Monday, March 9, 2009

Washing Your Hair

When you think of washing your hair, you wouldn’t consider it to be a very difficult thing to do. You might even think it’s quite easy. Some of us approach washing our hair as a mundane task that we have to do a couple times a week. We’ve done it a million times, how hard can it be, right?

It’s not that it’s hard, it’s that if not done properly, we could mistakenly be doing more harm than good. We have to remember how delicate our hair is. It doesn’t matter if you have the thickest and strongest or thinnest and weakest hair one strand of any hair-type is extremely fragile. So handling our hair, especially when it’s wet, should always be done with the utmost care.

So you ask yourself, ok what is the right way to wash my hair?
Here are a few rules to live by when it comes to washing your hair...

  • De-tangle your hair before you wet it.
  • For best results, use warm water to thoroughly wet your hair. By doing this you will open up the hair cuticles and in turn be able to wash all the oil and dirt away.
  • Gently rinse your hair with your fingertips to remove any products you may have in your hair.
  • Pour a generous amount of shampoo in your palm, rub your hands together and apply the shampoo to your scalp.
  • Gently massage the scalp with your fingertips and make your way down the hair, but not down to the tips. As shampoo will dry your hair’s ends.
  • After you finish washing your hair, thoroughly rinse with cold water to seal the cuticles, which will also add an extra layer of shine.

Don’t be surprised if you need to wash your hair twice. If your hair is dirtier than normal, the first wash will be just to wash off the dirt and oils. The second shampoo is when you actually get to treat your hair to all the shampoo has to offer. Don’t be afraid of letting the shampoo sit in your hair for a couple of minutes. Give it time to do what it’s designed to do.

After shampooing and thoroughly rinsing your hair, gently squeeze out any excess water off your hair. Remember your hair is at its weakest point when it is soaking wet, so be gentle.

Now it’s time for the conditioner. Apply a generous amount, depending on your length, to the hairline, middle and ends of your hair.
Depending on how much time you have, let the conditioner set for up to ten minutes. After, thoroughly rinse your hair until it is completely free from any excess conditioner, unless it is a leave-in.

This procedure is pretty straightforward but yet very effective if done properly. Maintaining beautiful hair takes time and patience. With an effective routine, you’re bound to have that luscious, sexy hair you’ve always dreamed of.

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