Probably something you didn’t realise you were doing incorrectly until now. It seems there is little more to washing your hair than wetting, shampooing and rinsing – right? Wrong.
Chances are you’ve inadvertently been damaging your hair through inapt washing habits. We hear from leading celebrity hairdressers on the correct way to wash it.
Mistakes you probably make when washing your hair
Hairstylist to Elle Macpherson and Kate Moss, Jon Hala, says the first mistake people make when washing their hair is using the incorrect shampoo. “Shampoos are very prescriptive now and easy to determine what you require for what purpose.” If you have fine and limp hair, avoid overly nourishing shampoos that will leave your hair more silky and lifeless.
“Common mistakes are using overly hot water, which activates and excites the sebaceous glands,” says Hala. “This creates sebum, which makes your hair look greasy.”
Another mistake people often make is not rinsing thoroughly. TONI&GUY’s Cos Sakkas advises that you rinse your shampoo at least twice. On top of this, “Only apply conditioner to the ends of your hair, avoid the roots, as you have your natural sebum to condition those.”
Post-shower is where the mistakes proliferate. Apparently using a so-called ‘towel-turban’ is one of the worst things you can do. “When we pile our hair up onto the top of our heads, the cuticle is the wrong way and can easily be damaged, leading to tangling and making it more difficult to manage wet hair,” says one of the UK’s leading trichologists, Eva Proudman.
“Always think of the backwash at the hairdressers, the way they wash your hair, how it falls – not by tipping your head upside down or piling the hair onto the top of the head.”
How often should you be washing your hair?
How often you wash your hair entirely depends on your hair type and scalp, but the general consensus appears to be two to three times a week. However, “the scalp has 180,000 oil glands as well as sweat glands so it quickly attracts dirt, dead skin cells and debris,” says Proudman. “This can all lead to an imbalance if left to build up – which in turn affects the hair quality and growth.”
“For curly hair types, I would never recommend washing daily: every other day, or every two to three days is fine,” says founder and CEO of Bouclème, Michele Scott-Lynch.
“I personally recommend not washing too often to avoid stripping the hair,” says hairdresser to Victoria Beckham, Kieran Tudor, “But I suggest a once-a-week scalp treatment with a detoxifying yet nourishing cleanser that will help to maintain a healthy scalp and balance moisture levels, while also energising hair follicles.”
How to hack the technique
More often than not, we wash our hair in a rush, leaving tangles and product, meaning our hair is more susceptible to breakage. “Take the time to massage shampoo into the roots of your hair. If your scalp feels greasy, or you have product build up, double shampoo for a thorough scalp cleanse,” says Scott-Lynch. “If you have time, use a scalp massager tool that stimulates the hair follicles.” This helps promote hair growth by exfoliating the scalp.
“When you follow up with a conditioner, take your time to detangle before you rinse out,” advises Scott-Lynch, “For curly hair types, I recommend leaving some or all your conditioner in the lengths of the hair to transform dry frizzy hair into beautifully defined curls.”
Ingredients to AVOID in your haircare
The current line of thought is that natural haircare is best. This, in many ways, is true, however the demonisation of sulphates may not be entirely justified. “Not all sulphates are bad for our hair and scalp – the ‘right’ sulphates can be very effective cleansers,” says Proudman. “Types of SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) sulphates that have a small molecule and can penetrate into the protein fibre of the hair and the epidermis, causing dryness and dehydration, should be avoided.
“However, MEA and TEA sulphates offer superb cleansing, with a bigger molecule that doesn’t penetrate or cause dehydration. In essence, cleansing is key to removing dirt debris and oil from the hair and scalp.”
The rules are different however if you colour your hair. Stéphane Ferreira, operations manager and senior stylist at Live True London, says, “We always recommend looking for colour-safe shampoos to keep your colour looking vibrant for as long as possible. Similarly, if you have curly or coiled hair, you might choose to avoid shampoos with parabens and silicones to help you maintain your optimum curl pattern.”
