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Basic Hair Care (2)
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Once you've chosen your shampoo, you're ready to wash your hair. You need to completely saturate the hair
with water. This is especially easy to do in the shower as you simply place your head under the spray. Run your fingers through your hair to
make sure the water penetrates to the scalp. (If your hair is resistant, or particularly laden with dirt, oils and styling product, it can
sometimes repel the water and only appear thoroughly wet at the surface.) Be sure to use warm water, which helps to open cuticle layer a bit
and lets the ingredients in the shampoo be most effective, and don't squeeze or shake the water from the hair.
Next, you need to use the right amount of shampoo. Most package directions for shampoo call for a
"quarter-sized" (2.5cm circle) amount. These instructions are intended for hair of average length - somewhere between chin and shoulder
length. If you have really short hair (shorter than chin length) you should use a little less (a nickel-sized [1.5cm circle] amount). If you
have longer hair (length that is past the shoulders) use more (a half-dollar-sized [4cm circle] amount). Rub the shampoo between your palms
and apply it to the scalp. Massage the scalp and shampoo until the shampoo forms lather, running your fingers through your hair to distribute
the lather evenly then rinse your hair completely (until the water runs clear).
Repeat the shampoo process, and note that the second time around the lather should be much thicker and
foamier. This means that the dirt and oils that were initially on the hair have been removed (or dramatically lessened) and that the hair is
clean. After a few times of shampooing your hair you'll recognize whether the lather is sufficiently thick to know if you need a second
shampooing or not. If you do get a full, rich lather on the first go around, you don't have to repeat the shampooing.
Once again, be sure to rinse the hair completely, running your fingers through the hair to help push out
the lather and make sure that you get all the shampoo off the scalp as well.
Conditioning:
Step two to having healthy hair is conditioning, and again, using the right conditioner and the proper
amount are important. If your hair was porous, try using a conditioner high in moisturizers. If it was resistant, you will probably want to
go with a lighter formula.
Before applying the conditioner to your freshly shampooed hair, you'll want to squeeze out the excess water
from your hair, especially if your hair is long. The best way to do this is simply run your hands over your head and down your neck, pressing
gently to force the extra water out of the hair. For very long hair, you can use the above method at the scalp and neck, then gather the hair
into one hand and squeeze the remaining length between two fingers and slide them to the ends of the hair.
Once again, follow the directions on the conditioner package to determine how much you need. Use less if
your hair is short, and more if it is very long. Apply the conditioner to the palm of your hand and rub your hands together to spread it then
apply the conditioner to your hair using a stroking motion. There is no need to apply the conditioner directly to the scalp, just to the hair
since working the condition through the hair tends to spread it onto the scalp as well.
Work your fingers through your hair to "comb" it through the hair from the scalp area to the ends. If you
have very long hair, you may need to get a little more conditioner to completely cover the ends of the hair.
Allow the conditioner to sit on the hair the length of time directed by the packaging. This is usually one
minute for most rinse-through conditioners, though it may be as much as 3 to 5 minutes for some of the more moisture-rich conditioners. When
the conditioner has been on for the required length of time, rinse it thoroughly from the hair. Again, while rinsing, run your fingers through
your hair to make sure to remove all the residual conditioner, especially at the scalp area where it could result in an oily look once the hair
is dried.
It's always important to completely rinse shampoos and conditioners from the hair after using them. Shampoos
contain surfactants that can cause the scalp to feel dry and itchy if not fully rinsed away, and conditioners can result in the hair looking
flat and limp if not rinsed properly. A good conditioner will have properly moisturized the hair and smoothed the cuticle layer during the time
it sits on the hair. You don't need to be able to feel the conditioner residue to have gotten the proper effect.
Drying:
Now we come to the step where most people do the most harm to their hair. It's astonishing how brutal some
people are when they towel-dry their hair. A friend of mine used to complain to me that he couldn't understand why his hair kept coming out in
his hairbrush. One day while waiting for him to get ready to go to a movie, I watched him drying his hair after a shower (his hair is shoulder
length) and he laid the towel over his head and proceeded to act as though he were trying to buff his scalp. He rubbed the towel over his head
(and his hair) so roughly that when he removed the towel he looked as though he'd been through a wind tunnel.
He then proceeded to grab up his hairbrush and rake it through the knotted mass he'd just created. I winced
as I could actually hear the strands of hair "popping" as they broke off. Amazingly, this is not an uncommon problem. I've noted similar abuses
among several of my clients, who are all apparently unaware of the damage they are causing.
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