15/08/2025

How to Get Healthy Hair: What Your Stylist Wants You to Know

Model with long, brown, loosely waved, healthy hair.

You might say you want smoother hair, or softer hair, or shinier hair, but what you really want is healthy hair – the foundation on which almost every hair goal relies. To get there, you need a consistent hair care regimen that supports your hair from root to tip, helping to protect against damage, maintain moisture, and keep your strands looking and feeling their best.

Below, we reveal the tips and tricks that help you build a healthy hair routine, so all the softness, smoothness and shine you've been wanting becomes attainable.

Your 10-Step Healthy Hair Routine

Wash according to your scalp: Choose your wash days based on how quickly your scalp becomes oily or dirty, rather than following a fixed schedule.
Choose the right shampoo and conditioner: Select products based on your hair type, texture, condition, styling habits and specific hair goals.
Use a hair mask regularly: Apply a hair mask about once a week, or more often if your hair is particularly dry or damaged, to give your lengths and ends deeper conditioning.
Apply your hair mask correctly: Squeeze excess water from your hair, focus the mask on the mid-lengths and ends, distribute it evenly and rinse thoroughly after the recommended time.
Add a leave-in treatment when needed: Use a leave-in treatment when your hair needs additional conditioning, smoothness, protection or help with manageability.
Control frizz without relying on heat: Use conditioning and smoothing products to help manage frizz and reduce the need for repeated heat styling.
Dry your hair with care: Whether you air-dry or blow-dry, handle wet hair gently and use a heat protectant when using hot tools.
Reduce everyday breakage: Minimize friction and tension by choosing gentler hair ties, avoiding tight hairstyles, detangling carefully and drying hair without vigorous rubbing.
Protect your hair while you sleep: Reduce overnight friction by making sure your hair is dry before bed and considering a silk or satin pillowcase or an overnight hair treatment.
Support healthy hair through your diet: Eat a varied, balanced diet that provides enough protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to support overall hair health.

Your Complete Healthy Hair Guide

All your healthy hair questions – answered. Below, we reveal the routine upgrades that help you care for your scalp and hair at home. Here’s your in-depth guide…

How Often Should You Wash Your Hair for a Healthy Scalp?

To keep your scalp and hair healthy, assess how quickly it becomes oily and plan your wash days accordingly. For finer hair types, this might mean washing every 1-2 days, while for thicker or coarser hair, it could be every 4-5. Despite popular belief, stretching out the time between washes isn't the secret to healthier hair. A clean scalp is an important part of your healthy hair routine, so pay attention to what yours is telling you.

Dealing with an oily scalp and drier lengths? Skipping wash days can be tempting to preserve your hair's moisture. Instead, wash as often as your scalp requires, but apply a pre-shampoo oil to protect the ends. We love ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, which you can smooth through damp hair and leave in while you lather up your shampoo. This gives dry lengths an extra layer of protection.

Model holds a bottle of ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo.

ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo is massaged into wet hair.

How Do You Find the Right Shampoo or Conditioner for Your Hair Type?

Choose shampoo and conditioner based on your hair type, texture, condition and specific concerns. For example, dry or damaged hair may benefit from a more nourishing routine, like the ULTIMATE REPAIR range, while frizz-prone hair may need products designed to smooth and moisturize, like ULTIMATE SMOOTH.

Need help finding the right combination? Wella Professionals has made finding your ideal shampoo and conditioner easy with Navicare, a virtual consultation tool that builds your bespoke routine based on your hair type, condition, styling habits, and unique goals.

How Often Should You Use a Hair Mask?

Use a hair mask at least once per week to give your hair the deeper care it deserves. If your hair is feeling especially dry, coarse or damaged, you may want to apply a mask twice per week.

Make sure you're using the right hair mask for your needs...

For damaged hair caused by UV rays, heat styling tools, extensions, elastics, and bleaching, use: ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask, which harnesses smart conditioning agents to identify and treat the areas that need the most care.
For dull, frizzy hair that's calling out for intense nourishment and shine, use: ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask, with Squalane and Omega-9 to moisturize hair from the inside out.
For wavy, curly or coily hair in need of extra texture definition, use: NutriCurls Deep Treatment Mask, infused with Jojoba Oil and Panthenol for soft, bouncy, healthy curls and coils.
For delicate hair that's prone to breakage and split ends, try: Fusion Intense Repair Mask, with a boost of amino acids to improve your hair's resilience against day-to-day mechanical damage.

Model with dark brown bob haircut holds up ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask.

Hand reaches toward an open jar of Fusion Mask.

What is the Correct Way to Use a Hair Mask?

Follow these steps to level up your hair mask regimen:

1. Squeeze excess water out of your wet hair before you apply your hair mask, so its nourishing ingredients aren't diluted.

2. Focus your hair mask through the mid-lengths and ends, avoiding the roots unless your scalp is very dry.

3. Smooth it through and distribute it evenly with a wide-tooth comb.

4. Wrap hair in a warm towel, and let it absorb for the recommended time on the packaging.

5. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. You shouldn't need to follow it up with a conditioner.

Should I Use a Leave-In Treatment or Conditioner?

Use a rinse-out conditioner or mask as part of your regular regimen, and add a leave-in treatment if your hair needs extra help. This is an underrated step that can make a transformative difference to how your hair looks and feels. Many of our pro stylists swear by ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, a leave-in treatment that repairs hair damage in 90 seconds*, while leaving you with up to 99% less breakage² and up to 12x smoother hair.

"THE ULTIMATE REPAIR LINE HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN. IT HAS RESTORED HAIR ON CLIENT AFTER CLIENT ALLOWING ME TO CREATE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLOUR ON A HEALTHY CANVAS."

Nikki Lee, Wella Professionals Global Ambassador

All you have to do is mist the blend of AHA and Omega-9 through clean, damp hair, then let it absorb for the full 90 seconds before you start styling. Use five sprays for fine hair, 10 sprays for medium hair, and 15 sprays for coarse hair. This supercharged treatment is called a miracle for good reason.

How Can You Reduce Frizz without Repeatedly Using Heat Tools?

Long-lasting frizz solutions will help you enjoy smoother hair for longer, so you can minimize your use of hot tools in between wash days. We recommend ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum, as the nourishing oil not only acts as a heat protectant when you do want to style, but it also gives you 96 hours of frizz control*.

No more pulling out your flat iron to tame flyaways; you can use it to prep for a wash day blow-dry, then enjoy heat-free smoothness for up to 3 days afterwards³. Layer it over the top of ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue , and the power pair will deliver on deep repair and irresistible natural shine worthy of a hair commercial.

Is Air-Drying or Blow-Drying Better for Healthy Hair?

Neither air-drying nor blow-drying is automatically better for every hair type. To minimize damage, handle wet hair gently, and allow hair to partially air-dry before blow-drying when possible. If you do use a hair dryer, choose a low to medium heat setting, keep the dryer moving and avoid holding it too close to your hair. Make sure you also use a heat protectant, like ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In, a delicate cream that provides shielding and nourishment in one.

How Can I Reduce Hair Breakage?

To prevent daily breakage, reduce friction with these simple styling switches:

Choose gentler hair ties: Swap traditional elastics for silk scrunchies or spiral hair ties.
Avoid tight hairstyles: Opt for loose ponytails, buns and braids to reduce tension on the hair.
Detangle gently: Start at the ends and work your way up, using a wide-tooth comb or gentle brush.
Be gentle when drying: Instead of rubbing hair vigorously with a towel, gently squeeze out excess water with a microfiber towel.

Model runs a red comb through their wet hair.

Model with long, loosely curled, brown hair holds up ULTIMATE REPAIR Night Serum.

What Should You Do to Protect Hair While Sleeping?

To protect your hair overnight, reduce friction and tension while you sleep. Make sure your hair is dry before bed, avoid tight hairstyles, and consider a silk or satin pillowcase if you tend to move around during the night. For curly or coily hair, a loose pineapple or braid can also help reduce friction.

For an extra dose of overnight care, apply ULTIMATE REPAIR Night Serum to dry hair before bed. The lightweight gel-serum helps nourish hair while you sleep and protects against damage caused by pillow friction, leaving hair up to 6x smoother by morning⁴.

Which Foods Support Healthy-Looking Hair?

A varied, balanced diet that includes enough protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals can help support healthy-looking hair. Include protein-rich foods such as eggs, beans and lentils, along with leafy green vegetables, oily fish, nuts and seeds, berries, and beta-carotene-rich sweet potatoes as part of a balanced eating pattern. While no single food can transform your hair on its own, eating a nutrient-rich diet supports overall hair health.

A healthy menu and a consistent hair care regimen are the building blocks for the best hair of your life. Start good habits now, stick with them, and your hair will thank you in the long-run…