Washing our hair seems easy but it is also a procedure that, when done incorrectly, will compromise the health and appearance of our locks. Common signs? Excess sebum, excessive drying of hair or the lack of volume are usually the common consequences of inappropriate hair care.
Our specialists are recommending some safe steps to wash the hair properly and to ensure the beauty and shine of our locks without much effort.
Stay away from:
- Excessive foam shampooing
Many people think the hair will wash better if the shampoo produces a lot of foam, and the ingredients in the formula cover as much as possible the surface of the hair. Hair specialists say that in fact the foam produced by the shampoos found in shops – except for the natural shampoos – removes more hard sulfates, which can dry the hairs and can damage it in time.
The shampoo excessive foam is also dangerous for colored hair (predisposed to dehydration).
- Shampooing more than once
Equally wrong, experts say, is to shampoo your hair, then rinse it, apply the shampoo once more and repeat this process several times in a row. Impurities are sufficiently removed by a single shampoo, followed by rinsing and applying the conditioner. Exaggerating the amount of shampoo you use will expose your hair or scalp to excessive dryness and other problems associated with dehydration of the scalp.
- Use shampoo on partially wet hair
Another common mistake is using the shampoo on your hair when it isn’t wet enough. When the scalp and hair are partially dried, the shampoo will not produce enough foam and the temptation to add even more shampoo to compensate is greater.
The excess of shampoo means a greater predisposition to dehydration of the scalp and hair (by removing its natural protective oils and absorbing harmful chemicals). We recommend standing in the shower for at least 60 seconds before applying the shampoo.
- Applying the shampoo in the same area of the scalp
As a reflex motion, the first application of the shampoo is always in the same area of the scalp (generally in the crest of the head). If you do this, you will notice in time that hair does not style the way you want in this region, due to local dehydration caused by the shampoo been applied in a larger amount in the same area over and over again.
Try to alternate the areas from which you start shampooing, from the base of the neck upwards, from the forehead to the back, from the side to the center, etc. In this way, you will not subject a single portion of the scalp to a large amount of shampoo every time.
- Excessive friction during shampooing
The skin of the scalp is more sensitive than many people believe, and excessive friction during shampooing can lead to damage to capillary tissue and hair. When you massage your head during shampooing, use your fingers instead of nails or palms and make gentle, circular movements that do not cause discomfort to the touch.
- Daily shampooing
Hair health can be compromised by daily shampooing because shampoo ingredients can degrade the natural balance of sebum produced by the scalp glands, which helps to hydrate the hair and also protects it against impurities and aggressive environmental factors.
When you wash your head every day, you deprive the scalp of these essential oils and cause the sebaceous glands to become overactive. Specialists say even people with greasy hair should not resort to daily shampooing, as they can aggravate the problem.
- Washing the hair with hot water
Many people prefer to wash their hair with hot water, believing that water temperature helps to eliminate impurities more efficiently. In fact, high water temperature is very damaging to the hair health, causing dehydration of capillary adhesion and loss of sparkle shine.
Hot water, on the other hand, helps maintain the optimal level of hydration of the scalp and hair and better absorption of emollient ingredients in the hair conditioner.
Keep in Mind
Hair specialists recommend that care should be taken with fragile and thinning hair. Buy products that are SLS Free. SLS or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a harsh chemical that is present in over 90% of shampoos. It causes itchiness in some people.
Using a natural, gentle, non-harsh chemical shampoo such as Nutrigro® Shampoo is better than harsh chemical shampoos.
It is not the frequency you wash your hair that counts, but what shampoo and conditioner you use.
