Our hair contributes a lot on how we look. We often change our hairstyles if we are depressed or if we want to have a new look. Having shiny, long hair is not just in the genes but it is also about how we take care of our crowning glory.

Over time, there are just things that we often take for granted, but these could bring permanent damage on our hair. Exposure to chlorinated water for example, is one thing that we should be aware that could damage our hair.

Among other things that you should keep in mind in taking care of your hair are the following:

- Eat healthy. If there are certain foods for the skin, the glow and shine of our hair also comes from within. Food rich in Vitamin A and C can help you produce sebum, which is produced in the scalp, and it moisturizes the hair naturally. It can be found in green vegetables like spinach and broccoli as well. Aside from that, a healthy and balanced diet is needed to have that healthy, glowing hair. Fruits, legumes, whole grains and lean proteins can be your way to a healthier hair and a healthier body as well.

- Wear a cap when you go swimming, or wet your hair before diving into the pool. This will allow lesser penetration of the chlorinated water into your hair. Chlorine is one of the culprits in making your hair dry and dull.

- Avoid too many chemicals and overstyling. Fashion fad and trends often push us to make various hair styling and chemical treatments. Hair coloring, perming, blow-drying, ironing, bleaching... they may give you amazing hair after treatments but these processes change the structure of the hair that in the long run, it cause breakage, split ends, or it make the hair dull.

- Avoid too much shampooing. Shampooing can clean your hair and scalp of course, but when you do it frequently, it can also wash away the natural oil in your hair, and leaving your hair dull and dry. How frequent you should shampoo depends upon your lifestyle, and your hair. You can tell how long your hair produce oil buildups and thus, you can determine how frequent you should shampoo. You can choose to do it twice a week or thrice a week, depending on your needs.

Although there are times that we may not avoid some of these harmful things we do to our hair, like having blow-drying after we get our hairs trimmed, or dipping into the pool of chlorinated water, we can still do things to rescue our hair from damage. We can rinse our hair after the swim to get rid of the chlorine.

If we are going to a salon to get our hair trimmed, we can always request the stylist not to blow dry too close to the hair - for sure, they will appreciate your preference. Avoid blow-drying as much as possible. You can pat your hair dry with a towel and let it dry naturally. Make sure too that you have time for your hair.