5 Hair Dos and Don’ts
When it comes to our hair, everyone has a personal preference of how they wear it, style it, colour it etc. Hair is a great way to express your personality and who you are. There are always myths surrounding what products you should use, how often you should wash it and what you should and shouldn’t do for your hair. Improving your hair health is vital, especially this close to summer! Listed below are some often overlooked dos and don’ts of hair that keep it looking and feeling healthier for longer periods.
Do: Give your hair a break
Even though it may be tempting to wash your hair every day to “remove” the day, it’s much healthier for your hair if you give it a break between washes. The standard amount for washing hair is 2-3 times per week. Everyone has different hair and depending on the type of hair you have can also impact how often or infrequently you should be washing it. For oily scalps and hair, it is recommended to be washing your hair every day, for dry scalps and hair, every 5-7 days, for thin hair, every other day, for curly or wavy hair, every 4-5 days and thick hair, once a week is enough. This is all dependent on how you want your hair to look and feel and the different types of hair you have.
Giving your hair a break doesn’t stop at washing, it also applies to adding heat to your hair. Constantly putting heat on your hair in the form of curlers, straighteners and hair dryers, can damage your hair and leave it looking broken and weakened. Just like you, your hair needs a break now and then too!
Don’t: Use 2 in 1 Shampoo/Conditioner
When we shampoo our hair, we are removing dirt and other contaminants from our hair. This, in turn, takes away lots of natural oils that we need for us to grow healthy hair. This is why we use conditioner because it replenishes and replaces the oils stripped away by shampoo. When you use a 2 in 1 shampoo-conditioner, you are essentially trying to do two opposite things at once: replace moisture in your hair (with conditioner) while taking away the oil in your hair (with shampoo).
These two products work together to make your hair look and stay healthy for longer periods, but when combined into one product, they can, at best, leave you with no results, and at worst, leave your hair looking and feeling damaged.
Do: Have regular trims
There are many reasons why having regular trims is beneficial to your hair's health and growth. One of these is that having your hair trimmed regularly can encourage your hair to grow more. When you have split ends on your hair, it can stop your hair from growing, so having those split ends trimmed every few months allows your hair to grow longer.
For those with curly hair, having regular trims can help to de-tangle your hair as well! When your hair is damaged, it is harder to maintain and style, so having those trims regularly can contribute to keeping your hair tangle-free! Above all, having regular trims keeps your hair looking healthier, so book your cut today with SJ Forbes!
Don’t: Forget to clean your brushes and combs
Just like makeup brushes and toothbrushes, hair brushes and combs need to be cleaned and swapped out regularly. With repeated uses, hair brushes and combs accumulate product residue, dust, dead skin cells and oils. When spending on expensive hair care products, it’s important to remember that all of that can be null and void if your hair brush and combs are dirty and in need of cleaning.
You can effectively clean your hair products by placing them in a bin of soapy hot water and letting them soak for about 5 minutes. After that, just let them air dry and they are all ready to be used again! This process is recommended to be done once every week to ensure you are keeping your hair as healthy as possible.
There are plenty of other dos and don’ts when it comes to taking care of and maintaining your hair health. With so many products and information in the market, it is hard to discern what is actually helping your hair and what is ultimately hurting it. It’s always important to speak to your stylist when you go in for trims and appointments to avoid misconceptions. Book with SJ Forbes today so we can put your hair health first and ensure it looks and feels the best it can!