Hair Care Dos and Don’ts.

by Ashley Biggerstaff – lead stylist and haircutting trainer

Dos

• Massage your scalp —or even better have someone else do it for you—every night before you go to bed to stimulate blood flow to the roots of your hair.
• After conditioning your hair, rinse with cool water. This makes the hair cuticle lie flat and your hair will look shiner.
• Apply conditioner to the hair before swimming. Chlorine and salt water dry out the hair.
• Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week at home and consider a more intensive salon treatment. Ask your stylist for recommended products for home care.
• Blot—do not rub—your hair dry. Rubbing hair can cause the strands to snag and tangle.
• Get a haircut every 4-6 weeks.. After 8-10 weeks the ends of the hair shaft start to split and they split faster as the hair grows which often results in the stylist recommending you take off more length than desired. Hint: if you are growing your hair long, then tell the stylist about your goal. Explain that you would like to keep the interior shape and only “dust” the ends.

Don’ts

• Don’t scrub the ends too much when shampooing your hair. Excessive scrubbing dries them out and makes them brittle.
• ka-roo n. derived from ancient Sanskrit meaning beautiful and happy• Don’t pull your hair back in tight ponytails, braids, headbands, or combs for long periods of time or when the hair is wet because they can break the hair and even cause “traction” alopecia, a type of hair loss.
• Don’t wash your hair in hot water. Hot water dries hair just as it dries skin. It also opens the cuticle, which makes it more absorbent to pollutants on the hair and scalp.