If possible try not to wash hair daily. It obviously varies from person to person how long they can get away with not washing their hair, but the longer you leave between washes, the better it is because your natural oils nourish your hair. I would definitely recommend washing at least once a week.
If you are growing your hair I would recommend plaiting your hair at bedtime. This increases pressure on the roots and encourages growth. This should only be done if you have strong healthy hair though as brittle hair may crack.
Tangle Teezers are great brushes if you have knotty hair, like me. They remove knots without damaging the hair.
Shampooing
Wet hair thoroughly.
Apply shampoo evenly.
Always shampoo twice. The first time is basically just getting all the hair wet you really need the second wash to clean your hair.
It is really important to rinse all the shampoo from your hair. Any shampoo left on your scalp may give you dry / flaky scalp
Greasy Oily Hair – when shampooing your hair just massage the scalp gently taking care not to move the scalp. If you massage too vigorously so that the scalp is moved you are activating the sebaceous gland which will produce oil and make your hair greasy.
Dry / Damaged Hair – Massage the scalp with some pressure, your aim is to activate the sebaceous gland as your hair needs the extra moisture.
Conditioning
Apply conditioner throughout your hair starting about an inch from the roots and concentrating on the ends. The hair nearest your scalp does not need any extra oil unless your hair is severely heat or colour damaged. Once the conditioner has been applied, lightly comb through your hair using your fingers. This gently detangles your hair. I leave my conditioner in for two to three minutes but if you have particularly oily hair I wouldn’t recommend this.
Again rinse thoroughly.
After Washing
Once all product has been removed from hair squeeze from root to end (i.e. catch your hair in a pony tail and squeeze moving down the pony tail to remove excess water). Never twist or tug the hair when wet as hair is more likely to snap / break at this stage.
What I usually do next is wrap my hair up loosely in a towel and leave for at lest ten minutes. The towel will soak up the excess moisture.
Then I take my comb and gently comb through my hair. Detangling the ends first and working my way up to the roots.
I prefer to leave my hair dry naturally (without any heat or products) as often as I can but if you have to use a hair dryer or straightener be sure to use a heat protector before any heat is applied to your hair.
SLS = Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
There has been a lot of controversy lately about SLS in face and hair products. This product, which is used to make shampoo foam up, is apparently also used to degrease car engines. I have only researched a little into this and the views are very mixed but to be on the safe side. I try my best not to use any products that contain SLS. Allegedly when absorbed into the scalp or skin it can cause irritation, swelling, PMS problems or even Cancer. I am no expert on this and obviously everybody is different but I just prefer not to take any chances so I always use a shampoo and conditioner that do not contain SLS.
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