weird, but it really works.

7. Use less hair products
Another one of the common hair mistakes that men make is piling in too much product. Too much gel, hair spray or hair wax and your hair will just look too heavy and unnatural. Less is definitely best, when it comes to the product that you use to style your hair.

8. You don’t need to wash and repeat
Don’t be fooled by the marketing, if you wash your hair regularly, then you don’t need to it twice every time. Wash, rinse and repeat, is just a way to make you use more shampoo. Most people would also agree that two in one shampoos are not as effective, as separate shampoo and conditioner.

9. Don’t overdo the heat
Another one of good hair care tips for men is to avoid overdoing it with the heat. It’s always best to let your hair dry naturally, but if you do use a hair dryer then keep the setting on low. It might take a bit longer to dry, but too much heat will dry out your hair too much and make it frizzy.

10. Get your hair cut every four to six weeks
If you want to look your best then get a haircut every four to six weeks. Another good haircut tip is to always visit your hairdresser early in the morning. They will be less busy at that time, so they will take more care with your hair.

BDST: 1705 HRS, JAN 01, 2015