What you need to know about shampoo

I have been talking to hair experts about shampoos and washing your hair and guess what there are some interesting facts out there. It is no longer a matter of shampoo rinse and repeat. In fact we know now that repeat was just a shampoo marketers way to get you to use twice as much shampoo.

Shampoo should be applied correctly

Regardless of the shampoo you use, you need to use it properly otherwise you will not get the desired results. The most important part is massaging the scalp, and making sure you rinse well. This means after applying shampoo to your hair spend at least 30 seconds massaging your scalp, and then spread evenly through your hair. When rinsing make sure you remove every last drop of shampoo to ensure that you do not get any build up

Less is more.

You do not need much shampoo for it to work. Just the enough to cover the size of a quarter is the right amount for mid length hair. What more important is that you massage it in properly. Don’t be fooled by lather, if your shampoo does not lather it means it does not have a lathering agent that can cause harm to your hair.

Just because a shampoo has an impressive ingredient doesn’t mean it works

Just because a shampoo contains a fancy sounding ingredient it does not mean it contains enough of that ingredient to make a difference to your hair. Olive oil is a great example. Olive oil is great for hair but it needs to make up a good proportion of your shampoo for it to work.

You can buy salon shampoo brands in a drugstore.

Salon quality products are now available at the drug store. No longer does the drug store contain cheap versions. Everyone wants to get their products out there in this economy so they are prepared to consider other distribution channels.

Blondes need to use clarifying shampoo more often.

 Blondes and those with color treated hair have very porous locks and soak up chemicals and hair product such as sprays and waxes. This can make this can make blonde hair slightly yellowish. Therefor a good clarifying shampoo is required once a week to completely strip the hair of nasties.

You don’t need to constantly switch shampoo

It’s an old wives tail that hair gets used to a shampoo.   If you notice changes in your hair or think that your shampoo is not working all that well, it could be that you are not rinsing well enough or there are chemicals in the water causing build up. The easiest remedy is to use a clarifying shampoo once a week or so and then switched back to your preferred brand.

Fancy shampoo can’t permanently change your hair.

Washing your hair with the right shampoo is like a great exercise program: As long as you keep it up your hair will thrive. Otherwise it reverts to type.

Don’t Let a Straightener Ruin Your Hair

Continuing on from my last curly hair post. I have decided my days of flat ironing my hair so smooth that no one would believe I ever had curly hair are over. My hair often smelt of singed ends – did you know that your hair burns them same as your skin? And all for a day or two of sleek straight hair until the next time I washed it.

Hair Straighteners – They Can Ruin Your Hair

Did you know your hair shaft is a fragile structure with two main layers: the outer finish and the inner core where all the moisture is held? A healthy hair strand has a consistent structure with a hollow, water-and-air filled medulla and a smooth cuticle.

Moisture content is just as crucial to your hair as it is to your skin, you would never do anything that would destroy the moisture layer of your skin right? Well did you know hair straighteners work by cracking the smooth walls of the medulla causing bubbles within the shaft that break and disrupt the flow of moisture?   The cuticle is pushed out in an irregular fashion by these bubbles, causing fractures and splits, making your hair lose its smoothness and become rough and like scales which interfere with the reflective sheen.

The good news is as long as you do not harm your hair roots your hair will grow back undamaged, and the broken bits cut off.

 

But I love My Straight Hair so What can I do?

Hair straighteners use the natural wetness material of your hair to develop a new style. If care is not taken, they can make your hair very inelastic and brittle. Steam-producing irons provide moisture, so are less likely to dry your hair. And always remember to prep your hair with a heat protectant to minimize heat-styling damage.

Never heat style hair when it’s wet as this will lead to steam damage, which resembles boiling the hair from the outside.

Beware, constantly straightening your hair can still lead to mass damage, which in fact makes your hair appear frizzier due to breakage. Burnt hair cells can build up on hot irons and cause them to stick to your hair, which can be extremely destructive. While thicker, coarser hair can resist damage much better than broken or thin hair it will still become damaged over time. .

Never underestimate the damage you do, and to do your best to keep heat-styling devices and chemicals away from the scalp.

What Causes Build Up in your Hair

Build-up of mineral scale on surface areas due to hard water develop is a common problem if you are living in a hard water area, some of the most common problems you may see are spotty dishes coming out of the dishwasher, obstructed or broken pipelines and white clothes becoming greyer with each wash.

Your hair may also become victim of mineral scale build up to. It may become dull, limp, or frizzy and more susceptible to tangles and hair breakage

Why Hard Water Produces Hair Build Up

Hard water consists of significant quantities of liquefied minerals, such as iron, silicon, calcium, and magnesium. These metals can react with substances in soaps and shampoos and reduce the effectiveness of those items..    The mineral from the water can build up on a number of places including your hair. If you put a strand of hair under the microscope it would look like there were hard fish scales covering shaft.   These scales prevent moisture from permeating the shaft, causing your hair to become dry and tangled.

Plainly, this kind of hair build up is not a trivial problem and needs to be addressed as a regular part of a person’s hair care routine.

How to Avoid Mineral Build Up

The best method for dealing with mineral build up is prevention. This can be achieved by making use of a good water filter that eliminates the unwanted metal ions from the water. Another method is to utilize a clarifying shampoo frequently, which has particles in it such as EDTA, or acetic or citric acid. These acids bind to the metals in the water as you are washing your hair and are then washed away instead of depositing onto the surface area of your hair. These shampoos can be extreme, however, and should always be followed up with a good conditioner, but even then, they might be damaging to curly hair if made use of too typically.

 

Mild shampoos with surfactants designed to provide mild cleaning are most certainly efficient in getting rid of organic material. This consists of surfactants such as sodium cocoyl isethionate and coco betaine. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that these would have the capability to get rid of mineral scale on their own. There are definitely some hair shampoos that include moderate surfactants, no included conditioning agents, and acids that are thought to aid in removal of tough water hair construct up.

Final Thoughts

Unless you plan on moving from the hard water area in which you are living the only option seems to be to constantly filter the water or use a chelating or clarifying shampoo sometimes.

Secrets to styling naturally curly hair

Got curly hair?  Learn to love what god gave you with these simple tips.

Getting your Hair Straightened

If you have naturally curly hair and you want to straighten it, it can be easy to do.  Natural straightening methods such as blow drying your hair straight will cause less long term damage than some of the chemical treatments.

If you intend to blow dry your hair straight you can do it yourself with a hairdryer and a wide brush.  It takes a lot of patience and coordination to do this naturally though.  Or you could flat iron your hair.   Again this can take a while if your have thick curly hair

One of my friends goes into a blow-dry bar and have it done by a professional however this is usually a short tem solution,  usually until the next time you wash your hair.

If you want a more permanent solution there are several options available to you.  You could have a keratin treatment.  This will give you straight silky hair which will last pretty much until it grows out.  But beware; there is controversy around this treatment.  According to Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division there are dangerous levels of formaldehyde in these treatments which can have detrimental effects on your health.

You can also try a Japanese Hair Straightening method which can be very time consuming and expensive.  Read more about it here.

How To De Frizz Curly Hair

If humidity wreaks havoc with you hair you need to use more moisturizing products.  Yes that’s right, more moisture.   Curly hair can be very dry, which makes it vulnerable to humid air, because it soaks all the moisture from the air causing cuticles to expand, hence frizz.

Here are some hair essentials to keep the frizz at bay:  A sulphate free shampoo, a leave in conditioners and a good styling product.

Use the Blow Dryer Correctly

To avoid the frizz bomb when blow drying your hair, allow your hair to dry naturally for as long as possible.  When using a hair dryer use a diffuser, hold the blow dryer under the curls and cup your hair, don’t squeeze it.  If you don’t use a diffuser then ensure you point the nozzle of your hair dryer down when blow drying.

Brush you Hair in the Morning

Some curly haired girls believe that you should never use a hair brush or comb, instead the just run their fingers through their hair.  However brushing your hair distributes the oils from your scalp through your hair making it smoother and less frizzy.    The best time to brush your hair is just before bed and then rinse your hair in the morning.

Distribute product through your hair correctly

When putting product through your hair don’t start at the top.  Start at the ends and work your way up.  This way you avoid weighing the tops of your hair down with product while the ends remain dry and poufy.   Comb the product through your hair; this will help you detangle your hair as well.

Get the Right Haircut

Getting the right hair cut makes all the difference.  Avoid bangs.   Longer hair works well because the weight pulls the curls down giving beautiful waves.

The above tips will help you embrace your beautiful hair and wear it with pride.