How to get shiny hair in your 60s

Do you ever watch those awful shampoo commercials on TV and wonder how you can get your own hair looking as smooth and shiny as the twenty-something model in the ad?

As women over 60, we’ve been dying our hair for a lifetime, meaning that it probably doesn’t look as youthful as we would have hoped. When you’ve been stagnating, curling, blow-drying and colouring your hair for as long as we have, it’s easy to understand why it doesn’t always have that stunning shine to it.

Thankfully, we’ve discovered that there are some simple tricks that can lead to a shinier head of hair. The best part is none of them involve an expensive trip to your local hair salon.

Avoid too many hair products

If you’re a gal who loves to use hairsprays and mouse to style your hair, you may want to look at an alternative.

What we’re not often told is these products usually contain a lot of alcohol. While it will hold your hair in place on a particularly windy day, it’s also going to dry out your hair.

Most of them also have a matte finish, meaning that any natural shine in your hair is going to fade away.

Get more Vitamin E in your diet

Anyone who has ever walked into a health shop knows how many different vitamins there are. We’re told they all do different things to our body, so it can be confusing when it comes to finding one that benefits your hair and its shine.

Vitamin E is actually the best when it comes to shiny locks, as it prompts our hair to grow. It’s also believed to stop our hair from aging as quickly as normal, meaning that it should remain shinier for even longer.

Opt for a capsule that can be bought from any chemist or health store, or try and get more sweet potato, spinach, avocado, almonds or butternut squash into your diet.

Drink water

It can be really difficult to get our recommended eight glasses of water a day, but it’s really important to keep hydrated if you want healthy and shiny hair. Unfortunately, sugary drinks and alcohol can actually damage our hair, so make sure you drink as much water as possible to keep your hair healthy.

Eat more fish

If you’re a fan of fish and seafood, you’ll be thrilled to know that eating these foods can actually do wonders for your hair.

A lot of fish contains omega-3, known for preventing hair loss and scalp hydration. Others are high in protein and vitamin E, which keeps your hair strong, while others contain iron and zinc, which is perfect for keeping your hair glowing.

A diet including prawns, salmon, mackerel and oysters should do the trick.

Fish oil tablets

If you’re someone who struggles to get enough seafood and fish in your diet, taking a fish oil tablet daily will still help get the shine back.

Just like fish, fish oil tablets contain omega-3 and fatty acids which are essential to help our hair follicles produce that shine.

Use natural oils

If you’ve already done your research, you’ll know that there are a number of oils that you can apply directly to your hair to get your shine back.

The best and most effective include tea tree oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, lavender oil, coconut oil, rosemary oil. Use as a conditioner and your hair will be looking healthier almost instantly. 

Limit the amount of times you wash your hair

It can be really confusing when it comes to shampooing and conditioning your hair. Some research says that we need to do it regularly, while other studies have even suggested that washing our hair is robbing it of its natural oils. It’s best to wash your hair no more than three times a week.

When you do, be sure to always condition or use oil to ensure your hair remains moisturised. It’s also a good idea to use a hair dryer on a cool setting to dry your hair, just to ensure you’re not damaging your hair further.

Avoid stress

Like many health problems, stress can also have a negative impact on our hair. Stressful situations can lead to less nourishment for our hair follicles, resulting in drier hair. If you can’t completely avoid stress in your life, small things like head massages, yoga and even regular exercise can help de-stress you and in turn, keep your hair silkier.

When was the last time you went to the hairdressers? What’s your number one tip when it comes to healthy hair?