How to optimize hair care routine with the simplest steps
We all have different issues about our hair because everyone’s hair is unique just like us. Some common major concerns are related to aging such as hair loss, thinning, and greying hair while some are about the condition and looking of the hair. We have so many haircare products to choose from and this makes us feel using more products will keep our hair healthy and good looking whether it is true or not.
We often want what we don’t have. Sometimes you may want another style, different color, or more shine that is not natural to your hair. But embracing your natural hair is very different from making it look like other people’s hair. It is your choice to have a chemical treatment for any reason. Just be aware that there are tradeoffs when it comes to overall hair condition and how to deal with it every day.
A good hair care routine should target the causes of your hair issues and should not take too long. More products and more time in front of a mirror do not mean the better results. Before choosing any hair care regimen, you need to know your hair type and the suitable treatments. Hair care routine is not only for soft and shiny hair, but is also for minimizing the risk of infections, premature hair loss, and other conditions. So, how to find the best hair care routine for you?
If you want to know more about the haircare facts and myths, read this article.
The first step is to determine your hair type
Straight Hair
Most straight hair has completely round shape and has more cuticle layers protecting the cortex than other types. Because the hair falls flat from the roots to the ends, oil produced by scalp is distributed onto the hair. Women with straight hair type tend to have oilier scalp than other types.
Wavy Hair
This type of hair has slightly oval shape and less cuticle layers than straight hair. This type of hair is usually rough in texture and can hold hairstyles well.
Curly and Coily Hair
This type of hair has oval shape and the least cuticle layers than other types. Curly hair tends to be drier and frizzier than strait and wavy hair. Coily hair has very tight curls and is quite fragile.
How to Wash and Condition?
For most people, it is not necessary to wash hair every day, but depends on the following factors.
- Oily hair tends to attract dirt and pollution more. If you feel your scalp is greasy with the combination of other factors, you may need to wash your hair almost everyday.
- Straight hair can be washed more often than curlier hair as it tends to get oily quicker.
- If you stay outdoors or in dusty area, you should wash your hair more often to clean the scalp
- If you are active and get sweaty, you may need to wash more often to clean the scalp.
If you currently wash your hair every day and feel your hair is damaged or your scalp gets dry from washing, try to wash once every 2 days. You may feel a bit oily for a couple of weeks, but your scalp will adjust the amount of sebum.
Strait Hair
- Usually washing once in 2-3 days is recommended.
- Apply conditioner only to the shaft and avoid the roots and scalp.
- You could use volumizing products to prevent your hair from falling flat at the roots
Wavy Hair
- Washing every 3-4 days is recommended
- Use conditioner every time you wash hair
- Apply leave-in conditioner or hair oil only to the end of shafts to prevent damages
Curly and Coily Hair
- Washing every 3-4 days or even less is recommended
- Use shampoo only to the scalp and avoid hair shafts
- Use leave-in conditioner on your hair shaft every 3-4 days or more often
- Deep-condition your hair once a week
- You could massage oil into the hair and leave for 30 minutes to an hour before washing hair
Eat Balanced Healthy Food
Your hair is made of protein, and scalp needs Omega-6, Vitamins, and minerals to produce healthy hair. This is not only important for your hair, but also your entire health. When your body has luck of nutrition, it will stop providing nutrition to hair because other critical organs are more priority than hair. So, we will often start seeing the problem on your hair earlier than other parts of body. There are supplements you can take, but if you are already taking enough of the nutrient from food, it will not give any improvement. We should all review our diet once in a while and make sure to have enough nutrition.
Remember, hair treatment can only cover the surface of the hair temporary. Since the visible part of the hair is not alive, it will not repair or recover by itself. Improving your diet to produce new healthy hair is a long term investment, not a quick result.
Minimize Haircare Products
There are many haircare products, leave-in conditioner, hair oil, serum, gel, mask, spray, etc. What you need from haircare products is cleaning, moisturizing (if needed), protecting, and styling. The truth is everything except styling can be done by right type of shampoo and conditioner products for your hair. Less is more for day to day styling because excess of products can weigh the hair down, clog pores, cause damaged hair.
Anything that destruct your scalp can compromise the health of follicles and could reduce the health of the hair or cause thinning hair. So, do not use more than suggested amount.
Finding shampoo and conditioner that work well for your hair is sometimes difficult. It is hard to determine what product work best for your hair by looking at ingredients list only. And often, the same product doesn’t work anymore after you had a chemical treatment or in a different season. Try looking at reviews from the people who have similar type of hair to yours and try the product on your hair.
We talk about some common ingredients in HERE.
Avoid Heat
When washing hair, adjust the temperature of the water to just warm not hot or cold. You want to stimulate the scalp with warm water to clean well, but hot water can open the cuticle and make your hair easy to be damaged.
Even with a heat protectant product on your hair, high heat styling can still damage cuticles. Try minimizing the use of it and air dry your hair. If you do use a heat styler, take out excess moisture from the hair, apply heat protectant, then style your hair with a heating device.
When you stay outdoor, use a hat or umbrella to avoid UV rays and heat on your hair and scalp.
Brush hair correctly
Try brushing your hair less as possible because brushing hair can damage cuticles. Brushing hair can distribute oil to the shaft, but only a couple of brushing a day is enough. When you brush, start from the end of hair strands then move up. This way, you can de-tangle your hair gentler and cause less breakage. Don’t try pushing down tangles from the top. For your curly and coily hair, use a comb with wide tooth or a detangler brush.