Following on from an instagram post we did a few weeks ago, we wanted to provide a detailed post about shampooing.
Many of us have been shampooing our own hair for years. We've got this, we know what we're doing. Then why is it, that having your hair washed at the salon gives such different results to home washes? A few key things cause the differences, I'll explain below.
First and foremost, make sure your hair is totally saturated. This can take longer than you think. A quick dunk under the water or sticking your head under the shower head is unlikely to soak your hair all the way through. Begin massaging the hair to open gaps for the water to penetrate through to the scalp. If your hair is long, lift it up to expose the underneath sections and allow the water to drench the hair from scalp through to ends.
I'm sure we all remember, being young and reading the back of a bottle of supermarket shampoo, the instructions saying to "Lather, Rinse, Repeat" I am sure, many of you, like me thought this was a ploy to get us to use more shampoo. The more shampoo we use, the more frequently we need to buy shampoo. However, this isn't the case. The first cleanse lifts the oils and any old product from the scalp and hair roots. But a second shampoo is required to actually clean the scalp and hair. You may notice your first shampoo doesn't develop a lather and you'll feel like you need to add more shampoo. It is far better to do two shampoos with a small amount of product each time. You may use the same amount but across two shampoos and it will give you a much cleaner result.
When using salon quality products, you only need a walnut sized portion of product. If you feel you are struggling to generate suds, add a bit more water or rinse and start again. It is also worth noting that some products these days have fewer additives so may generate less suds anyway (yes, believe it or not shampoos have had had chemicals added specifically to generate a lot of bubbles!)
Unless visibly dirty, there is little reason to actively shampoo the ends of your hair, the process of the water while rinsing will cleanse the ends enough, over shampooing the ends of hair can lead to dryness.
While using your fingernails to scratch your scalp may feel nice, it isn't actually the best way to care for your scalp. A firm massage with the finger tips will help generate blood flow to the scalp which leads to improved scalp and hair health. Fingernails can actually cause tiny abrasions on the scalp which can lead to hair breakage or fall.
What is your favourite hair wash tip? Do you double cleanse? Also, how often do you wash your hair? This question is harder to ask as lifestyle and hair type play such a big part.