Hair Care : Grooming

• Use a shampoo & conditioner that suits your hair type. Choose products that are gentle, preferably without any harsh detergent like the sulfates. For daily washes, use a shampoo that is mild, gentle & moisturising.
• Using too much conditioner makes hair greasy. For oily hair, apply a light conditioner at the ends of the hair.
• Ingredients such as coconut oil moisturizes dry hair, makes hair softer & soothes the scalp; tea conditions & softens hair; jojoba moisturizes permed or chemically treated hair & makes hair manageable; silicone makes hair silky; lemon gives hair a natural shine & conditions; honey conditions deeply; henna leaves are natural hair dyes; apple cider vinegar & rosemary oil encourage hair growth & control dandruff.
• Eggs contain lecithin which helps to moisturize dry hair. Before shampooing, beat an egg & apply it onto dry hair & cover with a plastic bag for about 15 minutes (body heat intensifies conditioning) then rinse off totally with cold water.
• Olive oil is a good conditioner too. Massage onto hair & leave it for 10 minutes before shampoo.
• Massaging your scalp with your fingertips helps the blood to circulate to the scalp.
• On average hair grows about 1.2 to 1.25 cm a month.
• Hair is most fragile when wet.
• To make hair soft & shiny after washing, blot hair gently with towel & then separate with a wide-toothed comb.
• Blow-drying damages hair, causing dryness & split-ends due to the close contact between the heat on the scalp & hair. The next time you blow dry your hair, face the dryer downwards, use a leave-on conditioner for protection & avoid long exposure of both scalp & hair to the strong heat.
• To avoid hair damage (e.g. green hair) while swimming in chlorinated water, wear a swimming cap or deep condition your hair before entering the pool. Also, wash & condition hair as soon as you have finished swimming.
• Wear a hat when staying outdoors for a long period & condition more often.
• The best hair brush to use is one with bristles made of animal hairs.
• Refrain from giving stress to hair with constant perms, dye, highlighting, blow-drying, curlers or the use of strong hair styling products.
• Hair turns grey when melanocytes (cells found in the hair bulb) cease to produce color pigments.
• Split ends are preventable but not repairable. Cutting them off is the only solution.
• Flaking does not always mean dandruff. It can be caused by overusing conditioners, the build up of compounds from styling products, not washing hair often enough or not rinsing thoroughly.