Hair care routines can be confusing. There are thousands of opinions with do’s and don’t on each step. Not to mention the variations or hair types and learning how to weed the rules out to fit your hair can be an endless cycle. More likely than not, if your hair is oily, weak, dry, or frizzy, you are not taking proper care of your hair. Don’t feel bad. You are not alone. I am going to cover all of this today, so you don’t have to stress!
When Do I Condition My Hair
Technically, when to condition your hair has a pretty simple answer. Condition your hair every time you shampoo your hair. Even if you feel the need to lean towards one and not the other, don’t do it! Shampooing is a clean slate for your hair. It completely strips your hair of necessary oils.
Leaving your hair stripped of all its oils with no moisturizer to replenish it (conditioner) can be the reason for extremely dull or frizzy hair. This can also be the reason for breakage or a multitude of other hair issues.
The real question is when should I shampoo my hair? This is a bit more difficult to answer. We are going to have to narrow this down by hair type. Not everyone’s hair type will fall into one category fully, so take each category’s tips into consideration. If you learn anything today, know that hair is not a one size fits all.
Hair Types
1. Oily
If you have oily hair, it can be easy to fall into the daily wash pattern. However, try your best not to give in to this urge. Overwashing your hair can be the cause of oily roots. The heavy use of products tricks your hair into thinking it doesn’t need to combat natural oils and results in overproduction of oils and a vicious cycle of wasted shampoo and conditioner.
Instead, try going at least 1 or two days without washing your hair. Opt for hat days, or updos to hide oily hair on the last days. The longer you continue this process, the more your hair can catch up to its natural oil production state.
Another trap that oily hair types can fall into is overusing dry shampoo. While this is better than overwashing your hair, it still messes with your hair’s natural oils. Keep dry shampoo for emergencies only.
2. Dry
For those with dry hair, conditioner can be a necessity to get you through the week. While conditioner is crucial to nourished hair, there are plenty of other hair care steps that could be the answer to your problems.
Dry hair ladies can go a bit longer without washing their hair since their hair will get less oily. If possible, wash your hair twice a week. Don’t panic. You do not have to rep dry, frizzy hair in the meantime. There are some easy steps to help combat the wash breaks.
Use a hair mask weekly. This can be your conditioner or a separate mask meant to nourish. This will help rejuvenate your hair weekly and give it life. After you get out of the shower, add a leave-in conditioner to your hair, specifically the ends.
Another useful hair product is oil. You can use lots of types of oils, but let the oil sit on your hair for as long as possible, a minimum of an hour before washing. This will need to be washed out thoroughly, so be sure to remove all the oil during your shampoo.
3. Thick
If you have thicker hair, your hair will more likely need nourishment to get you from wash to wash. Thicker hair can be heavy and tends to get pulled up. This results in dry and frizzy hair that is in desperate need of moisture. Lean into the dry hair category above steps.
4. Thin
If your hair is thinner, it can be naturally thin or thin from damage. Either way, it will more likely get oily quicker. Refer to the oily hair category, but tend to your ends with some oil or leave-in conditioner to help repair the damage.
How to Wash Your Hair
Regardless of hair type, make sure you are shampooing and conditioning your hair properly. Shampoo should start at the scalp with a dime-size amount. If you do not have a lot of suds the first go around, that is okay. Wash it a second time around with a dime-size amount.
Suds represent clean hair, so wait until the second time and suds should appear. You can pull some shampoo to the lower part of your hair but focus on shampooing at the scalp.
Conditioner should be focused on the lower half of your hair. Grab a quarter size amount of conditioner and work it into your ends up to the midsection of your hair. Do NOT apply conditioner to your scalp. This can be a huge reason for oily roots prematurely.
Let the conditioner sit on your hair for at least 2 or 3 minutes, but the longer the better. Some conditioners can also act as hair masks. If so, they can sit on your hair for 10 to 30 minutes. Only do this once a week typically. Think of this as a weekly dose of nourishment. A reset for your hair.