Why Your Hair Needs a Beauty Routine, Too

In order to ensure your hair looks and feels its best, it's important to stay on top of regular haircuts and trims. Here are several signs that your hair is in need of a trim.

You have an entire product arsenal for your face, but did you know that your hair needs the same level of attention?

By Sara Dickinson, Martha Stewart

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Caring for your hair shouldn't revolve around a single splurge-worthy product or tool—you need a roster of formulas, and a dedicated routine, to keep your hair in the best possible shape. Ultimately, developing good habits will ensure that you have more good hair days than bad. To help you do so, we tapped Kiley Fitzgerald, a stylist at Mare Salon in West Hollywood, to explain why your hair deserves a beauty routine (just like your skin!) and share some of the go-to products she turns to over and again.

Understand your hair type and texture.

Let's start with the basics: You should spend a little time each day caring for your hair (no, shampooing and conditioning is not enough!). Fitzgerald compares hair to a plant that needs water and sunlight, adding that different plant varieties require a different process to reach optimal health. The same, she says, goes for hair. "All of my clients have different textures and styles," she explains. "Each one needs different products to help nourish, hydrate, or repair their hair." The first thing you need to consider is your natural hair type and texture. Determine whether your hair is fine, thick, or coarse and whether it's straight, wavy, curly, or coily. This should help direct you towards the correct products, and in turn, the right routine. From there, you'll want to cleanse, condition, moisturize, detangle, protect, style, and treat as needed.

Invest in a clarifying shampoo.

Regular shampooing is a given, but working a clarifying shampoo, which removes buildup, into your routine is a step many overlook. "Clarifying shampoos are game-changers," says Fitzgerald. "When I used my first clarifying shampoo, I couldn't believe how soft and clean my hair felt. The color looked even better." Looking to stock up? She prefers Redken Detox Hair Cleansing Cream (ulta.com), Davines SOLU Shampoo (amazon.com), and Virtue Refresh Purifying Shampoo (dermstore.com). Just remember that these formulas shouldn't replace your regular shampoo—they strip your scalp of natural oils, so you'll want to limit your use to once every few weeks.

Condition the right way.

A rinse-out conditioner for daily use is a hair care staple, but are you using yours correctly? This product should be applied to the middle and ends of your hair; leave it off your scalp, where it can weigh roots down. And if you're searching for an extra dose of nourishment, try a deep conditioner, which you'll leave in longer before rinsing out. Another option is to use a leave-in conditioner after your shower.

Your hair needs a moisturizer, too.

The skin on your face needs moisture, and so does your hair, in the form of an oil, lotion, or serum. You'll only need to use a small amount (and be sure to tailor the amount you use to your specific hair texture), but a little goes a long way: These products can strengthen ends, reduce your hair's risk of breakage, and lock in moisture. Fitzgerald prefers oils over other types, and gravitates towards Davines Oi Oil (us.davines.com) and Isle of Roses Rose Hair Oil (anthropologie.com).

Good tools are everything.

Your hair is most at risk for damage when you're brushing or detangling it while wet, which means the tools you use to do both need to be top-notch. Invest in a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush, and stock up on products that relax knots, like detangling sprays, lotions, or serums. And if you must blow dry (you should limit your heat styling!), always use a spray-in heat protectant before picking up your hot tools.

Don't forget to mask.

Last but not least, treat your hair. "I recommend using a hair mask once a week—or whenever your hair feels extra dry or you've been in the sun," Fitzgerald says; she recommends the To112 Collagen Hair Mask (to112.com) and the Leonor Greyl Masque Quintessence Deep Nourishing Treatment (dermstore.com).

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