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Bouncy, shiny hair begins
with the shampoo. No matter. how much you spend on conditioners & treatments, your hair won't be your crowning glory unless it's clean. Find out how to choose the shampoo that's right for you & more important, how to use it properly.
The most common mistakes we make when washing our hair are using too much shampoo, using too rich or strong shampoo, not washing the whole head, and not rinsing well enough.
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Washing it Right!
First gently brush your hair to get the tangles out, then wet it. Place a small amount of shampoo-about the size of a small coin in the palm of your hand. Dot over the head and massage well into the scalp, using finger tips not nails. Start with the hairline & work inwards, making sure you cover the whole scalp. Then draw the shampoo to the hair ends.
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Rinsing it Right!
Suds and soap deposits make hair look dull and can cause a dry scalp, which results in flaking. Aim at rinsing the scalp first, because if you direct water on to the scalp it will automatically go through the rest of the hair too. The best way of rinsing hair is under running water- hold the shower head and part the hair so water is directed on to the scalp.
You need to spend three to five minutes rinsing short hair- more if hair is longer. The best test of a good rinse? Still the squeak- all over the head.
Which Shampoo?
A shampoo that's too strong, too rich or too acidic can increase dryness or grease in hair. To find the right one you have to experiment- really the only way to work out what doesn't suit you.
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Too strong
A shampoo can cause dryness, especially if your scalp already has a tendency to be dry. Some family shampoos and some dandruff shampoos may be too harsh for daily use. Use a mild or frequent use shampoo if you wash your hair often.
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Is it really dandruff?
In many cases, no. True “medical” dandruff is much rarer than people think. Dry, silvery flaking is not dandruff but a sign of a dry scalp. With dandruff, the scales are bigger and greasier, while the scalp tends to be irritated and itchy.
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Too much acid
A shampoo can also give you dryness, whereas one which is too alkaline will result in lank, limp hair. Acidity in a shampoo is measured by the pH- usually 4.5 to 5.5- which is labelled in some professional ranges of shampoos, available from your hairdresser.
Your hair should be slightly acid, as an acid mantle protects the hair from the environment. A pH of 5.5 is slightly acid- that is, normal. A low pH of around 3 indicates the product is a heavy conditioner; a high pH of 10 it could well be detergent!
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Too rich
A shampoo may be a thick creamy type for very dry hair. If you don't need it, the conditioning agents in the shampoo can swamp your hair, leaving it lank and lifeless.
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Dry hair
Dry hair tends to be made, not born. Apart from harsh shampoos, other causes are too much sun, too many chemicals (perming and tinting), too much heat from blow drying, heated rollers or curling tongs. Many people who think they have dry hair usually only have dry ends and normal/ oily scalp. So use a normal/ greasy shampoo and condition the ends.
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Greasy hair
Greasy hair is caused by over active sebaceous glands in the scalp. Grease attracts more dirt and dust to hair, as does perspiration, especially in summer. Greasy hair needs gentle cleaning to avoid over-stimulating the sebaceous glands- and only use conditioner on the ends of hair.
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For very greasy
For very greasy hair, or to remove a build-up of soap deposits, put shampoo on dry hair so it can work directly on the grease and grime. Water tends to form a barrier between shampoo and hair grease. Part the hair and apply shampoo to the scalp. Massage gently in before dampening the rest of the hair and applying shampoo to it. Lather and rinse.
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Sunita Motwani Makhija LCGI
Sunita Motwani-Makhija is an Internationally qualified Beautician and Hair Consultant and is the Director of the Schnell Hans chain of Beauty Schools & Salons in Mumbai, India that conducts Basic and Advanced courses and also the City & Guilds International Hairdressing Qualification. Sunita is the first Indian to have been conferred the prestigious Licentiateship in Hairdressing by City & Guilds, U.K.
For any hair & beauty queries E-mail: schnellhans@rbcsgroup.com
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