IMPORTANCE OF SHAMPOO

Another article from a  website endorsed by Mrs. Stankevich. There is a difference though when it comes to combing hair before washing it. Mrs. Stankevich does not recommend to comb your hair from the ends as it is disturbing  to your central nervous system. Always comb your hair starting from the roots.

Correct shampooing can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your hair. Try incorporating these steps into your daily regime to promote the optimum vitality and well-being of your hair and scalp.

SHAMPOO

DETANGLE

Before wetting your hair, gently run a wide-tooth comb through it. If your hair is tangled when you start washing, it is likely to get more knotted. Start at your ends and gradually work your way up to the root to avoid snarling and breakage ( this is in contradiction  with  what Mrs. Stankevich advises) We suggest using a ‘saw-cut’ comb in which each tooth is cut into it, making it smoother - they are available in plastic or vulcanite (hard rubber). Avoid cheap plastic combs made from a mould as these can cut into your hair. Metal combs are even worse as their edges can lacerate your hair.

PRE-SOAKING

Pre-soaking your hair is very important. If you wet your hair thoroughly, you will need less shampoo, and applying too much shampoo can cause your hair to look dull and is also a waste of product. Use warm water to wet your hair and gently draw your fingers through it.

APPLYING YOUR SHAMPOO AND LATHERING

Do not pour shampoo directly onto your hair. Instead, pour it onto the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and then smooth the shampoo over your hair. Gently rub your palms over your hair, and massage your scalp with your fingertips in a gentle kneading motion. Massage on any part of your body is relaxing and gives you a feeling of well-being - this is particularly so in scalp massage and shampooing.

Continue the massaging action for approximately 30 seconds and every so often run your fingers through your hair from front to back in order to avoid tangling. One wash is all that is needed if you wash your hair daily. It is not necessary or healthy for you to vigorously rub your scalp. This can sometimes lead you to pull out and break your hair, and can also irritate your scalp.

RINSE

A common cause of dull hair is insufficient rinsing out of shampoo. We suggest that even if you think you have rinsed enough, you should rinse again. There is no reason to finish off your rinse with cold water, unless you enjoy it. A ‘cold rinse’ does not in fact make your hair shinier; it is conditioning which does this. 

DAILY SHAMPOOING

Daily shampooing might be the topic that we have the most initial debate over with our clients, so we thought it very important to dedicate a page to explaining why we recommend it, and why it is good for the health of your hair and scalp.

We understand that it isn’t realistic for everyone to wash their hair daily due to lack of time and their hair texture and length – this is particularly true if you have very unruly, curly, coarse and hard-to-control hair, such as African Caribbean hair. Furthermore, if you need to straighten your hair every time you wash it, there can be negatives. Indeed, some individuals find their hair looks and behaves better after a few days of not washing. It is an individual preference, but research shows that frequent shampooing helps to maintain a healthy scalp and hair.

If daily shampooing isn’t possible, we recommend every other day, or try using a scalp toner, or dry shampoo with scalp benefits, on the days in between to help keep your scalp and hair in better condition and to discourage the overgrowth of bacteria. The most important thing is to choose the correct shampoo and conditioner for your hair texture and needs. 

There are 3 common myths connected to people’s reluctance to wash their hair frequently: ‘Shampooing dries my hair’; ‘Shampooing makes my hair oily and dirtier’; ‘Frequent washing makes my hair fall out - if I washed it every day I’d have none left.’

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF THE BENEFITS OF FREQUENT SHAMPOOING

·         You take your hair and scalp to the same places you take your face, and it gets just as dirty. Clean hair reflects light better and so has a glossier and shinier finish.

·         A clean scalp encourages your hair to grow at its optimum rate. 

·         Build-up of oils, dirt and sweat on your scalp can lead to dandruff and clogged follicles – both conditions which can affect your rate of hair growth and also your hair’s general appearance.

·         If you are already prone to dandruff and a flaky/itchy scalp, daily shampooing helps to remove the excess skin and clear up visible flakes. This is especially true if you use a shampoo specifically formulated to clear dandruff.

·         Shampooing hydrates your hair. It is in fact moisture (water), not oil, content that keeps your hair supple and elastic. ‘Natural oils’ on your scalp simply sit on top of your hair, but do not penetrate the cuticle or cortex.

·         Daily shampooing encourages the use of a daily conditioner  which will help keep your hair shiny and tangle free. Conditioning also smoothes your hairs’ cuticles, which helps to protect your cortex from damage and dryness.

·         Frequent shampooing removes unpleasant hair/scalp odour. If grease and sweat are left on your scalp for too long, bacteria starts to break them down and creates the equivalent of B.O. on your scalp.

CONDITIONING

 All hair textures benefit from the correct use of a post shampoo conditioner. Conditioner is vital to healthy looking, shiny hair - it smoothes the hair cuticle aiding light reflection and allowing for that brilliant glossy appearance. This closing of the cuticle also helps to protect your hairs’ inner layer (the cortex) from damage and excess moisture evaporation, and aids in easing out tangles.

Nevertheless, conditioners often get an bad reputation because people find they weigh their hair down or make it look ‘lank’, ‘greasy’ or ‘dull’. However, this will only happen if you apply conditioner incorrectly, or use the wrong one for your hair texture. To choose the right conditioner for you hair type, you first have to determine the texture of your individual hairs (whether they are fine, medium, coarse or Afro/Carribbean) and then take into account its length and level of chemical processing.

HOW TO APPLY CONDITIONER CORRECTLY

Pour a small quantity  of conditioner into the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and smooth the conditioner over your hair, paying particular attention to the older, more weathered ends. To avoid weighing your hair down, do not rub conditioner into your scalp or to the hair near your scalp. Rinse immediately.

A well-formulated conditioner should work right away, so there is no need to leave it in in for longer than a few seconds. If you have particularly knotty hair, gently comb the conditioner through in the shower before rinsing using a wide tooth comb. Start at the ends of your hair and gradually work up.

If you find your hair loses body after conditioning, check that you are using the correct conditioner for your hair texture. Also, make sure that you are rinsing enough and aren’t applying it too close to your scalp.