You’re probably washing your hair wrong - here’s how to fix it
Unlike many other aspects of life, how to look after our hair isn’t necessarily something we’re taught to do.
While there are plenty of tutorials, explainers and hacks for pulling off particular hairstyles, how-to’s for ensuring your hair is healthy (and looks it) seems to still be catching up.
Hair expert Zoe Irwin says that many people who are washing hair incorrectly are even inadvertently damaging it, and has gone on a crusade to teach people how to care for their locks.
Speaking to The Sun, the creative director at John Frieda Salons said hair is often more of an “afterthought” than other aspects of their physical wellbeing, such as skincare.
“Your hair needs the same treatment in order to look its healthiest,” she says.
To help your hair look its best and healthiest, here are some of Irwin’s top tips and advice across each stage of the hair-washing process.
Less is more when it comes to shampoo
According to Irwin, most of us use too much shampoo, and cutting back can not only save you money by making each bottle last longer but can lessen the amount of chemicals from shampoo that ends up in the environment.
She suggests using only a small blob of shampoo - slightly smaller than a 50-cent coin - and to apply it by spreading the shampoo over your hand rather than directly onto your hair. This means that when you do wash your hair, the shampoo will be distributed more evenly.
Irwin also discourages rubbing shampoo into your hair to create a lather, since your hair is at its most fragile when wet.
Instead, massage your scalp by holding your head still and moving your fingers along your scalp.
Use conditioner from tip to top
After shampoo removes dirt and excess oil, conditioner comes in to nourish and replenish lost moisture - and there’s a way to apply it to avoid the dreaded feeling of a greasy scalp.
Irwin says applying conditioner starting from the tips of the hair and working up to the top solves this problem, as the amount of product will dilute as you move towards your scalp.
Take care when drying your hair
Finally, Irwin says drying your hair should be done with care - avoiding too much friction of heat on your fragile locks.
Instead of rubbing your hair dry with a towel, she suggests wrapping it in a towel or hair wrap and delicately pressing and patting the towel against your head. The longer you do this, the less amount of time you’ll need to use your hair dryer.
When you do switch on your hair dryer, it’s best to use it in small sections of your hair on medium heat in circular motions. This helps your hair not only dry faster but also reduces the amount of heat damage inflicted.
Wash intuitively and ditch the schedule
As for how often to wash your hair, Irwin doesn’t say, but that’s because it's highly subjective. Though there is plenty of debate about washing hair daily, every couple days, once a week or even less frequently, it all comes down to how your hair behaves.
Dermatologist Dr Iris Rubin told Cosmopolitan it’s best to shampoo hair as flakiness, excessive grease, itchiness or build-up start to crop up, rather than by following a regular schedule - with finer, straighter hair generally needing more frequent washes compared to thicker, curlier hair.
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