My Hair Care Guide: Tools, Products, and Practices for Healthy Hair and Women’s Hormonal Health

I’ve been on a long-term journey for hair care, and I'm curious about all sorts of DIY, naturally made products for hair.

While I am lucky in the hair genetics department, I still was stuck with straggly hair that wouldn't look good if grown past "mermaid length" (aka covering my breasts).

Thanks, AI for trying to replicate my "mermaid hair" goals

While this post seemingly has nothing to do with hormones, periods, women’s health and naturopathic medicine, I have a feeling that all of us out there could use a little bit of support in the hair department. Beauty may start on the inside, but once health is on track and you look AND feel amazing, then you literally become unstoppable.

It’s worth noting that hair health often reflects overall women’s health. Hormones, stress, nutrition, thyroid function, and even digestion can affect hair growth, thickness, and shine. Supporting your body internally is just as important as caring for your hair externally, and addressing these areas can improve not only your hair but also your overall energy, skin, and hormonal balance.

So, with my tendency to dive into a topic and research everything there is about it, here is what my current routine and thoughts are, surrounding our hair.

1. How We View Our Hair

Hair is literally an extension of you. But the challenging part is that since it doesn’t feel pain, we often forget to be gentle with it. I see so many people angrily brushing or taming their hair as though they’re trying to wrangle it into control. But actually, our hair is something to cherish and protect. Being gentle with our hair—both the ends and the roots—will have long-term benefits.

Each hair strand that gets caught in the brush and snaps off will likely become a split end. Proper hair care starts with how we handle it every day.

I literally find myself apologizing to my hair if it gets tangled or snagged badly. I feel bad!

2. Hair Growth vs. Maintenance

Most people focus on ways to make their hair grow faster, but don’t always consider why it won’t grow past a certain length before breaking off. For this, we need to look at supporting the health of our ends.

Hair growth:

To support hair growth, we look to our roots.

Roots are greatly affected by blood flow, vitamin levels, hormones, and whole-body health.

Here are some nutrients that have a big impact on hair growth:

Proteins & Building Blocks

• Protein - keratin is the main structural protein in hair

• Collagen - provides amino acids like proline and glycine for hair structure

Vitamins

• Vitamin A – supports scalp oil (sebum) production and cell growth

• Vitamin B7 (Biotin) – important for keratin production and stronger strands

• Vitamin B12 – supports red blood cell formation and oxygen delivery to the follicles

• Folate (B9) – aids cell turnover and follicle growth

• Vitamin C – boosts collagen production and helps absorb iron

• Vitamin D – linked to new follicle growth and reduced shedding

• Vitamin E – an antioxidant that protects the scalp and improves circulation

Minerals

• Iron – prevents hair loss by supporting oxygen delivery to hair roots

• Zinc – regulates oil glands and tissue growth/repair

• Magnesium – supports protein synthesis and scalp circulation

• Selenium – antioxidant role, prevents follicle damage

• Copper – helps with pigmentation and keratin production

Essential Fats

• Omega-3 fatty acids – nourish follicles, reduce scalp inflammation, add shine

Next to consider is how hormonal health can impact hair growth:

Hormones

• High androgens (testosterone, DHT) - Can shrink follicles, leading to thinning hair, especially at the top of the head.

• Low estrogen & progesterone - Reduced protection of follicles, causing shedding (common in post-partum, perimenopause).

• Thyroid imbalance (hypo/hyper) - Slows follicle turnover, leading to brittle, thinning hair.

• Insulin resistance - Increases androgens, which worsen hair loss or PCOS-related thinning.

Stress

• Cortisol spikes - Push follicles into the resting phase, leading to shedding (telogen effluvium).

• Chronic stress - Restricts scalp blood flow and lowers nutrient delivery.

• Stress-driven inflammation - Damages follicles and impairs regrowth.

While this might seem incredibly overwhelming, this is something a naturopathic doctor (like me!) can help you with!

Hair Length Maintenance

Hair ends, on the other hand (which may have been with you for 3–10+ years depending on your length), are most affected by how you treat, style, and dye your hair.

Regular trims, protective styles, and avoiding heat or dye can go a long way in preserving length. We'll talk more about that in the rest of this post.

3. A Naturopath's Favourite Hair Tools

Wooden Brushes and Combs

Years ago, I ditched plastic bristles and combs for wooden brushes. They’re gentler on the scalp, have fewer micro-barbs to snag and tear hair, and help distribute natural oils from scalp to ends.

I use my wooden hairbrush daily, first finger-detangling any knots, then brushing starting from the ends and making my way towards my roots. Wooden brushes also act as a natural scalp massager, improving circulation and supporting follicle health.

Boar Bristle Brush

A natural boar bristle brush helps bring scalp oils down to the ends. Since I wash my hair every 4–6 days, those natural oils are my best protection—no commercial oil nourishes quite the same.

This brush is best used slowly from roots to ends. The old saying of “100 brush strokes a night” for shiny, healthy hair was likely referring to boar bristle brushing, since this can have lasting effects on our hair health.

Shower Scalp Massager

A shower scalp massager isn’t necessary, since we all have fingers that can do the same job, but I love mine. It helps massage (not scrub) the scalp, increasing blood flow and loosening oil or skin cell buildup.

The key is to apply pressure in small circles, almost as if pulling the scalp gently under your fingertips instead of roughly scrubbing the roots.

If you do use your fingers, be mindful not to scrub with your nails! Just use the pads of your fingers if possible.

Hair Scissors

I use hair scissors for “search and destroy” missions—trimming one split end at a time. It’s meditative, though time-consuming. Please don’t use your general kitchen scissors, those aren’t built the same way and can damage your ends more than just leaving the ends alone.

To do this, I section my hair, then carefully trim any splits I see.

I only trim one single hair at a time, instead of chunks of hair, especially with straight hair—it’s very obvious where a chunk was cut off by accident.

This practice taught me where most splits occur (usually the top layers) and showed me that some hairs split several inches up, not just at the bottom.

This YouTube account has been so inspirational for my hair care journey, check out how she recommends trimming your hair ends: https://youtu.be/jv1PEmmDiGk?si=K1ZmOdrJiyFXlQHW

4. Hair Products I Use

I don’t use many products, but here are the staples that work for me with my fun DIY interests in mind.

Dry Shampoo

I make my own with cornstarch, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or rice powder. I dust it on my roots with a fluffy brush, massage it in, then brush out. For darker hair, you can mix in a little cocoa powder to prevent a dusty look.

I avoid using it more than 1–2 times between washes, since buildup can occur.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

A game changer. I mix 1 tbsp ACV with water in about a 150ml spray bottle with 2-3 drops of essential oil, apply it to my scalp and ends in the shower, let it sit, massage it in, then rinse. It helps dissolve oils and makes washing easier.

Be careful with the essential oil here! I added too much and my scalp was feeling a bit spicy.

Rosemary is well known for bringing blood flow to the scalp to improve hair growth, and peppermint has a similar effect.

Sometimes I follow with shampoo, other times I don’t. And yes, my partner says I smell like salad dressing—but the scent disappears once dry, I promise!

Hair Oil

I use a simple blend of argan and jojoba oil on my ends, usually 1–3 drops. I apply it after showering, while my hair is still damp, since wet hair absorbs oil best.

I’ll also use it nightly if my hair feels dry, but I always check to see if it’s absorbing well or just sitting heavy.

Scalp Oil

This is new for me. I make a blend with several oils, inspired by this Katherine Hair Care recipe. I use 1–2 droppers before wash day, parting my hair and massaging it into the scalp.

I usually sleep with a bonnet or, in the past, just covered my pillow with a t-shirt to avoid oil stains.

Clay Shampoo

Another option is a clay-based shampoo. I’ve tried this a few times and it makes my hair feel thicker yet coarser. I probably use it once monthly now for some extra scalp health.

I also put the clay on my face and chest while I’m showering for an added skin mask!

Check out this video that taught me a lot about clay and hair care.

5. Washing and Drying Hair

Be extra gentle in the shower. Wet hair stretches more easily and can weaken or break. Even wide-tooth combs can cause stress to the hair strands.

After washing, I wrap my hair in a microfiber towel and try to avoid vigorously scrubbing my wet hair to dry. Once it’s mostly dry, I apply oil to the ends and let it air dry the rest of the way. My hair gets pretty frizzy and fluffy after air drying, and while blow drying would tame it, I prefer to avoid heat and styling brushes when possible.

6. Everyday Hair Practices

Daily habits have a big impact on long-term hair health.

Protective Styles

Protective styles are essentially those that help to keep hair strands together and tidy. Think braids, buns, twists, etc.

When I leave my hair down, my fine-textured, yet thick hair often mats at the nape of my neck when rubbing against sweaters or hoodies. It also gets tangled even in the wind or stuck under my purse straps or in zippers etc., so wearing it up when possible helps to prevent that.

I’m cautious with elastics since they can snag and stress the crown of my head and potentially weaken the hair follicles there. Wearing hair down all the time also led to snags and tangles, so now I mix it up depending on the day.

Bonnets and Scarves

A silk bonnet at night has been one of my best discoveries. My partner teases me for looking like a grandma, but I love how silky and smooth my hair feels the next morning. It also tames frizz after a wash day.

I used to braid my hair overnight, which worked for protection but didn’t suit my hair texture and just left me with waves that wouldn't hold up well. Before buying a bonnet, I tried a thrifted silk scarf and wrapped it around my head and hair overnight. I loved it—so much that I even made my own! Silk is my preference, though satin works well too and is more affordable.

Here’s the video that taught me how to wrap my hair with a silk scarf.

Here’s a video that I used to make my own silk bonnet.

Final Thoughts

It’s been quite the experience with growing my hair, and finally, about 6 months ago, I decided to grow it past "mermaid length," aka long enough to cover the breasts, and now I’ve put extra care and attention into my journey. Currently, my hair is almost 3 inches from my belly button.

I’ve noticed many baby hairs growing in, which make my hair appear frizzy, especially when it rains, but they’re just little babies!

I also notice a lot of hair falling in the shower, since my hair is so long. When I lose a strand, the volume seems like a lot. But since I only wash my hair every few days, that’s when my hair is worked through and finally sheds the hairs that were on their way out anyway.

I also noticed that my layers tend to tangle the most, compared to my longest ends, and getting a haircut with minimal layers has been helping it look even more thick and full.

As a naturopathic doctor, I believe that whole body health is incredibly important and can't be overlooked. Everything from nutrient absorption, digestive concerns, hormone changes and stress levels can impact hair growth. If you feel like your hair concerns are deeper than merely avoiding heat and styling, then let's dive deeper into that.