How to shampoo your hair: The right way!
Cleaning hair is a necessity of our life. Consequently, it can turn into a mindless routine like moisturizing the skin or brushing your teeth. As a result, it often surprises many of us that there is a “correct way” of washing our precious locks! Putting a tiny bit of extra effort and time can have a huge impact on our hair health.
Here we’ll walk you through 6 simple steps to shampoo your hair the right way to ensure it stays fresh, clean and shinier for the longest possible time.
How to wash hair: Step-by-step
First wet your hair: Get every strand wet under the shower with lukewarm water-not hot!. Soaking in warm water helps open up the hair cuticles, loosening the dirt and build up, hence ensuring deep cleaning.
Application: Rub a dime sized shampoo in between your palms and apply directly to the roots. If you have long hair, adjust the amount of shampoo accordingly.
Starting at the scalp is crucial: After applying shampoo to scalp, gently massage (not scrubbing) the scalp using fingers for at least a min. Pay close attention to the nape of the neck (the spot where the back of your hair begins) as this area often gets missed during washing. Once your roots are completely washed, softly massage the shampoo down to your hair ends. Focusing your initial shampooing efforts on the scalp helps remove dirt, sebum, and build-up that collects there.
Rinsing thoroughly: After massaging the scalp, it’s time to rinse with lukewarm water. A quick 20-second rinse should suffice, but depending on your hair type, you could need a little more time. Now if you need to, you can go for the round two of shampooing focusing this time on your hair, not the scalp. Sometimes, the oil remains in the hair at this step especially after having an oil head massages or warm oil treatment. This second step ensures the deep clean. That said, over cleaning can strip off the moisture and result in dry and dull appearance of hair so one has to adjust the shampoo quantity and time accordingly if going for the second wash.
Final cold rinse: While hot water raises the cuticle and therefore makes products more effective, cold water does the opposite by sealing the hair cuticle and leaving your strands extra smooth and shiny. If you're brave and determined to having shiny hair, then take a chance and move that tap over to cold. Trust me, your hair will thank you for that!
Air dry: You may be out of the shower, but your job of taking care of your hair isn't done just yet. The way you treat your hair post-wash is equally important for its overall health and appearance. Always air dry your hair and avoid using any hot tools if possible. Human hair contains keratin proteins and hydrogen bonds. When you use blow-dryers or other heat styling tools they strip your hair of its natural oils and proteins by breaking down its hydrogen bonds which is the reason heat styling tools are successful in achieving the desired look in the hair. They alter the texture of hair in order to make them appear straight, curly or sleek. If you need to use hot tool, wait for the strand to dry completely as even the slightly damp hair will be more prone to breakage!
