Washing your hair the right way is the first step to combating an oily scalp, hair loss and other hair woes
By Nicole-Marie Ng
Cover Image: Shutterstock
Living in Singapore, many of us are plagued with hair concerns such as an oily scalp with dry ends due to the heat and humidity of our sunny island.
You might have heard various and sometimes conflicting advice on how to combat these hair woes. We line up the eight tried and tested tips and tricks to solving these problems.
1. What’s your hair type?
The most essential thing you must do is to understand your hair type. This will ensure that you’re choosing the right hair care products and will also determine how often you should be washing your hair.
You might have heard that washing your hair every day is bad for your hair as it causes dryness but people with oily hair and scalp should be washing their hair daily. This is especially since we live in a humid environment prone to pollution like the haze. You should also be washing your hair after exercise to wash away dirt and sweat.
If you have normal to dry hair and scalp, you can afford to wash your hair every other day. However, if you experience any itching or scalp pimples, it’s a sign that you need to wash your hair more often.
If you really must go two days or more without washing your hair, try using a dry shampoo to help absorb excess oils.
2. Brush before you wash
If you notice more hair loss than usual in the shower, you should try brushing your hair before washing. This helps to get rid of any knots that might tug on your hair and cause breakage.
Giving your hair a good brush also helps to loosen up any dirt or dry flakes on the scalp, making it easier to wash off in the shower.
3. Double cleanse
For people with oily hair and scalp, this trick will help give you a better cleanse. Use a 2:1 ratio when double cleansing hair — for example, use four small pumps of shampoo during the first round of cleansing and two pumps during the second round.
The first round gets rid of any surface dirt and oil while the second round penetrates deeper into the roots of the hair. You will also find that the shampoo lathers up more easily during your second cleanse, therefore, not as much shampoo is needed.
4. Use tepid to cool temperature water
While we all enjoy taking hot showers, especially after a long day of work, it’s better for your skin and hair if you shower with room to cool temperature water instead. Hot water makes hair limper and more prone to breakage. Cold water, on the other hand, seals the cuticle of the hair and helps give hair more shine.
5. Lather at roots
Apply shampoo directly to the scalp instead of the ends of the hair. There is also no need to run the shampoo throughout the lengths of your hair as the residual shampoo used at the scalp should wash away any dirt.
Concentrate on giving your scalp a massage, using your fingers instead of the nails to slowly wash grime away. Use gentle circular motions and avoid scrubbing.
6. Condition ends
You should only be applying conditioner to the lengths of your hair from your ears downwards, avoiding the upper half of your head. Conditioner helps to keep hair silky and soft but due to its rich formulation, but may cause clogged hair follicles when used too close to the scalp. Leave the conditioner on for 3 to 5 minutes for it to fully work its magic on hair.
7. Dry hair with an old t-shirt
Have an extra t-shirt lying around? Swap out towel drying your hair for t-shirt drying your hair instead. This will help reduce frizziness and is also gentler on the hair, preventing breakage.
8. Avoid brushing through wet hair
We’ve all been there, you’re fresh from a shower yet your hair is a mess. Fight the temptation to brush through hair straight away as hair is more fragile when wet. Instead, wait till your hair is semi-dry before combing through your hair with a wide-tooth comb.
Using a leave-in conditioners and hair oils also helps make wet hair easier to comb through, resulting in less tugging on the roots of the hair.
9. Try a scalp treatment
If homecare products don’t seem to work, it might be time to step it up a notch and try a scalp treatment. Beijing 101’s Intenz Scalp Treatment uses premium Chinese herbs and extracts to thoroughly clean the scalp and promote hair growth. They also have customised treatments available for people suffering from oily scalp, dandruff and hair loss.
The first 50 readers who SMS <BJ101><Your Name> to 96868101 will be able to try Beijing 101’s Intense Scalp Treatment at $40 (U.P. $296).
For more details visit www.beijing101hair.com.
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