Correct Way of Shampooing And Conditioning The Hair

Hair care

The correct way of shampooing the hair

1.       Remove the knots of hair before head wash with a wider, thick toothed comb or brush. Since the hair is weaker and more fragile and wet, removing the entanglements and knots during the head wash may cause unnecessary breakage and hair loss.

2.       Use lukewarm water to wash your head instead of hot water.

3.       Once your scalp and hair are wet, take the shampoo on your palm and spread it on your palm. Then apply the shampoo on your scalp by placing the palm on the head and rotating it in a gentle, circular manner. This will improve the blood circulation in the scalp and all the debris or dirt accumulated on the scalp will be removed.

4.       Cover one region of head at a time. Like you may start from the frontal aspect, then move to left side of the head (temporal area), then the back (occiput) and finally to the right side.  Thus, you may need to take the small amount of shampoo every time for each region. This will ensure an even distribution of the shampoo on the scalp.

5.       How much to use? Take only that much amount of shampoo that is enough to produce small amount of lather. Too much lather indicates that either the shampoo is strong or excessive amount has been used.

6.       Those with long hair will require double amount of shampoo than those with short hair

7.       Keep the shampoo and the lather on your scalp and hair for few minutes

8.       Rinse with warm water. Rinse thoroughly. This is the most important part of the head wash. The water should be rinsed thoroughly many times so that all the shampoo from the scalp and hair has been washed off. Those with long hair will need to rinse more than those with short hair.

9.       A final rinse with cold water can be given to close the cuticle and hair will look shinier.

10.   For drying, wrap a clean dry towel around your head and hair to absorb the dripping water.

11.   Then dab your scalp and hair with towel. Don’t dry your hair by rubbing with a towel as this can damage the cuticle and make the hair weak.

12.   Then use a comb to remove the tangles. For people with long hair, great care is necessary at this stage. They should:

·         Remove the knots at the ends of the hair first rather than the roots

·         Make small sections of hair to remove the knots, rather than trying to comb the complete set of hair in one go

·         Prevent the traction force of combing to pass on to hair roots. This can the done by using a fingers to hold the bunch of hair, a few inches away from the scalp

Conditioning the hair

Conditioners can be used for softening the hair. They also help in removing the entanglement more easily. Apply the conditioner through the length of hair and keep it for 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly.

The usage of conditioners is not necessary. It should be used only if one feels that the hair are too dry and frizzy after shampooing.

Some myths about shampooing

·         Oiling is necessary before head wash: Dermatologist’s comment: No, oiling will make the scalp and the hair extra greasy, dirty and weak. It also stimulates the growth of fungus Malassezia furfur that can cause dandruff and thus aggravates hair fall

·         Baby shampoos are best for head wash: Dermatologist’s comment: No, the baby shampoos are usually alkaline (to prevent tear formation) and tend to make your hair drier.

·         Daily shampooing will cause hair fall: Dermatologist’s comment: No, just like any body part, the hair too require daily cleansing.

·         The shampoo that produces more lather and bubbles is the best: Dermatologist’s comment: No, it indicates that the detergent property of the shampoo will higher. The lather should not be too high or too less. A mild shampoo recommended for daily use is the best.