Home Remedies for Smooth and Shiny Hair

Every woman wants to have smooth and silky hair. Short or long, curly or straight—shiny hair always gives a good impression.

The outer layer of healthy hair contains natural oil to keep it moist and shiny. When this layer is damaged, your hair will look dull, unhealthy and dry.

Some of the factors that contribute to dull hair are illness, nutritional deficiencies, use of harsh hair care products, not using a good conditioner, over exposure to sun, frequent use of hair dyes, age, excessive stress, high mineral content in the water, chlorine in swimming pools and use of heating tools.

Soft and shiny hair takes a bit of effort. Proper hair care is the only way for both men and women to get shiny, silky and smooth hair.

1. Eggs

Eggs are perhaps one of the best ingredients to provide nourishment and shine to your hair in minutes. Being a good source of protein, fatty acids and lecithin, eggs help repair damaged and dull hair by adding moisture and shine. Eggs also help make your hair strands strong and thick.

• Mix one egg white and one tablespoon each of olive oil and honey until you get a smooth paste. Apply this paste on damp hair and scalp. Cover your head with a shower cap for about 30 minutes. Then wash your hair with a mild shampoo and cool water.
• Beat two eggs until you get a foamy texture. Mix in two tablespoons of almond oil and one-half cup of yogurt. Apply this mixture on your hair and scalp. Cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes and then shampoo your hair with cool water.

Follow either of these egg treatments once a week to get soft and shiny hair.

Note: Never rinse your hair with hot water after using an egg mask. Hot water will clot the egg and it will be very difficult to wash it out of your hair.

2. Beer

Beer works as an excellent hair tonic. The proteins (hops and malt) in beer help repair damaged hair cuticles and provide nourishment to hair follicles. This in turn adds luster and shine to your hair.

1. Wash your hair with shampoo and then apply flat beer from the root to the ends.
2. Massage the beer thoroughly into your scalp using circular motions.
3. Allow it to sit for about five minutes and then rinse it off.
4. Follow this remedy once every two weeks.

3. Coconut Oil

To get shiny hair, it is important to provide nourishment by applying oil to your hair regularly. Coconut oil (organic and unrefined) is one of the best options. It helps restore moisture to dry and damaged hair, in turn making it shiny and healthy.

• Apply warm coconut oil on your hair, from the root to the ends. Massage for a few minutes and then wrap your hair in a shower cap or towel for at least 30 minutes. Rinse your hair with water, then shampoo and condition like normal.
• Another option is to add a few curry leaves to two tablespoons of coconut oil. Heat it until warm. When cool, massage the oil gently onto the scalp and hair. Cover with a warm towel for 30 minutes and then wash with a mild shampoo.

Follow either of these remedies once or twice a week, depending on your hair condition.

You can also use olive oil, castor oil, or almond oil and follow the same process.

4. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise has amino acids, protein and antioxidants that will make your hair strong, soft, healthy and shiny.

1. Use one-half to one cup of full-fat mayonnaise, as needed for your hair length.
2. Apply it on freshly washed, damp hair.
3. Cover your hair with a shower cap for at least 30 minutes.
4. Thoroughly wash your hair using cold water and a mild shampoo.
5. Repeat this remedy on a weekly basis to enjoy hydrated and shiny hair.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a fabulous hair conditioner that can make your hair soft, shiny and moisturized. It also helps remove built-up residue that makes your hair look dull and lifeless. Plus, it can help treat dandruff, itchy scalp and frizzy hair.

• Mix together equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water. After shampooing, pour the mixture into your hair and massage it onto your scalp. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly with cold water.
• Alternatively, mix two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and the juice of one lemon in one cup of water. Use this mixture as a final hair rinse after shampooing.

Use these remedies only once a week.

6. Avocado

Avocado contains nutrients that will deeply moisturize and nourish your hair. This in turn will make your hair smooth and shiny. Avocado is also extremely good for dry and damaged hair.

• Mix one mashed ripe avocado with two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Apply this mixture on damp hair, from the roots to the ends. Cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Finally, rinse and shampoo your hair as usual.
• You can also mash one ripe avocado and one ripe banana together. Mix in one-half tablespoon of almond oil. Massage this paste onto your scalp and spread it all over your hair. Cover your head with a shower cap for 30 minutes or more. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and then shampoo your hair.

Follow either of these remedies once or twice a week, depending on the condition of your hair.

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11 Tricks for Growing Your Hair Really, Really Long

1. Remember that it can't grow overnight.

Unless your scalp unleashes new strands like a Chia Pet, gaining new length is going to take time. "Hair typically only grows about a quarter of an inch — to a half an inch max — a month," says celebrity hair stylist Mark Townsend, who helped Ashley Olsen grow out her asymmetric bob to past her waist. "And that's only if it is super-healthy and doesn't have a ton of split ends." The bottom line: practice patience.

2. Ironically, a scissor is your friend.

Although getting regular trims to snip splits won't make your hair actually grow faster, it will keep tips looking healthy and prevent splits from working their way up strands, requiring you to chop hair off more often. "If you wait so long that splits are causing your hair to break off high up on the strand, your hair will actually be shorter than if you get consistent trims," Townsend says, who suggests asking your stylist to take around just an eighth of an inch off every 10 to 12 weeks to prevent extreme split ends before they start.

3. Use conditioner every time you shampoo.

"If your hair is wet, that means you have to condition it," Townsend says. "Over time, from coloring and heat styling, strands start to get thinner at the bottom." Conditioner helps replace the lipids and proteins inside the hair shaft, "as well as seal the cuticle to help prevent more damage from happening so that you can get your hair to grow longer and look healthier," he says.

4. And don't shampoo every time you shower.

"It's shocking to me how many women skip conditioner when showering, which is the worst thing you can do for your hair — especially when you're trying to grow it long — and it's actually shampoo that you should be skipping as much as possible," Townsend says. Here's why: The purpose of shampoo is to wash away dirt and product buildup, but it can also take essential natural oils that keep strands soft and healthy along with it. When you really do need shampoo, be gentler on your hair by only lathering up at your scalp and then simply letting the suds slide down strands, hitting the rest of the hair as the water rinses it away.

5. Apply an oil or mask treatment weekly.

Because hair that touches your shoulders or beyond can be several years old and most likely needs more TLC than normal conditioner. Townsend suggests using moisture-based masks and oils weekly. "I make a natural oil treatment and give it to all of my clients to use pre-shampoo," Townsend says. (His easy recipe: 1 cup of unrefined coconut oil mixed with 1 tablespoon each of almond, macadamia and jojoba oil.) Because oils can leave a residue on hair, he says to apply it to damp hair, leave it on for 10 minutes, then shampoo and condition like normal. "These oils are able to fill strands up with fatty acids and then, when rinsed out, using regular shampoo helps seal them inside hair," Townsend says, adding that Kate Bosworth, Diane Kruger, and Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen are fans. Not into DIY? Try an oil-based hair treatment instead, such as Nexxus Oil Infinite Nourishing Hair Oil.

6. Consider trying hair-boosting supplements.

Your body requires many vital nutrients to create new hair, from ample protein to a slew of essential minerals. So take a look at your diet — because while eating a balanced diet helps, you may not be getting the proper amount of all the hair-building nutrients needed to create healthy hair that can grow super-long and withstand damage. "I take Viviscal Extra Strength and biotin tablets every day and tell my clients to do so as well — especially if they want to grow their hairand make it healthier as soon as it comes out of the follicle," Townsend says. Before starting to take supplements, it's best to check in with your doctor to make sure not only that you take the right amounts and that they won't interact with any medications you're currently taking.

7. Brush your hair like it's spun from gold.

Constant brushing can cause physical harm to your hair. "When you detangle wet hair, be sure to start from the bottom and work your way up — we often instinctually go from the scalp down but that just brings small tangles into one large knot and can cause you to lose a lot of hair," Townsend explains. He also suggests reaching for the Sheila Stotts Natural Boar Bristle Brush, as boar bristle brushes are good at distributing your scalp's natural oils down your hair and being extra-gentle on strands too.

8. Ditch your cotton pillowcase.

Townsend recommends switching to a sateen fabric such as Calvin Klein Sateen White Sheetingbecause it has a softer surface that won't cause friction the way that regularly woven cotton does with your hair, so you'll wake up with fewer tangles.

9. Never, ever wrap your hair in a massive towel again.

What could be so bad about putting hair in your super soft bath towel? A lot. "It causes so much breakage," Townsend says. "Your hair gets caught in all the woven fibers and since most women almost always wrap it too tight around their face, all those tiny, fragile strands around your face are more prone to break." Opt for the super-thin and soft microfiber hair towels instead (likeAquis microfiber hair towel), which are totally OK to wrap into a turban.

10. Switch up your pony placement.

It's an easy move that can help maintain the integrity of your strands wherever you tend to secure your ponytail all the time, which means they'll continue to grow out strong and damage-free.

11. Do a cold-water rinse at the end of each shower.

"This really does help to grow hair and keep long hair healthy for longer," Townsend says. "Cold water lays down the outer layer of hair more smoothly, which helps prevent moisture loss, snags and heat damage — you only need to do it for a few seconds, but this one extra step over time can make a huge difference."

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