Sunday, May 20, 2012

Shampooing & Conditioning


We think shampooing our hair is just for the sake of keeping our scalp clean and that is where most of us are wrong. There are 4 steps to a healthy hair and scalp; shampooing, massaging, conditioning and drying (Palladino & Green, 2006).
Just like how soap works on our skin, water alone cannot wash out or remove those residues from our hair and scalp. We shampoo to remove dirt, grease, styling products, skin scales and sweat from both our hair and scalp. It is not required to throw on a big amount of shampoo over your head because you would only be wasting it thus just the lather (foam) from the shampoo is enough to remove every possible residue off. After shampoo has been applied on to the top of the head, work a big amount of lather on the scalp in circular motion while gradually adding drops of water for the lather to cover the whole head. Once that is done, place the tips of your fingers on the hair lines by your forehead and firmly massage it in circular motions while working in the same motion all the way to the back of your head. The point of a massage is to promote an even blood circulation to the scalp that will encourage the growth of hair at the same time maintain the health of the scalp. Over massaging your head on the other hand will only lead to a bad headache and so gentle massages are enough to create a relaxing hair wash (Palladino & Green, 2006). When rinsing off the shampoo, ensure that no trace of shampoo is left on the hair and especially the scalp as it will cause itchiness of the scalp and will cause it to get oily within a day or less. Once the shampoo has completely washed off, apply a small amount of conditioner on to your palms and using your fingers, comb through your hair to allow every strand to be covered in conditioner. Make sure no conditioner touches the scalp because another contributor to an oily scalp is when conditioners get to it (Shampoos and conditioners, 2009). Conditioning is an important for both men and women because as the shampoo strips all the dirt, grease and natural moisture off the hair, the conditioner acts to replenish the hair back to its pH value of 5.5 making it shiny, keeps it tangle free, easier to style and repairs damaged cuticles (Palladino & Green, 2006). Conditioners are best washed off with cold water to lock in its moisture into the hair cuticles. When drying off your hair, be sure to gently dab off excess water from your hair and not vigorously rub your hair with the towel as you would severely damage hair cuticles thus causing it to look extra frizzy and hard to manage.  To those who wash their hair every day, it is advisable for them to use a milder shampoo to prevent dryness of the scalp and hair (Hair System Shampoo and Conditioning, 2012).
The video below would help in giving a better understanding to the kinds of shampoo that goes well with your type of hair.   



References

Hair System Shampoo and Conditioning. (2012). Retrieved from www.hairdirect.com: 

          http://www.hairdirect.com/resources/maintenance/shampoo-tips.aspx

Palladino, L., & Green, M. (2006). Hairdressing The Foundations, fifth edition. London: 

         Melody Dawes.

Shampoos and conditioners. (2009). Retrieved from www.hair2stay.co.uk: 

         http://www.hair2stay.co.uk/downloads/Shampoos.pdf

Video

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