How to take care of your hair while wearing hijab
As hijabis, many times, we feel lazy to take proper care of our hair and are guilty of catastrophic practices like not drying our hair before putting on the hijab or keeping our hair in a super tight ponytail or bun, that ends up causing our hairlines to recede. However, taking care of our hair is a must. Especially if you wear hijab we know it can be challenging to keep a proper haircare routine.
To make your life a bit easier, we have compiled what for us is the “ultimate hijabi haircare guide”. Don’t worry if you feel overwhelmed, you don’t have to apply all the changes straight away, start one by one, and over 6 months, if you consistently follow this guide, we can almost 100% assure you, your hair will look and feel better than ever! Ok, let’s get into the steps.
1- Have a Hair Care Routine:
I think 95% of us have somewhat of a skincare routine, but I would like to know how many of us have a haircare routine, and if you are part of those who don’t, girl it’s time to sort it out!
Your haircare routine will require you to know your hair type for you to choose the right products for your specific hair type. If you don’t know where to start to figure this out, here is a good place to start: watching this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwH5DHGQy-E
Once you have figured out what is your hair type you must select the right products to take care of it.
We love the brands Aveda and Briogeo as they align with our values and we love clean beauty. You want to avoid toxic chemicals from your hair and body. Both their websites offer a quiz to help you figure out which of their products are best for your hair.
https://www.aveda.co.uk/hair-quiz/find-best-haircare-products?_step=hair_type
https://briogeohair.com/pages/quiz
After following the next steps, you should have a clear understanding of your hair type and now is time to set a solid routine.
A good routine looks like this:
- Wash your hair once or twice a week maximum, to avoid stripping your hair of its natural oils and reducing damage.
- Select the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair.
- Use hair oil once a week before hair wash day and massage the oil with a scalp massager to promote growth and strength. Some of our favourite oils are Argan oil, coconut oil and amla oil. Massage your hair upside down.
- You can use a hair mask after your conditioner for extra shine.
- When combing your hair make sure you are using the right brush for your hair type.
- Always use a heat protector when applying heat in your hair while styling it, try to dry it using cold air if possible or try to use heat only once a week.
- Use a special non greasy oil in your ends after styling for extra healthy hair.
2- Choose the right Hijab material:
It is very important that the hijab materials you are using are not harmful for your hair. We recommend choosing breathable materials, like skin friendly organic cotton, bamboo which features anti-bacterial properties or silk.
https://www.neawear.co.uk/collections/instant-jersey-hijabs/products/black-instant-jersey-hijab
https://www.neawear.co.uk/collections/dolce-vita-collection/products/roma-silk-scarf-square-90
https://www.neawear.co.uk/collections/instant-chiffon/products/cream-instant-chiffon-hijab
3- Silk pillowcases
This one must be one of our favourite tips. I bought a silk pillowcase and never looked back. There is nothing gentler for your hair and face. It feels like a dream and once you get used to it, sleeping on a normal pillow will feel like such a downgrade. Your hair and skin will thank you, given that silk has naturally occurring anti-bacterial properties, plus your sleep will feel amazing.
4- Looser hairstyles, plaiting or braiding and avoid friction
We know you love the volume that a lazy bun gives you, plus is so easy and convenient. However, is not the best for your hairline and it may cause it to reduce due to the pulling that this type of tight hairstyle causes. The friction from your hijab materials especially if they are made with toxic dyes may also contributes to the thinning of your hair especially at the front, plus this hairstyle promotes breakage and causes hair fall and open ends. The best way you can keep your hair healthy is to pleat or braid it. If you are like me and hate the feeling of your hair in the back and the tangling it creates, a good solution Is to pleat it first and then do a loose bun to keep it in place without too much pulling or friction.
5- Allow it to breathe at home
When at home, try to keep your hair down as much as possible to let it breathe. If you have a private garden or even some sun facing windows, we recommend letting your hair to soak in the sun for 30-60 minutes in the morning and let the fresh air in.
6- Trim every 3-6 months
Trimming your hair every 3-6 months will help it grow healthier and stronger, we recommend trimming it on new moons.
Tried and tested products that we recommend:
1- Thinning or receading hairline: Rosemary oil
2- Shampoo and hair mask
3- Non greasy hair oil
4- Scalp massager:
