Hair Care Guide

We all have different hair types and you may swear by your hair care routine, but what's right for you may not be right for your friend. However, there are some general hair care guidelines that work for all hair types. So, start with them, and, if you feel it's necessary, "tweak" them as needed to accommodate your hair. You may be surprised, though, to find out that the general hair care routine was really all you needed all along.

Decide which cleansing schedule is best for you.

You may think that it's absolutely necessary to wash your hair every day, but the fact is you may be washing it too much. Extremely oily hair may require a daily washing, but if your hair is normal, and especially if it's dry, you may only want to wash it every other day.

If you're not sure that you hair can actually go for more than one day without being washed, then do this. Wash it on Friday morning, and then don't wash it on Saturday. By the end of the day Saturday (say around 5:00 or so), you should be able to tell if your hair has accumulated too much oil for you to skip a day.

Protect your hair from sun damage.

We all know how important it is to protect our skin from sun damage, but it's just as important to protect your hair. Too much sun can cause your hair to dry out and become brittle.

And, did you know that your scalp can burn just like the rest of your body can, even if you have rather thick hair? It's true, especially if you part your hair. And, a sunburned scalp is going to react just like sunburned skin'"it's going to flake and peel.

Some hair care products, especially styling ones, now have added sun screen, just like skin care products. If yours don't, simply slap on a hat or scarf, or stay in the shade.

Be gentle.

Vigorous brushing, using heat stylers, and even scrubbing your head too hard when you shampoo can all lead to hair breakage and damage. Use only the pads of your fingers when you wash your hair, not your fingernails. Never brush wet hair; instead gently comb through it with a wide-tooth comb or use your fingers to untangle and smooth your wet hair.

Get regular trims.

If you've ever gone longer without getting a trim, and then when you did thought that you had lost about 6 inches of length, chances are you didn't lose that much, but what you thought was long, healthy hair was actually dry, damaged hair. So, not only does a regular trim help you keep your style looking as good as possible, but having your hair trimmed every 4 to 6 weeks gets rid of split or dead ends, and allows new hair growth to take place.

References:

http://beauty.holplus.com/Beauty/Hair-Care/Tips-For-General-Hair-Care.html

http://www.beautyideas.com/how-often-should-i-cut-my-hair/