Tips About Daily Hair Care

• How you treat your hair on a daily basis can make a real difference in your appearance. Learn the best daily hair care practices so you can get the shiny, healthy hair you want and deserve!
• Shampooing, conditioning, hot oil treatments, serums, and sprays — what do we really need to do to keep our hair healthy and looking its best? Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your daily hair care routine.
• Shampooing, conditioning, hot oil treatments, serums, and sprays — what do we really need to do to keep our hair healthy and looking its best? Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your daily hair care routine.

Daily Hair Care

• You may not spend much time thinking about it, but your daily hair care routine can make a real impact on your appearance. Washing your hair too often or not often enough, using the wrong hair products, even how you brush your hair can either enhance its luster or cause dryness and damage.
• Daily hair care also includes caring for your scalp because that’s where hair develops. The hair below the surface of your skin is the part that’s alive; you need to nourish these roots in order for the hair shaft — the part of the hair that’s exposed — to appear healthy and lustrous. Choosing moisturizing hair care products and minimizing blow drying and chemical treatments to your hair keeps your scalp — and your hair — looking its best.

Why Wash?

• Washing your hair is the most critical element of daily hair care. Throughout the day, hair collects dirt and grime from everything you’re exposed to — pollution, cigarette smoke, dust, etc. Even if you stayed inside all day, you would still have buildup of dead skin cells from your scalp which can cause infection if not washed away on a regular basis. Regular shampooing is essential for removing this buildup from your hair and scalp and keeping it clean.

What Makes Hair Oily?

• In addition to buildup of dirt, many women also complain about buildup of natural oils. What you think of as oil is actually sebum, a substance produced by glands in the skin of your scalp, which nourishes and protects the hair. However, too much sebum — as you probably guessed — can make hair look oily and clump together. Washing hair with shampoo helps remove excess sebum along with other dirt particles, leaving hair feeling fresh and clean again.

How Often Should I Shampoo?

• Although daily hair care implies daily shampooing, women who are lucky enough to have normal hair — that is, not too dry or too oily — achieve the best results when they wash their hair only every other day. Washing hair too often can overdry the hair from the astringents in most shampoos; it can also cause an overproduction of sebum, which makes hair extra oily. However, if your hair tends to be oily, you probably need to shampoo every day. On the other side of the spectrum, dry hair is often most manageable and soft when you wait at least two or three days between shampoos.
• Each time you shampoo, pay close attention to the way you massage the shampoo into your hair. Many women rub shampoo into the scalps vigorously; this both loosens scalp cells — think big white flakes on your shoulders — and can also split or break hair, especially if your hair is long. Use a gentle touch and always apply shampoo at the hair roots, slowly working it out towards the ends.

Do I Need Conditioner?

• Yes, conditioner is a key hair product necessary for moisturizing and maintaining soft, healthy hair. Women with oily hair may find thick, creamy conditioners to be too heavy for their hair; a light, clear conditioner is better for their daily hair care. Those with dry hair should opt for the creamy conditioners, leaving them on the scalp for several minutes each time to ensure the moisturizing ingredients penetrate the hair. In addition, women with dry hair should apply a deep conditioning hair product to their hair once a week to promote both softness and shine.

Combing and Brushing

• Combing and brushing your hair serves several functions in daily hair care: untangling knots, removing debris, and distributing sebum throughout the hair. When your hair is wet, it is most vulnerable to damage, so comb your hair after your shower only with a wide tooth comb — no brushing until it’s dry. For optimal softness and shine, brush your hair with a boar bristle brush instead of a plastic brush. No need to count to 100; just brush softly from your roots to your tips. It may also be helpful to divide hair into several sections before combing or brushing. Always clean your comb and brush after each use.

A few more things to remember:

• Avoid tying hair too tightly — it can damage or break hair. Never use rubber bands — instead look for elastics that won’t damage your hair.
• Wrap hair in a silk scarf for sleeping to avoid tangles.
• Use minimal amounts of hair products. They can weigh down hair or cause dryness or flakes.
• Go easy on the heat. Daily blow-drying, curling, and straight-ironing take a toll on your hair. If you blow-dry every day, use the cool setting and keep curling and straightening to a minimum.
• Your hair’s health will reflect what you eat, so drink plenty of water and follow a balanced diet.
• It’s time to take a close look at your daily hair care regimen. Vibrant, healthy hair can be yours as soon as today!