With so much information on the internet, it can be hard to tell the difference between good and bad haircare advice. Should I shampoo or condition first? Is hot water or cold water better? Where should I be applying products? At Los Doctores Cubanos, our team is dedicated to providing honest and medically-backed haircare advice so that you can learn how to get healthy, beautiful, hair without the hassle.
Ready to wash your hair? Let’s get started!
The Importance of Wetting Your Hair
Part of effectively shampoo is making sure that your hair is completely wet before applying your product. This allows for a much deeper clean, as shampoo lathers better on soaking hair, and can also result in you needing to use less shampoo for each wash. How can you make sure your hair is wet enough? Start by rinsing your hair with lukewarm water to open the cuticle for a deep clean, then gently run your fingers through your hair from root to tip to make sure that it is completely saturated.
Using the Right Amount of Shampoo
While using too much shampoo can waste product and money, using too little can also result in an ineffective wash. A good rule to stick to is that if you have short hair, use a nickel-sized amount. If you have mid-length hair, use a quarter-sized amount, and if you have long hair use a sand dollar-sized amount. Once you have your shampoo, start at the top and gently massage your scalp, slowly working your way to ends. When washing you want to focus on your scalp as this is where your hair is the oiliest, while the roots are dryer and can become more irritated by heavy shampooing. Make sure to always use gentle motions, to avoid irritating your scalp, or causing breakage in your hair.
Let’s Get Rinsing and Conditioning
After a good shampooing, the next step is to make sure you effectively rinse out all of the product. Gently run your fingers from scalp to tip when rinsing, and make sure to gently massage your scalp in order to loosen any product that may be stuck at the base. Once your hair is clean, it’s time to apply conditioner. When applying conditioner, concentrate on your ends, NOT your scalp. Applying at the scalp can make your hair oily, and the ends of your hair are generally the driest, and need the most hydration to stay healthy.
The Final Rinse
After conditioning, it’s time to give your hair one final rinse. When you wet your hair with lukewarm water at the beginning of the shower, your opened your hair cuticle to allow for a deep clean. Now that you’ve applied your conditioner, you want to rinse your hair with cool water in order to close the cuticle and lock in the valuable moisture from your conditioner.
Post-Wash Antics
Hair is at its most vulnerable when its wet, and roughly drying your hair can result in breakage, damage, and frizz. If you prefer to towel dry, gently pat your hair in order to remove excess water, and let it dry naturally. If you style your wet hair with a blow dryer or blowout brush, make sure to first gently remove all tangles with a wet brush or Denman brush, apply heat protectant, then try to avoid roughly drying your hair in order to prevent frizz and damage.
Feel more prepared for a good washing? Check out our site at www.losdoctorescubanos.com to find products that keep your hair healthy, and happy, so that dry, damaged, hair becomes a thing of the past.