This is how you should wash your hair

RockedBuzz
By RockedBuzz 10 Min Read

Everybody washes their hair. There are people who prefer to do it during the day and others at night; Some do it every day and others twice a week; Some use only shampoo and others also add masks or conditioners… What is the best way to do it to achieve the best results? CuídatePlus has spoken with different experts who give us their advice to achieve the perfect hair wash.

According to Marta Alcalde, member of Dermopharmacy and Health Products of the Barcelona College of Pharmacists (COF), ” everything will depend on factors such as the type of products used, the type of hair or the tastes of each person “.

Normally, a shampoo will be used to wash and remove dirt and a conditioner to restore softness and shine to the hair , but there are also many who can use masks or serums aimed at improving the condition of the hair or treating certain hair problems.

Thus, based on this, the time invested in washing the hair will vary between 3 minutes (a quick wash) and 45 minutes , “if the person uses more products, since each one will require a certain action time”, according to Nadia Barriendos, founder of TheMad Room.

As for the frequency of hair washing over a week, for example, Naia Erkoreka Bolunburu, a pharmacist from the Dermopharmacy group of the College of Pharmacists (COF) of Vizcaya , points out that it will depend on the type of hair . “Thus, for oily or greasy scalps it is advisable to wash frequently, while for dry hair, it is best to spice them throughout the week .”

In the opinion of the Mayor ” it is not advisable to wash the hair daily, since, in addition to dirt, the washing base of the products eliminates the hydrolipidic layer that protects the skin”, so that the hair can weaken.

However, everything will depend on the needs of each person .

If a person does a lot of sports, for example, they should wash their hair every day since “sweat on the hair implies dirt, caking, loss of shine and dehydration,” says Alcalde. In these cases, the Barcelona COF expert advises using frequently used shampoos “so as not to damage the hair or attack the scalp”.

Here the expert would add a suitable conditioner to the type of hair and a mask adapted to the needs of the person. For athletes who wash their hair daily, Barrientos advises ” a quick wash, to remove fat and toxins .”

Step by Step

To get the perfect wash it is important to follow a series of steps. The first, according to the Mayor, is brushing before wetting the hair . “This will eliminate the remains of hair products that have been used and reduce accumulated dirt .” In addition, “brushing stimulates blood flow and detangles the hair.”

The next step will be to wet the hair ” with warm water and apply a shampoo evenly over the scalp .” In order not to use an excessive amount of product, it is recommended to “apply it first to the hands and then spread it over the hair by gently massaging it with the fingers and thus avoiding excessive pressure”.

Rinsing, like wetting, should be done with plenty of warm water and moderate pressure . “If we gradually decrease the temperature of the water, this will compress the scales of the hair cuticle and, as a consequence, the hair will be softer”, advises Alcalde.

Regarding the effect of reapplying the shampoo several times in the same wash , the expert pharmacist in dermopharmacy at the COF in Barcelona explains that ” if the shampoo is used frequently, one application will be enough .” Therefore, according to her, “it will only be necessary to reapply it if all the dirt has not been removed from the hair.”

In the case of using a treatment shampoo, a “new application” is recommended since the first will wash the hair and with the second, after letting it act for a few minutes, “the treatment will be carried out”.

After applying the shampoo, the expert recommends completing the wash with the use of other products such as conditioners, serums or masks , among others. In each case, “the instructions for use must be followed because a contact time is required to achieve the desired objective,” he recalls.

In the morning or at night?

According to the experts consulted, the time of day when you wash your hair is indifferent to its final result . What will influence this is the drying. None of them advise going to bed with wet hair. “If we wash our hair at night and do not dry it well, it may be that it acquires unwanted shapes due to rubbing with the pillow, which will make it more sensitive and brittle,” says Alcalde.

To obtain the best result without damaging the hair, drying should be done initially with a towel “avoiding friction,” adds the expert. After this first step, the ideal would be to let the hair air dry but if this is not possible, it is advisable to “use the dryer at a gentle temperature and power and at a reasonable distance so as not to burn the hair (about 30 cm approximately ) “. If the use of dryers or thermal plates is very common, “it is also recommended to use a thermal protector”.

How to choose the best shampoo

When choosing the shampoo, there are also a number of tips to pay attention to. In supermarket stands there are products of all types, smells and colors. In the opinion of the Mayor, ” shampoos should have as basic ingredients a cleaning base, which is a mixture of anionic surfactants, whose purpose is to emulsify dirt and sebaceous secretions and facilitate their removal with rinsing .”

In addition, they must include thickening and viscosifying ingredients , which give the shampoo the proper consistency for its application; foam stabilizers , which make it look creamier and more stable; regreasers , which compensate for the excessive degreasing effect of surfactants; conditioners,  which soften, shine and reduce static electricity; pearlescent,  which give an attractive appearance; preservatives and pH regulators ; colorants and perfumes and diverse active principles in the case that they are of treatment ”, enumerates Alcalde.

To choose a good shampoo, Erkoreka’s recommendation is to look at the ingredients. “These must have active ingredients suitable for the scalp of each user.” As an example, he advises “ oatmeal and aloe vera for irritated scalps; oil argan and olive , for dry and essential oils of cumin, rosemary or lavender, for scalps with fat trend. “

For its part, Barrientos adds other assets such as ” panthenol, collagen, keratin amino acids and vitamins “.

What about silicones?

In recent years, the trend of not using products with silicones in their composition has spread since “ continued use can leave residues on the hair that prevent the penetration of other active ingredients ”, as Erkoreka points out.

“They are chemical products present in many shampoos and conditioners whose mission is to coat the hair and give it more thickness, shine and softness,” explains Alcalde.

By making this coating, “they act as protectors against the sun and the environment , for example, but they also have a drawback and that is that they give the hair a look that is not real,” he says. In addition, as indicated, ” silicones do not improve the quality of hair and can mask symptoms of other problems .”

On the other hand, its continued use “weighs down the hair and can make it greasy.” It is important to take this into account especially if the person is using or is going to use a treatment shampoo since “the layers generated by silicones prevent the passage of other cosmetic active ingredients used in moisturizing or nourishing treatments and, therefore, reduce its effectiveness ”.

As for the prohibited ingredients in any shampoo, Alcalde mentions those that are aggressive and irritating to the scalp. For his part, Barrientos speaks of “abrasive detergents, sodium chloride, form and derivatives and alcohol.”

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