Tuesday 16 September 2014

Edit Article How to Take Care of Your Hair

Part 1 of 5: Washing hair properly

 Wash hair sparingly and use a good-quality shampoo. Washing hair too often can leave hair dried out, leached of its natural oils, and may damage your hair. Aim to shampoo your hair at most every other day or even only twice a week.

26836f82e46040fca5a806badc0036547afa3dbd

 

Try shampoos that do not contain sulfates or parabens. Sulfates are the chemicals that make shampoos lather up. Parabens are preservatives that cause irritation and eye problems after prolonged use. Both of these chemicals aren't healthy for you or the environment so try to use shampoos with natural cleansers.

  • Choose a shampoo that suits your hair type. Don't just go for any old shampoo; go for the shampoo that works for your hair type. Typical types include (but are not limited to):
    • Curly or coarse hair probably wants frizz-minimizing and softening shampoo.
    • Straight or oily hair probably wants a gentle shampoo designed for daily washing.
    • Colored or treated hair probably needs a shampoo that's fortified with extracts or amino acids, because treating your hair is essentially damaging it.
    • Dry hair probably needs shampoos with glycerin and collagen to help restore some moisture into the hair.

 Use conditioner that matches your hair type, length, and treatment damage. A good rule of thumb is to condition every time you shampoo your hair, although very processed or dyed hair probably needs a little more love than natural hair.

  • Deep condition once a week. Use a store-bought hair care product, or venture out on your own and try a homemade solution. Deep conditioning is very good for your hair. It keeps hair soft, healthy and moisturized.

Condition your hair properly based on hair type:
  • For fine hair: If you have very limp hair, try a botanical oil treatment before you shampoo. Use lavender or tea-tree oil, for example, and work it under your cuticles before shampooing. Wash shampoo away and apply conditioner from the mid-shaft down to the end. Leave in for a minute before washing.
  • For medium to thick hair, use a moisturizer with natural hydrators. Keep your conditioner light. Apply conditioner all over your head and let stay for 2-3 minutes.

Be careful about using hair care products with too much protein. Too much protein can leave your hair feeling desiccated and brittle. While protein is the building block of healthy hair, use conditioners that come with balanced ingredients.
  • Frizz-control serum can be used in small quantities to tame frizzes. Make sure you do not use too much, and wash once a week with a deep-cleanse shampoo to avoid build-up, which will leave hair looking dull and flaky.

Rinse your hair with vinegar before shampooing. Doing this helps to make your hair look shinier and cleaner; plus, it treats dandruff. Use 1 part vinegar (preferably organic apple cider vinegar) to 3 parts warm water, then rinse and wash your hair as normal.


Moisturize your hair. Use five oils: almond, castor, olive, coconut and lavender oils. Mix together equal proportions of each. Apply to the hair and leave in for four hours prior to showering out.