Get The Look: Are You Washing Your Hair Wrong?
Get The Look is a series on Reena’s Edit. See expert fashion advice, hair styles and tips, and beauty tips. Get The Look is an instructional segment for you to achieve our looks.
Often we have bad hair days where we blame multiple things. Did you ever think that you have been washing your hair wrong? I spoke to my friend, who is a hairdresser, and she asked how I wash my hair —I thought it was an unusual question. But here a few things you might be doing wrong on the very first step of hair care.
1. Forgetting to wet the underneath.
Before you put any product on your hair in the shower, wet your hair. But soak all of your hair, even underneath where we often may miss.
2. Not washing out your shampoo or conditioner.
This one is self-explanatory. But also if you take very hot showers or very cold showers, you don’t stay in for very long. Choose a reasonable temperature, therefore, you stay in long enough to rinse out the product thoroughly.
3. Conditioning before shampooing.
When you shampoo your hair second, it will not only strip off the work the conditioner has done, but also it will not adequately remove the natural oils that have been building up on your scalp. Your hair will be left oily and flat.
4. Shampooing your hair first.
Now, this is not to contradict the previous point. You should first shampoo your scalp and then work your way down through to the ends. The shampoo is for the roots, and the conditioner is for your ends.
5. Not letting the product sit.
Let your shampoo and conditioner do its work for about 2-3 minutes. During these few minutes, massage your scalp. We don’t do this during the day, but this is amazing for circulation and growth. Conditioner specifically, the longer it sits on your hair, the better it absorbs.
6. Brushing your hair from top to bottom.
Instead, start at the ends and work your way up. You can brush your hair in the shower but do it after conditioning with a detangling brush or a wide-tooth comb.
7. Last rinse with hot water before you jump out.
Yes, cold water is cold, but your hair will thank you for a cold rinse. Do this on your middle and ends, especially if you don’t like the sound of a cold shower. The cold water helps to seal the cuticle tight, which will result in a smooth and shiny look.
8. Breaking your hair while towel drying.
Your hair is fragile, treat it gently. After a shower, squeeze out the water in your hair and, if possible, let it air dry. Don’t rub your hair in a towel to dry it — you might damage it more than with a blow dryer!
9. Not protecting hair after the wash.
Always put a serum or a hair cream after you squeeze out the moisture in your hair. It can be a moisturizer, a heat protectant or other serums to give your hair a smooth, silky feel.
Take good care of your hair from step 1 — the wash.
