Beauty and sex appeal may mean different things to different people, but there are a few areas most people agree on that make a woman (or man) the most attractive. These include: beautiful skin, eyes and probably hair. In many cultures, having long hair can be a symbol of great youth and beauty. Unfortunately, as we get older, our hair tends to dry out, lose essential nutrients, and breakage, graying, and hair loss is common. Luckily, there are many ways to turn your existing problems around or prevent problems from arising to keep your hair in tip top condition.

Here’s How:

• Wash your hair less. I know, I know, it seems totally against nature, but washing your hair too often strips the natural oils out of your hair and dries it out. This causes breakage, split ends, and dry, frizzy strands that can’t hold color. For the best hair, wash your hair every other day or 1-3 times a week depending on how dry or oily your hair is.
• Condition More. Deep Condition 1-3X a Week. Unless you have extremely oily hair, I would recommend you condition daily or every other day and do a deep condition or conditioning hair mask at least once a week to return oils to your hair and keep moisture in balance.
• Lay Off Styling Products & Tools. Okay, so I know it might sound impossible, but I’m asking you to abstain from straightening, blow-drying and using hair spray at least a couple of days a week. Yes, I am aware of how daunting that may sound, but if you blow-dry or straighten one day and do your best to make it last into the following day, you can keep your styling and hair abuse to a minimum. And hey, if you can’t stand not styling for even a minute, go old school and braid your hair for waves or curl your hair with cloth or leftover paper bags. It works, saves energy and your locks will thank you!
• Use the Right Ingredients On Your Hair. This part can be tough at first, especially if you don’t know what’s in your shampoo that makes it work so well, but some simple google  research for 10 minutes will give you the gist of things in order to best treat your hair type and I’ll help too. Firstly, pro-vitamin B5 AKA Panthenol (sound familiar?) is one of the most important ingredients, but there are others that are great including Biotin, Amino Acids, and various natural oils and butters including Sweet Almond, Apricot, Shea Butter, Mango Butter and more. Look for these in the ingredient list of products or go au naturel and purchase some of these oils and butters raw. Many already contain most of the vitamins needed to keep hair healthy and they can be utilized as conditioners and masks for great looking, healthy hair.
• DIY, DIY, DIY! Sure, DIY can be a little bit of work, but mostly it’s easy and fun. Aside from that though, DIY can offer raw ingredients to your hair in high volume which is often not the case for store-bought products. Many products often contain small amounts of the ingredients you need (done to cut costs) and sometimes it’s not enough to make a difference. For this reason, I advise you to use many raw ingredients to condition your hair and keep it in good shape.

There you have it, now go forth and achieve that sexy silky hair that you’ve always dreamed of! And to help you get started, here are some great DIY hair masks to try:

• Avocado Moisture Mask: 1 Avocado, 3 Tablespoons Milk, and 2 Tablespoons of the Oil of your Choice (Sweet Almond, Olive Oil, and Coconut Oil are great choices). Mix together and apply. Leave on 5-30 minutes and Rinse. Be sure to shampoo after.
• Mayonnaise Mask: 1/3 Cup Mayo of your choice. Apply to hair and Leave on 5-30 minutes, then Rinse. Okay, I know this one is questionably natural, but the miracles of mayonnaise speak for itself. It includes many dairy ingredients and proteins needed for healthy, moisturized hair and is therefore invaluable when it comes to deep conditioning. I know, it smells, but your hair will feel great after! Be sure to shampoo after!
• Your Favorite Oil Mask: This one is easy and convenient. Choose a natural oil that you have on hand or can get on the cheap. Many great oils you can apply straight to the scalp include olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil, and Sesame Oil. Buy organic if you can (may be found at your local grocery store) and apply directly to hair as needed. Leave on 5-30 minutes as desired and Rinse. Be sure to shampoo after as oils may leave hair a bit too oily afterwards.

Good Luck!