Hair Spa At Home: From Head Wash, Conditioning, Drying To Detangling Techniques And Tips

Your beauty and fitness regime require your minute attention; even the small things. This might come as a surprise to you, but even something as simple as shampooing and conditioning your hair has a right technique behind it. It is not sufficient to simply lather up the way you always do. To get the full benefits of your hair care products, you have to utilise them in the right way.

So, the next time you get ready for a bath, with all your hair care products ready, do keep in mind these useful tips and tricks to achieve a cleaner and healthier scalp, and yes, a happier you! Following is the detailed explanation to do the hair spa at home. Check out:

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The Basics

It is best to start with some basics before doing anything new. Let us introduce you to those first.

#1. You do not have to wash your hair daily

You do not necessarily have to wash your hair daily, or even every other day, as long as you are not trying to get rid of dandruff. It is sufficient to wash your hair twice or thrice a week. If you have dry or damaged hair, you may want to wash it less frequently, maybe once every four days.

#2. Use lukewarm water

Do not expose your hair to water that is too hot or cold. Instead, stick to warm or tepid water, depending upon the condition and quality of your hair. Also, if you notice that there is not much lather during the first wash, then it is an indication that your hair is dirty. So, you should wash it again, after rinsing off the lather the first time.

#3. Always brush your hair before you wash them

Surprised? We are sure you are. But yes, you need to brush your hair before you step into the shower. This will decrease the chances of tangles while you are shampooing, thus preventing hair breakage. This is especially important if you have brittle hair or the problem of hair fall.

#4. Limit using hair care products

It is suggested to limit the use of hair products such as mousses, gels, hair sprays, etc. on your hair. The reason behind this is that they tend to build up on your hair and scalp, which clogs your pores. This ultimately would lead to a lot of hair fall.

#5. Keep showers short

In addition to all the things aforementioned, one must also keep hair wash process a short one. It is advised to get in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. The longer your hair is sopping wet, more fragile and breakable they will become.

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The correct shampooing technique

#1. The right amount of shampoo

When it comes to shampoo, more does not necessarily mean better. It is best to avoid using too much shampoo since it strips away the natural oils that help in protecting your locks against dust, pollution and damage.

• For the first wash, try to squeeze a dollop of shampoo, approximately the size of a two-rupee coin.
• If necessary, for the second wash, you won’t need as much. Shampoo amounting to a 1 rupee coin would be more than enough.

#2. Steam your hair before shampoo

There are chances that the pores of your scalp might be clogged with oil or dirt. So, the best way to cleanse them away is by steaming your hair before shampooing. In order to do so, all you need to do is soak a towel in hot water and wring out the excess water. Now, you have to wrap the towel around your head and leave it like that for over 20 minutes before jumping into the shower.

#3. Massage your steamed hair

Now, after steaming your hair, you are required to massage your scalp gently with your fingers for a few minutes. This is how you would be able to get rid of the dirt and build up. Not just this, you will also be able to root out the weak hair strands of your scalp.

#4. Use paraben and SLS free shampoo

Have you ever heard that you should use SLS free shampoos? Well, for the ones who don’t know, these are sulphate-free shampoos. It is recommended to wash hair with paraben and SLS free shampoos to avoid hair breakage and damage. While parabens are added as a preservative, SLS helps in forming a lather. Both of these chemicals cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. Topping it all, the recent studies have said they can also be carcinogenic and can also cause major eye damage. So, better choose organic shampoos!

#5. Don’t wash your hair daily

Also, don’t make it a habit of washing your hair on regular basis. Washing hair every day can make your hair extremely dry and brittle. It is the best option to wash your hair no more than twice in a weak. This will not affect the moisture level of the hair and would also help in maintaining the hair health.

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#6. The correct technique

Now that we have dealt with the correct amount of shampoo to be used, let us move on to the right technique:

• Always wet your hair well. Stand under the shower for at least 2-3 minutes before applying the shampoo.
• Now take a small amount of shampoo in your palm and mix it with a little water.
• While applying shampoo, begin with your scalp/roots and then move your way down to the ends. Ensure that you massage the shampoo in gently.
• Always use your fingertips to massage your scalp gently, in a circular motion for a few seconds.
• Do not pile the hair on the top of your head, as it can entangle them, and make it difficult to get rid of the tangles later.
• Once you are done, rinse off the lather slowly, to keep your hair from tangling. Make sure the water stream is not too strong.
• To avoid hair loss, don’t run your fingers through your hair while washing. Even healthy strands of hair are weakened by water and are easily susceptible to breakage.

Conditioning technique and tips

#1. Condition your hair with oil before the shower

Massage your hair with any hair oil to condition and moisturise them in the best possible way. You can use oil such as coconut, almond, or olive oil onto your hair and scalp one hour before head wash. This is how oil will penetrate your hair shaft and will also nourish it from within to give you smoother, glossier, and frizz-free hair.

#2. Towel dry before conditioning

In order to get fuss-free and smooth hair, you have to towel dry before conditioning. This may sound a little tedious, but this is one of the best ways for conditioning so far. Once you are done with the shampoo, you now have to wrap a towel around your head to soak up all the excess water. After this, apply the conditioner evenly on your hair. The conditioner will fully be absorbed in your towel-dried hair and will easily prevent it from frizzing up.

#3. Don’t use too much conditioner

One of the most important tips for conditioning is to avoid using much of your conditioner. Applying the right quantity of conditioner is the key otherwise your hair will look super greasy.

#4. Do not apply conditioner on scalp

You might have heard this a lot many times and it's highly recommended to not use conditioner on the scalp. No means NO! If you use it on the scalp, it will buildup on it and would clog your pores. This will lead to reduced hair growth and increased hair fall.

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#5. Don’t leave the conditioner in for too long

If you think that leaving the conditioner on your hair for some time would moisturise your hair in a better manner, then you are completely wrong. Conditioners usually work instantaneously when the wet hair cuticle is swollen and open. There is no further chance of penetration once done in wet hair. In fact, leaving the conditioner on for too long can actually make your hair greasy.

#6. Deep condition every two weeks

In case you have curly hair, you must deep condition them every 2 weeks. The reason why we are saying so is that curly or kinky hair tends to dry up pretty quickly.

#7. Things to keep in mind

Conditioner helps to hydrate the damaged hair ends and makes your hair easier to manage.

• Try and keep the conditioner as away from the scalp as possible.
• Avoid putting conditioner on your scalp since it weakens the roots of the hair.
• Rinse it off with cold water to seal the cuticles off.
• Important: There is a trend called "reverse hair washing", which has got quite popular in the recent past. For those who don't know what it means, it is simply the procedure of conditioning your hair before shampooing. And surprisingly, this technique makes the hair look all the more lustrous and bouncier as compared to the regular method. All you have to do is wet your hair and apply the conditioner. Leave it for about five minutes, and then rinse your hair with lukewarm water. Now, you can follow the regular procedure of shampooing your hair.

Hair drying technique and tips

#1. Microfiber towel/Cotton t-shirt

For the ones who don’t know, terrycloth towels soak out the moisture from your hair while removing excess water, therefore, leaving it dry. A better option to try is to use either a microfiber towel or a cotton t-shirt that are gentler on your hair. Moreover, you don’t strip all the moisture out of it.

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#2. Don’t aggressively rub your hair while drying it

There are many of you who might rub your hair with a tower or rigorously coil it up in a towel hat to dry it. But this should not be the case! You must not do this anymore. Any of these drying methods would only be disastrous as they cause knotting, frizzing, and breakage. The best way is to use a micro t-shirt or a microfiber towel to gently pat dry the wet hair.

#3. Avoid using a blow dryer

One of the strictest NO-NO is the use of a hairdryer. Just like any other heating styling tools, the blow dryer can damage your hair as well as can also cause split ends. However, if you absolutely need to use a blow dryer to dry your hair, then its best to use it on a cool setting.

Detangling hair technique and tips

#1. Detangle when there’s conditioner in your hair

It is the best if you detangle your hair when there is a conditioner on it. All you need to do is run a wide-toothed comb through the lower half of your hair in order to get rid of all the knots and tangles easily.

#2. Detangle your hair when it’s semi-dry

In case you lose huge clumps of hair when you brush it, this is because you might be doing it instantly after you are done with your shampooing. You must keep one thing in mind that your hair is delicate and easy to get brittle if it’s wet. You must wait until your hair gets 70% dry and detangle only with a boar bristle brush or a wide-toothed comb.

Frequently Asked Question

#1. What are hair shower hacks?

Following are the shower hacks everyone should keep in mind:

• Use a hair oil while you're still in the shower
• Get soft, glowing skin with volcanic ash
• Swap out traditional shaving cream for coconut oil
• Pamper yourself from head to toe with a body mask
• Give yourself a fancy facial treatment in just one minute

#2. How to make showers better?

• Opt for a dry brush before you get into the bathing
• Use a shower melt to pamper yourself while bathing
• Choose the right soap
• Put on some relaxing music
• As soon as you are done with the shower, put some oil on your body after pat drying yourself.

#3. How to look after hair post-shower?

• Avoid washing your hair every day
• Use sulphate- and silicone-free hair products
• Shampoo your hair gently
• Rub conditioner on the ends of your hair
• Use cool water to wash and rinse your hair
• Try deep conditioning your hair once a week
• Wash your hairbrush regularly
• Let your hair air dry

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Well, there you go with your celebrity-like soft and gorgeous hair by enjoying a hair spa at home! The above points sum up the right way to shampoo and condition your hair. If you have any secrets of hair care that you would like to share with us and the other readers, then do leave your comments below.