In a previous blog post we talked about how often hair should be washed (the answer was 2-4 times a week, with 2-3 being optimal). Now, we are going to look at hair washing technique. Your showering habits set the tone for healthy, beautiful hair. While many of us love a steaming hot shower and a great lather, neither of these things will love your hair. In fact, if you equate a large dollop of product and a rich lather with results, you may actually be doing more harm than good. In order to achieve and maintain luscious locks, here is the proper way to wash your hair.
Amount of Product
The amount of product you use should depend on the length and thickness of your hair. A good place to start is about the size of a quarter. This should work for those with short, thick hair or longer but thinner hair. If you have long, thick hair, a loonie sized amount should suffice. A quality shampoo should offer enough lather with a smaller amount.
Avoid Hot Water
Extremely hot water may feel great on your scalp but will dry out your hair. It can also lead to tangles that can cause breakage while trying to brush through them.
Applying Shampoo
The reason you only need a small dollop of shampoo for so much hair? You don’t actually need to apply it all over your hair. Simply massage shampoo into your scalp. The massage will stimulate blood circulation which encourages new growth, and the water will rinse the shampoo down the length of your hair. You want to avoid scrubbing the ends because that can lead to split ends and other damage.
Before you Condition
After the shampooing stage, don’t go straight to the conditioner. For best results, experts recommend towel drying the hair first. This is because excess water can prevent the conditioner from penetrating the hair shaft; in other words, if you apply conditioner to soaking wet hair, it isn’t able to do its job. If you don’t have time to towel-dry, squeeze out as much excess water as you can before applying the conditioner.
Applying conditioner
Many people apply conditioner the same way they apply shampoo – roots to ends. While adding a bit of conditioner to the scalp can help nourish and hydrate, it is much better to start at mid-length and work down. Then you can run your hands through your scalp for extra moisture benefits. This way you won’t weigh down the volume of your hair.
