The Better Blog

We all know that heat styling can take a toll on our hair, and this includes blow-drying. While air-drying saves our strands from being subjected to heat, it can take a while for our hair to completely dry, leaving our scalps damp for longer and susceptible to irritation and fungal and bacterial growth. The best way to dry your hair without damaging it is to do a little bit of both: Air-dry your hair briefly and follow up with a quality blow-dryer.

The roles of hair masks and conditioners can sometimes be unclear. If we use a conditioner, can we forgo a hair mask? In some cases, perhaps.

But as we enter our 40s, our hair starts becoming drier, duller, thinner and more brittle and our scalps start lacking the proper nutrients they need to produce healthy strands—all these factors make it even more important to understand the difference between a hair mask and a conditioner.

Aging hair can benefit from both hair masks and conditioners but knowing the differences and benefits of each is key.

When regular conditioning isn’t enough to balance our aging hair biology and address dry, damaged hair, products like hair masks can help boost moisture levels and improve scalp function. Keep reading to learn the difference between a hair mask and a conditioner.

Now that summer is coming to an end, you may notice that your hair color has changed a bit over the last few months. Depending on your natural hair color, or the color you started the season with, you might actually like your new hue. But if not, then you’re probably wondering how you can get rid of your new unwanted warm tones and which products work best for getting brassiness out of your hair.

There's nothing like the feeling of the sun on our skin on a warm summer day! Soaking up the sun's vitamin D is good for us. But the sun's effect on our hair? Not so good. The sun's UVA and UVB rays can damage and weaken our hair cuticles, leaving us with hair that is more susceptible to dryness, brittleness and breakage. 

But don't worry—this doesn't mean you have to forgo the sun entirely this summer! 

We dive into exactly how the sun affects our hair, along with the signs of sun-damaged hair to look out for this summer so you can adapt your summer hair-care routine accordingly. Read on to learn more about sun-damaged hair treatments and how to prevent UV hair damage!

It's no secret that you should protect your hair from the sun, especially in the summer. Leaving your hair unprotected can lead to damage like brittleness and dryness while also resulting in a scalp burn from the sun. (Our hair isn't as protective of our sensitive scalp skin as we think—and this is especially true if we have thinning hair.) 

This is why it's important to take a two-pronged approach to sun protection for your hair and scalp. This means using sunscreen and a heat protectant along with physical barriers like wide-brimmed hats and umbrellas to block the sun and provide UV protection for your hair and scalp. 

Read on for tips to prevent UV damage to your hair, scalp burn from the sun, and what to do if you're already dealing with a sun-damaged scalp!

We know that our hair needs more TLC in the summer, but we might not realize that we're doing small things that can have major consequences for our hair! Little habits like sleeping with wet hair, wearing our sunglasses on our head, and letting our hair air-dry in the sun can damage our hair, leading to breakage and even hair loss.

Read on to learn more about 10 summer habits that can damage our hair and how to prevent breakage and hair loss from each one!

Hair porosity is a hot topic right now, and for good reason! Tons of factors can affect our hair's porosity, from environmental exposure to bleaches and dyes to hair texture and genetics. Understanding your hair's porosity is important so you can tailor your hair-care regimen to better address your hair issues.

 

Hair porosity is tied to the integrity and tightness or looseness of your hair cuticles and simply refers to how well your hair can absorb and retain moisture. Generally speaking, low porosity hair struggles with absorbing moisture but excels at retaining it, while high porosity hair readily absorbs moisture but struggles to hold it in.

 

So how can you tell whether you have low, medium or high porosity hair?

 

Better Not Younger compiled 10 signs of high porosity hair, along with tips and tricks for dealing with some of the most frustrating symptoms of highly porous hair!

We all know that we should use a conditioner every time we wash our hair, especially as we age and our tresses tend to become drier. But just like shampoos, conditioners are not one-size-fits-all. Tailoring your conditioner to your unique hair texture and needs is important to help fix your hair concerns and have you on the road to your best hair yet! 

Whether you're looking for a volumizing conditioner, a conditioner for damaged hair or the best conditioner for curly hair, we've got you! Read on to learn more about the best type of conditioner for your individual hair issues!