HOW TO WASH YOUR HAIR

You take your hair and scalp to the same places you take your skin, face, and it gets just as dirty. Clean hair reflects light better and so has a glossier and shinier finish. A clean scalp encourages your hair to grow at its optimum rate. Build-up of oils, dirt and sweat on your scalp can lead to dandruff and blocked follicles – both conditions which can affect your rate of hair growth and also your hair’s general appearance. If you are already prone to dandruff and a flaky/itchy scalp, daily shampooing helps to remove the excess skin and clear up visible flakes. Shampooing hydrates your hair. It is in fact moisture (water), not oil, content that keeps your hair supple and elastic. ‘Natural oils’ on your scalp simply sit on top of your hair, but do not penetrate the cuticle or cortex, they merely travel down your hair shaft over time. Daily shampooing encourages the use of a daily conditioner, which will help keep your hair shiny and tangle free. Conditioning also smoothes your hairs’ cuticles, which helps to protect the inner layer: the cortex from damage and dryness. Frequent shampooing removes unpleasant hair/scalp odour. If grease and sweat are left on your scalp for too long, bacteria starts to break them down and creates an unpleasant smell on your scalp. We all wash our hair, but did you know there’s a right way to cleanse your strands in the shower? Learning how to properly wash your hair will have a tremendous impact on the bounce and brilliance of your locks. While most hairdressers recommend about a five-minute wash three to four times a week, we’re willing to bet that most of you do something more like a one-minute wash, if that! At my Hair Doctor we all believe that healthy hair requires proper maintenance and begins with a healthy scalp. We are all also huge believers in the cool rinse. Learn the proper steps to hair washing when you keep reading.

Step 1:

Begin by brushing your hair before you get into the shower. Not only with this help reduce the amount of hairs that get caught in your drain, but it will also reduce breakage as well as stimulate circulation in your scalp, and loosen any dead skin cells.

Step 2:

Wet your hair thoroughly, and apply a two pound coin size dollop of shampoo to the palm of your hand. Start by lathering hair at the roots and working your way down.

Step 3:

If you hair is long, you might need to add some more shampoo. Once you think your hair is fully lathered and you are ready to rinse, think again. Start giving yourself a good two-minute scalp massage with your fingertips. Gently massage your head in circular motions and lift hair from time to time from the roots. After about every 20 seconds, add just a little bit more water to your hands, and work it into your hair. What you are doing is emulsifying your shampoo so that it can reach its potential and improving scalp circulation.

Step 4:

Now comes the time to rinse away all of the grimy residue in your hair that you didn’t even know could accumulate so quickly. To begin, set your water to more of a lukewarm temperature, and rinse your hair out until it starts to squeak!

Step 5:

Once your hair is completely cleansed, you can go back and add conditioner to the midlengths of your hair to the ends. This will help detangle hair, hydrate damaged ends, and even make your hair easier to manage. Don’t forget to rinse with cool water to seal the cuticle