Most of us don’t really think too much about how we shampoo or condition our hair, comb them or use gel etc. This is the cause of some of the most common hair problems. Some of the common problems people face are:
Following are some of the basics you should follow:
Shampooing:
The first step to healthy hair is cleansing. This means choosing the right shampoo and using the right amount of shampoo. Most shampoo formulas are made for “normal to dry hair” or “normal to oily hair”. A good way to determine which of these you need is to take a spray bottle with water and lightly mist your hair when it is dry.
Does the water absorb immediately, or does it bead up on the surface for a moment before being absorbed? If the water absorbs immediately, you should use a shampoo for “normal to dry hair” because it has more moisturizing ingredients. If the water beads up at first, use a shampoo for “normal to oily hair”. The spray test is usually performed to determine the hair’s porosity, but works here because porous hair (where the water absorbs immediately) tends to be dry, while resistant hair (where the water beads up) tends to accumulate more surface oils.
Once you’ve chosen your shampoo, you’re ready to wash your hair. You need to completely saturate the hair with water. This is especially easy to do in the shower as you simply place your head under the spray. Run your fingers through your hair to make sure the water penetrates to the scalp. (If your hair is resistant, or particularly laden with dirt, oils and styling product, it can sometimes repel the water and only appear thoroughly wet at the surface.) Be sure to use warm water, which helps to open cuticle layer a bit and lets the ingredients in the shampoo be most effective, and don’t squeeze or shake the water from the hair.
Next, you need to use the right amount of shampoo. Most package directions for shampoo call for a “quarter-sized” (2.5cm circle) amount. These instructions are intended for hair of average length – somewhere between chin and shoulder length. If you have really short hair (shorter than chin length) you should use a little less (a nickel-sized [1.5cm circle] amount). If you have longer hair (length that is past the shoulders) use more (a half-dollar-sized [4cm circle] amount). Rub the shampoo between your palms and apply it to the scalp. Massage the scalp and shampoo until the shampoo forms lather, running your fingers through your hair to distribute the lather evenly then rinse your hair completely (until the water runs clear).
Repeat the shampoo process, and note that the second time around the lather should be much thicker and foamier. This means that the dirt and oils that were initially on the hair have been removed (or dramatically lessened) and that the hair is clean. After a few times of shampooing your hair you’ll recognize whether the lather is sufficiently thick to know if you need a second shampooing or not. If you do get a full, rich lather on the first go around, you don’t have to repeat the shampooing.
Drying:
Now we come to the step where most people do the most harm to their hair. It’s astonishing how brutal some people are when they towel-dry their hair. A friend of mine used to complain to me that he couldn’t understand why his hair kept coming out in his hairbrush. One day while waiting for him to get ready to go to a movie, I watched him drying his hair after a shower (his hair is shoulder length) and he laid the towel over his head and proceeded to act as though he were trying to buff his scalp. He rubbed the towel over his head (and his hair) so roughly that when he removed the towel he looked as though he’d been through a wind tunnel.
He then proceeded to grab up his hairbrush and rake it through the knotted mass he’d just created. I winced as I could actually hear the strands of hair “popping” as they broke off. Amazingly, this is not an uncommon problem. I’ve noted similar abuses among several of my clients, who are all apparently unaware of the damage they are causing and don’t know how to properly dry hair.
When the hair is wet, it is most vulnerable to stretching and breakage. To properly dry the hair, you should first squeeze out the excess water as described above (running the hands over the head and neck, and pinching the hair between two fingers to force out the water from the ends of long hair). Next take your towel and lay it over the head and blot the water from the hair by pressing the towel to the scalp and squeezing the hair length between the folds of the towel. You can massage the towel on the scalp area, but use only the fingertips and very small movements (less than ½ an inch [or 1.5cm]). Ideally, you should turban your hair up into the towel and leave it there for 10 to 15 minutes. While your hair is turbaned, you can dry the rest of your body and do other things, like getting dressed.
This does mean that you’ll need to use more than one towel, but the benefit is that your hair will be much easier to style, especially if you have very long hair, which can become knotted and matted when wet if not treated gently. Once the hair has had time for the towel to absorb the water, take down the turban and use a wide-tooth comb, working from the ends of the hair upward to comb out the damp hair until it is smooth. It’s always recommended that you use a wide-tooth comb to detangle damp hair. It provides even, low tension to separate tangled strands. Some people have been known to use “pronged” brushes, but unless the prongs of the brush are sufficiently spaced, you end up with the hair being directed in multiple directions at once and it can result in breakage. A comb with wide-set teeth is a much safer choice.
At this point, your hair is ready for styling, we will cover this later.
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