Healthy Hair 1 Shampoo at a Time

Here’s how it goes with most women – they learn a certain way of washing their hair when they were kids and never make changes to this routine even after growing up. In fact, I’m guilty of doing this too. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with sticking to a particular hair washing routine, the problem begins when it actually starts damaging your hair. You may think that you have split ends or are experiencing hair fall because there’s something wrong with the products you are using and change them out – only to see the problems persist. What you need to do is make a few changes in your hair washing and drying routine to see an improvement in your hair within a few weeks. So, here are the best shower tips that you can follow to keep your hair healthy and happy!

Tips For Shampooing

Steam your hair before shampooing it: The pores on your scalp are usually clogged with oil and dirt. The best way to cleanse them away is by steaming you hair. To do so, soak a towel in hot water and wring out the excess water. Wrap this towel around your head and leave it on for 20 minutes before jumping into the shower.
Massage steamed hair before shampoo: After steaming your hair, gently massage your scalp with your fingers for a few minutes. This can help loosen up the dirt and buildup and also root out the weak hair strands from your scalp.
Use cool or lukewarm water: You know how they say using heat styling tools on your too frequently can damage it? Well, the same holds true for hot water. The heat from hot water can strip off natural oils and leave your hair cuticles open, thus allowing all the moisture to escape from it. On the other hand, washing it with cool or lukewarm water can help close the cuticle and lock in the moisture, thus giving you shinier and smoother locks. It can also help reduce frizz.
Use paraben and SLS free shampoo: I’m sure you must have heard some buzz about how you need to start using shampoos that are free of sulfates (SLS) and parabens. While parabens are added as a preservative, SLS helps in forming a lather. Both these chemicals have long been known to cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. But recent studies have found that they can also be carcinogenic and cause severe eye damage in children. So, it’s best to use organic shampoos that are SLS- and paraben-free.
Apply shampoo only on the scalp: The purpose of shampoo is to cleanse and remove the dirt, dead skin cells, and product buildup from your scalp. Rubbing shampoo on the lengths of your will only strip it of its natural oils and leave it looking dry, dull, and lifeless. So, take a quarter-sized amount of shampoo and massage it into your roots and scalp until it lathers up.
Gently massage while shampooing: When lathering the shampoo, gently massage your scalp with your fingers, moving in a circular motion. This easily cleanses away the dirt from your scalp.
what to do with hair after the shower: The massage will also help improve the blood circulation to your hair follicles and boost hair growth.
Don’t wash your hair daily: Most shampoos contain chemicals that can make your hair extremely dry and brittle if used daily. So, it’s best to wash your hair no more than twice or thrice a week to maintain its health and optimum moisture level.
Do not stretch shampooing time: Your hair is in its most fragile state when it’s wet. So, ideally, you should shampoo and condition your hair within 15 minutes of wetting it to keep damage and breakage at the minimum.