Hair care tips and secrets to keep your hair healthy and fabulous!
Even though your hair is really close to your brain, it always seems to have a mind of its own! Here’s a quick how-to guide for daily care that can keep you away from terribly tangled hair dilemmas.
Clean It Up!
Clean hair is healthy hair, but it’s possible to have hair that’s TOO clean. Shampooing cleans the scalp and hair by removing dirt, oil, and product build-up. But shampooing too often takes out the natural oils that leave your hair shiny, bouncy, and easy to control. For Caucasian (White), Asian and Latino girls, shampooing every other day is best. For African-American girls, once or twice a week is all you need. Use a shampoo specifically designed for your type of hair. Curly, straight, frizzy, flat, stressed out, or overloaded—there’s a shampoo for every hair type.
How to shampoo
Soak hair in water. Apply shampoo designed for your hair type. Use just enough to work up a good lather all over. Rinse well. If your hair still feels dirty or oily, shampoo and rinse again.
Condition
Conditioner is used to add moisture and conditioning to the hair so it becomes tangle-free and easier to comb. Read the descriptions of the different conditioners before you buy, and choose one that fits your hair needs. Some are best for hair that needs more control; others are best for hair that needs to be strengthened. Conditioners are usually paired to work best with certain shampoos.
That makes it easier to find the right match for you. You may not need to condition every time you shampoo. Try using conditioner one time, then not using it the next. See what works best for your hair.
How to condition
After shampooing, rinse well. Put in enough conditioner to coat your hair lightly. Comb through your hair with a wide-toothed comb, gently working through any knots or tangles. Leave conditioner on for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse well again.
Go Curly
If you have curly hair, don’t rub it dry with a towel. It will break up the curls and make it frizzy. Instead, scrunch it gently in a towel to squeeze out the extra water. Put in any products you usually use, then let your hair dry naturally. If you want to use a hairdryer, get a diffuser attachment and turn your head upside down, scrunching your hair with your fingers as you go.
If you have straight hair, use a towel to gently blot out any extra water. Add gel or mousse. Then twist small sections of hair into little ringlets and hold them in place with bobby pins, or wrap sections of hair in cushioned rollers. Sleep on it overnight or use a hair dryer. When hair is completely dry, spray with a light hairspray. Take out the pins and curlers and shake out your hair. Comb through it with your fingers. Try this a few times, taking different size sections and making curls in different places to see what works best.
Go Straight
If you have very curly hair, you may need to use a relaxer or straightener. Talk with your parents first to see if they approve and to get their advice on the best products to use. They may take you to a salon where a professional straightening can last for a few months.
If you have slightly curly, wavy, or straight hair, use a dryer with a nozzle attachment to help you concentrate heat on one area at a time. Divide your hair into eight sections, and dry one section at a time. Gently pull hair straight with a brush while you dry it to create a smooth, even finish. Start at your scalp and work down to the ends. Go on to the next piece only when the piece you’re working on is dry. Last, use the coolest setting for 15 to 20 seconds to lock style into dry hair. If your hair looks frizzy, spray on a little frizz-control product and smooth hair down.
Knotty Problems
If your hair is a tangled mess and there’s no time to wet it and comb it, use a detangling spray or crème. Then take small sections of hair. Starting at the ends, gently pull a brush or comb through the hair, working that section until it’s tangle free. Then make your way up the hair until you can run the comb from your scalp to the ends without a snag. Work through your whole head this way.
If you have a lot of knots, this could take a while. It may be better to do a quick wash and condition and comb it through while it’s wet. Whatever you do, don’t go out with tangles in your hair, even if the knots are underneath in the back where they don’t seem to show. The tangles will only get worse the longer you leave them untreated. Larger tangles can show through and really ruin your look, making you seem like you don’t care about how you look.
DAMAGE CONTROL
If you’re not healthy, your hair won’t be either. Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep.
While it’s tough to keep away from things that can hurt your hair, it’s easy to keep your hair healthy before it gets damaged. Chlorine and salt water are two big summer stresses that can really mess with your color and texture. Bathing caps, if the pool doesn’t make everyone wear them, look pretty lame, so if you can’t cover your hair when you’re swimming, care for it with a shampoo and conditioner made for swimmers.
Chemicals such as color and processes that curl or straighten can damage hair. Heat treatments like blow drying, curling irons, flat irons, and hot rollers can also hurt your hair and make it look "fried." For over-stressed hair, use shampoo and conditioner made especially for your type of hair. Then, once a week, use a leave-in conditioning treatment to repair and strengthen your hair.
Change shampoos and conditioners every season to meet your hair’s changing needs —sports, sun, and dry heat all create different hair challenges. Even if your hair is in great shape, treat yourself to a deep conditioning treatment once a month.
Keep your hair healthy and strong, and you will be rewarded with a great-looking mane that’s easy to tame!
