The Proper Hair Washing and Care Routine for Optimum Hair Health

Depending on our hair type and hair knowledge we may be harming our locks as we wash and comb.  Hair is fragile and it is even more so when wet, handling our hair the wrong way can cause split ends, weakened and irritated follicles and damaged strand quality.

Here are the procedures to mindful hair care:

1. First off comb your crowning glory, especially before you wash it. Always start from the ends first, especially when you know you have tangles. This will give your hair a better shape and will volumize or get tamed in a more flattering way.  Do not brush hard, you will break hair and traumatize the roots.
2. If you got some curls or waves, you probably need a wide comb before a brush. You may not even need the brush if it causes your curls to frizz or oddly mesh.
3. Massage your scalp regularly, by someone else or yourself. It feels really good and is one of the most important areas to stimulate. Blood flow is greatly increased and things like headaches, nausea, light headedness and what else is eased or erased.  You follicles get to chill too and get stimulated and strengthened for stronger hair growth.
4. If you have longer hair, do intervals of free-flowing and ponytail or bun. Follicles also tend to ache when hair is in a singular style and part. Follicles need to move around and should not get pulled by the hair’s weight for long periods of time.  It is also bad to wear a ponytail to long.
5. Wet brushed hair with lukewarm or cool water, not hot. And do make sure you rid of tangles and shed hair. This will make for a less tangly and messy shampoo session.  Run fingers through scalp and gently exfoliate with finger tips to thoroughly wet the scalp and to strip away the first layer of gunk.
6. You may apply a little tiny bit of conditioner before shampooing to make certain there will be no tangles during scrubbing. Hair can get easily brittle especially when already dry during heavy shampooing, brushing before showering and pre-conditioning does the trick.
7. Use gentle, more natural shampoos, preferably organic. There are many natural beauty brands with different herbs, veggies, spices and fruit for different skin and hair types. If you have a stronger smell and more sweat an orange or citrus or ginger remedy may be for you.
8. Do not shampoo too hard nor too long. Do not overwater your hair unless it is quite dirty.
9. Do not shampoo or do not shampoo the same way every day. Everyone has a different level of oiliness and a different lifestyle. More active or out in the open people sweat more and have to shampoo more.  But frequent, intense shampooing is bad for your scalp especially with harsh, commercial shampoos.  It is better to shampoo every other day, at most intervals of regular shampooing and light shampooing.  Massage the shampoo with your fingers onto the scalp, foam it all up from the side of the ears to the back, top of the head to the back again then from underneath.  Get some more water in and massage your whole head, easier and more slippery with a bit of oil or conditioner.
10. Limit or better yet avoid bleaching and minimize chemical hair coloring. A no brainer, it can take years for a fried head of hair to recover.
11. Do not over nor under condition. Do not condition the scalp, it traps the skin too much and makes the scalp waxy. The tips are the MOST important to condition for they are the oldest and driest.  Conditioner should be left on the hair for at least 2 minutes.  Massaging and finger combing the conditioner onto the hair will sustain the hair’s vitality and flow.
12. Get regular trims, do not let split ends stay too long. Split ends only multiply once they appear so get 1 or 2 inch trims every 2-4 months. Less than an inch will not work so well, if your ends are fried just accept and let it go.  Your hair will be so much healthier when you rid of those nest-like ends.  The ends affect the roots too.
13. Use a dollop of leave on hair serums to protect, strengthen and untangle your locks. A fantastic extra measure that smells good.
14. Treat your hair with an olive oil or coconut oil treatment once a week or month. Massage 2 bug dollops from the ends upwards then wrap or tie it away from your face for an hour or 2 at the most. Shampoo wash away thoroughly with no conditioner at all.  You do not have to do this so much if you have a natural hair serum.