Hair may be your crowning glory, but it’s important to protect it every day. Thankfully, gorgeous hair is easy to achieve with the right level of protection and the right kind of products. It’s important to use products specially designed for your unique hair type and needs to boost the health of your scalp and roots, and to give your stronger, thicker hair. For example, the right nourishing shampoo can add luster to the hair and strengthen it from within to reduce hair breakage and leave your hair shiny and soft.

To get healthy hair, you must start with a clean scalp. We’ve talked before about how it’s not always good to wash your hair every day, but that habit does increase product build up on your scalp, which can hamper hair growth. Here are five tips that will lead to better scalp and hair health.

1. Prevent Your Scalp from Drying Out

Avoid alkaline shampoos and other harmful chemicals. Instead look for a mild, acid-based shampoo instead of. Also, shampooing with really hot water and using heating tools close to your roots can strip away your scalp’s natural oils, causing it to become dry. Wash your hair with tepid water and avoid excessive blow drying.

2. Give Yourself a Regular Scalp Massage

Many shampoos are intended to clean your scalp, so focus on rubbing your scalp when you wash your hair. A good scalp massage will promote the flow of blood and encourage hair growth, as well as calming you down, soothing your nerves and relaxing the muscles in your brain. For an effective scalp massage, slowly and gently move your fingers in a circular motion, repeating the process and gradually increasing the speed and pressure. more pressure with your fingertips while you massage your scalp. Spread your fingers wider to massage your entire head, from your forehead down to the base of your neck. You can also rake your fingers through your hair, gently scratching your scalp with your finger nails from the base of your neck up to your hair line.

3. Reduce Your Time with Hot Styling Tools

If you immediately attack your dripping-wet hair with a blow dryer as soon as your step out of the shower, you’re not doing your hair any favors. With each tug of a brush, your hair is more prone to breakage, and flash drying also causes your hair’s cuticles to become dry, rigid and brittle. Using flat irons and curling irons on damp hair can also cause “bubble hair,” damaging the hair by breaking down the hair’s hydrogen bonds.

4. Get a Great Haircut

Ideally, you want a flattering haircut that’s fast and easy to style. The key is to work with the texture of your hair. If you have fine and/or straight hair, consider a short, blunt bob. Thicker straight hair looks great with graduated layers, giving your hair movement. Fine but wavier hair does well with a shorter (almost shaggy) layered look. And if you have thick and wavy hair, try a one-length longer bob to flaunt your curls without getting puffy.