My hair is thick and curly. Plus, I have a lot of it. It’s not always easy to manage. In short: I have a lot of experience with this subject. So, I decided to dish out some of my top-secret hair washing tips. Let’s start at the roots (pun intended) of a good hair day, shall we?
1. Use warm water.
Hot water can dry out your hair, fast. Readers who experience cold weather for most of the year know the struggle of cracked skin on our hands and faces. Hair is no different. Don’t dry out your hair by making this common mistake!
2. Choose a shampoo and conditioner that works for you.
This seems simple, but so many people use the wrong products for their hair. It all depends on your hair type (straight, wavy, curly) as well as the actual strands of your hair (fine, coarse). These are just some general examples, so research your hair type and the types of cleansers it needs.
**If you have color treated hair, make sure your products are dye-friendly!
3. When lathering the shampoo, don’t use your fingernails!
Using your fingernails to cleanse your roots might be the reason there is so much hair in the drain! Basically: you may be unintentionally ripping your hair out (shivers). Use your finger pads to scrub your head to avoid this.
4. Move your hands/fingers back and forth when scrubbing.
For those with long hair (like me!), this is key in preventing tangling your hair. It’s a reflex to scrub in a circular motion, but this can lead to some serious knots in your hair.
5. BE GENTLE!
At all times during your hair washing experience, do not tug, pull, or yank your hair in any way. This could lead to you shedding more hair than you need to. It is not necessary to be aggressive with your hair!
6. Do not use a ton of shampoo or conditioner.
This depends on your hair type, of course, but no one wants to have residue left in their hair from using too much product and not rinsing it properly (side note: make sure to rinse out your shampoo and conditioner completely!). A quarter’s worth of product (give or take based on your hair) should be enough.
7. Use a Wet Brush to wash out your conditioner.
This has to be one of the best discoveries I have ever made. By using a brush to help you rinse out your conditioner, you will have less tangles in your hair and you will be sure that all of the product is out. Doing this makes it significantly easier to brush your hair after you are done washing it.
8. Towel-dry your hair before using any heat-based drying tools.
The more excess water you can get out of your hair without using heat, the better. Personally, I use Turbie Twists on my hair before blow drying it. If you use heat-based drying tools on hair that is too wet, you can potentially burn off your hair (…at least in my own personal experience).
**Try to use a cool or medium heat setting on your tool of choice. No need to fry your hair!
9. Brush out your hair starting at the ends and working your way up to the roots.
By doing this, you won’t rip out your hair. Once again, be gentle! If your hair is prone to knots, try investing in a detangler.
10. If you plan on styling your hair, use a heat protectant.
If you plan on blow-drying, straightening or curling your hair after you have washed it make sure you have put something on your hair to protect it from the heat you are about to apply to it.
**Even if you do not style your hair, if you have damaged or dry hair, try to invest in a product to help heal the damage. This depends on your hair type and the type of damage you have.
Here’s to some good hair days in your future!