Hair care is really about general health. If your hair looks bad, it is either a sign that you do not look after it or you are not in peak condition. We instinctively know how to judge someone by their hair like a breeder can judge a dog or a horse by its hair. Regrettably, we have been conditioned by promoting to treat the signs of bad hair than to treat the underlying causes. The fact is, that if you have split ends or frazzled hairs, then those hairs cannot be repaired.
Well, there are products that claim to be able to stick the slit ends together and they probably work, but the hairs are not being repaired, only stuck together. Those hairs will still hemorrhage nutrients, die and fall out.
If you have long hair and you are doing everything right, but the ends are still splitting, your hair is telling you that your body cannot sustain it in decent health at that length. Cut it shorter and keep it shorter, even if it is merely an inch or two shorter; it might make all the difference.
Having said that, when you have taken care of your diet and fitness level, you should be sure that the shampoo that you use is of the highest quality and suited to your hair type. Keep in mind that, in general, salon quality shampoos and treatments are better than those you can purchase in the stores.
So, if you cannot find someone locally to sell you parlour quality treatments, you should purchase the mildest shampoos that you can and mix your own conditioner. It is true that there are a number of types of hair: like oily and dry. If you look on the Net, you will be able to find recipes for treatments for your hair type.
Be on the look out for natural hair treatments that include items like honey, olive oil, fruits like banana, apricot, avocado and peach. They might also contain herbs like rosemary, thyme and dandelion; or proteins like egg, and beverages like tea and beer. There are also beneficial oils, notably olive oil and coconut oil.
If you can get hold of salon quality medications, then the instructions will be on the bottle, but if you make your own you can be a bit more untroubled about the timing. For example, if you decided that a mixture of honey, crushed ginger and olive oil was correct for your hair type, then you should apply it an hour before cleaning it.
But two hours would not hurt and nor would half an hour, but actually the longer the better. Massage it into your hair and scalp pretty thoroughly and then cover your hair with a towel or shower cap to keep in the 'vapour'.
Your body heat will create a mixture of vapour from the ingredients that you use and it is better if they are kept in the locality of your hair. Wash your hair in very mid shampoo and rinse as often as necessary to remove your home-made hair treatment.