Lather, Rinse, Condition... The Right Way

Shampooing is an important part of hair cleansing but mindless application to lather and rinse can cause a lot of hair hassles. Gita Hari guides you on the right way to shampoo your hair.

- Gita Hari

Hair today, gone tomorrow!’ seems to be the lament of all in recent times. Blame it on environmental pollution, stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, or the heat styling devices used frequently. As models and stars with lustrous locks spring out of glamour magazines, television shows, and movies, the onlooker is left with little choice but to crave for healthy crowning glory. Attractive, glossy and healthy hair will never go out of vogue as long as you know how to take proper care of your precious tresses.

HAIR CLEANSING, A MUST

The road to haircare starts with hair cleansing. Shampoos are intended to help get rid of sweat components and environmental dirt. However, commercial shampoos strip the scalp of its natural oils, known as sebum. To compensate, oil glands produce even more oil, thus leaving hair feeling greasy and in need of another wash the very next day.

Dr. Batul Patel, Medical Director and Dermatologist, The Bombay Skin Clinic, enlightens, “The normal pH of the scalp is acidic and the shampoos, which have high foaming capacity, are alkaline in nature. This can leave the scalp feeling dry and itchy and also prone to scalp disorders. The stronger shampoos have an abrasive action and can damage the keratin at the surface of the hair. Repeated shampooing can extract 70-90 percent of the total lipids in hair which can make the hair dry and frizzy. Conditioners tend to help seal back some of the lipids.”

LAUNDER GENTLY

Mindless application to lather and rinse while shampooing can cause a lot of hair hassles. Minimal but gentle handling of hair is the key. While men can shampoo their hair every day, women should restrict it to alternate days.