Creating the Ideal Hair Care Routine
Creating the ideal hair care routine can be like finding a good skin regimen – it takes time to discover what works best.
Start with cleansing, which helps to remove product build-up and dirt that may be weighing down your hair. Santiago suggests choosing a gentle, sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo.
Then follow up with conditioner, applying to your hair and scalp (avoiding roots) and letting it soak in.
Conditioning
The best way to maintain your hair’s health is to condition it regularly. The right conditioner helps to detangle strands, making them soft and pliable, which can make brushing or combing much easier. It can also help to eliminate static electricity and improve shine. There are many different types of conditioners available on the market, and it is important to find one that works for your specific hair type.
Conditioning ingredients include emollients/oils, which may be natural or synthetic (like jojoba oil or olive oil) or polymers that act as fillers to smooth the hair shaft and reduce friction. Conditioners also contain cationic surfactants like cetyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride and stearamidopropyl dimethylamine to neutralize negative electrical charges and reduce hair fiber hydrophobicity by addicting positive ones and greasing the cuticle to increase its shyness and shine.
Conditioners also contain preservatives and sequestrants to prevent product degradation over time, and they may contain fragrances, dyes or pigments.
Styling
Styling your hair is a crucial part of obtaining that confident look you want, and it is important to use the right styling products for your particular type of hair. There are a variety of styling products on the market including leave-in conditioner, conditioner, detanglers, clays, gels, lotions, hair tonic, hair spray, and hair waxes. Most styling products do not cause any damage to your hair when applied properly. However, a few styling products contain ingredients that can cause build-up on your scalp and hair and can cause dryness or change in texture. Professional stylists will know what is best for your specific hair types and needs when choosing a style or product to use.
There are also some stylists that specialize in specific types of styles and can teach you how to do a variety of different techniques.
Treatments
Hair treatments are designed to target specific issues like dandruff, frizz, dry scalp, and dull or limp strands. They come in the form of hair masks, shampoos, conditioners, hot oil treatments, and other products that are intended to give your tresses the love and care they need to be healthy and beautiful. While these products may not be as effective as a visit to the salon, they can help you achieve a gorgeous head of hair at home.
The most important step in any treatment is to cleanse your tresses. A good wash will remove product buildup, dead skin cells, and other debris. It will also close the hair cuticle, making it smooth and shiny. However, washing your hair too often can strip it of its natural oils, which will make your strands look dull and limp. To avoid this, try to wash your hair every other day or less frequently.
Another common treatment is a hair mask, which can be applied to your hair after a shower and left on for 20-30 minutes. The best ones contain ingredients like shea butter, avocado, and coconut oil, which will make your hair soft and shiny. The prices of these products vary from Rs 200 to Rs 500 depending on the brand and size of the bottle. You can also use a hot oil treatment, which will seal in the moisture and make your hair shiny.
A deep conditioning treatment is ideal for all types of hair. It can make your strands feel softer and shinier and reduce breakage by strengthening them. It can also address dryness, dullness, and brittleness. However, you should limit the use of these treatments to once a week because over-use can cause dryness and damage your strands.
Finally, a toning treatment is used to correct your hair color. This is particularly useful if you’ve gone platinum or dyed your hair red. It can also be applied before a coloring service to prepare your tresses for the process and in-between services as maintenance.
Another popular hair treatment is a clarifying shampoo. These formulas can deeply clean your hair and scalp by removing excess oil, product buildup, and other impurities. You can also use a mixture of diluted apple cider vinegar and water to refresh your scalp and hair.
