Washing hair is something that people often do subconsciously, without giving the process too much thought. After all, it’s an action that people have been carrying out for years, meaning that their chosen technique quickly becomes second nature.

There’s nothing wrong with this if you’re washing your hair correctly. However, more often than not, people unknowingly end up falling into bad hair washing habits. Turns out, the act of washing hair isn’t quite as simple as it’s reputed to be, making it important to know your rights from your wrongs.

So, how do you go about washing hair correctly? Read on as Evalectric explains!

Make Sure That Your Hair Actually Needs to Be Washed

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when washing hair is to do it too often. It’s easy to fall into a schedule of sorts, believing that you need to wash your hair every other day, or however often you regularly wash it.

Unfortunately, washing hair more often than it needs to be washed can end up being extremely detrimental to your mane. Each time you wash your hair, you strip away the natural oils produced by your scalp. If that oil has built up, then this is a good thing. After all, nobody wants hair that looks and feels greasy! However, if your scalp hasn’t had enough time to produce enough oil to moisturize and lubricate your strands, then washing it will initially leave it dry and damaged. Over time, over-washing your hair can end up increasing how oily your hair is. Your scalp will begin working double time to produce enough sebum before it’s washed away. Once this happens, it’s a difficult thing to rebalance.

So, the big question is…how often should you be washing your hair?

This all depends on your hair type. Thin and fine hair gets weighed down by sebum much faster than thick and coarse hair, meaning that it may need to be washed every other day. Meanwhile, those with thick or curly locks need to leave it a little longer – five to seven days, if possible. Whatever the case may be, don’t wash your hair just because it happens to be wash day. Wait until your hair actually needs to be shampooed before you do so.

Choose Your Shampoo Wisely

Many people assume that since shampoo doesn’t remain in the hair for very long, it doesn’t matter which shampoo is used. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Instead, just like when it comes to choosing skincare products, you need to make sure that the shampoo you’re using is suitable for your hair type. Those with fine hair, for example, will need a lightweight shampoo that will help to leave their hair looking thicker and more volumized. A thick formula will only weigh those delicate strands down.

On the other hand, those with dry, thick, or damaged hair do best with a rich moisturizing shampoo, just like the Evalectric Moisturizing Shampoo. Infused with argan oil, it’s the perfect formula for reducing the look of frizz and static while giving the hair a smooth and silky finish.

It’s also worth mentioning that your choice of shampoo may need to change with the seasons. Sebum production increases during the summer and decreases during the winter. Because of this, you may find that the rich shampoo that was a godsend during the colder months is too much for your hair in the warm season. Pay attention to how your hair responds each time it has been washed to determine whether or not a change of shampoo may be needed.

Start By Fully Soaking Every Single Strand

Let’s move on to the technique that you use when washing hair. It’s easy to be impatient with this, especially on a busy morning. However, briefly dampening your strands before applying your shampoo isn’t going to give you the best results.

Instead, you need to first spend a couple of minutes ensuring that you’ve fully saturated every single strand of your hair before you even consider reaching for your shampoo bottle. The wetter your hair, the more effective your shampoo will be. This is down to how water helps to open up hair cuticles, allowing easier penetration for your shampoo. 

Fail to do this and not only do you risk clogging up your hair follicles but your shampoo will struggle to emulsify. This will likely lead to you using more shampoo than you need to. 

If your hair is extremely dense and you struggle to fully soak each strand, use your fingers to separate sections of your hair to allow the water to run in. Then, run your hands through your hair to make sure that every inch of it is soaking wet, from root to tip, before you start shampooing.

Gently Massage Your Shampoo Onto Your Scalp

Do you ever find yourself using your nails to scrub at your scalp when you’re applying shampoo?

If so, it’s time to stop. When washing hair, you should be using minimal pressure. Being too harsh and abrasive with your scalp will only irritate and damage it, leaving your strands more susceptible to breakages. 

Ideally, you should be using the pads of your fingers to gently massage the shampoo into your scalp. Small circular motions with just a slight amount of pressure are all that’s needed to work the shampoo into your hair. 

Try to do this for a couple of minutes, paying extra attention to the areas that are often overlooked, such as behind the ears or the nape of the neck. Don’t be tempted to pile all of your hair onto the top of your head while you’re doing so either. Sure, that may be the method that’s used in shampoo commercials but the lower half of your hair doesn’t need to be directly shampooed. It’s naturally drier than the top half of your hair, so the run-off from your shampoo when it’s being rinsed is more than enough to keep those tips clean.

Thoroughly Rinse

Once you’ve spent a few minutes massaging your shampoo onto your scalp, it’s time to rinse it off. Again, be gentle while doing so, but make sure that you’re being thorough. Allow shampoo residue to remain on your locks and you’ll end up with hair that looks limp and lifeless. In order to rock soft and shiny strands, every trace of shampoo needs to be removed.

To clear away your shampoo without being rough with your delicate strands, use your hands to gently squeeze your hair while you’re rinsing it. This will help to remove any lingering traces of shampoo, leaving your hair feeling squeaky clean.

One other aspect to consider when rinsing your hair is water temperature. Many make the mistake of using steaming hot water when washing their hair. However, the hotter the temperature of your water, the more damage you’ll be causing to your strands and your scalp. While you don’t need to go to the other extreme and use cold water, keeping things lukewarm will make a huge difference to how healthy and vibrant your hair looks.

Shampoo Again If Needed

Have you ever heard of the double cleanse? It’s a popular skincare technique that involves cleansing the face twice instead of just once.

Well, many hair experts recommend following the same principle when it comes to washing hair too. Why? Because this allows the first application of shampoo to focus on removing dirt, product residue, excess sebum, pollution, and more. Then, once this has all been rinsed away, your second shampoo application will help to leave your hair looking beautifully glossy.

Is double shampooing really necessary?

Not always. It all depends on how dirty your hair is. If you know that you’re sporting a large amount of product buildup or have been spending time in a dirty or heavily polluted environment, then a double shampoo can most definitely be helpful.

Follow Up With a Conditioner on the Lower Half of Your Hair

Even the gentlest of shampoos will still leave your hair feeling more vulnerable to damage. This is down to how a shampoo removes the excess oils that coat your hair. Sure, those oils can weigh the hair down but they also help to keep your strands feeling protected.

This is why it’s so important to use a conditioner after shampooing. This will give your hair a softer and smoother feel, providing it with the moisture and lubrication that a shampoo removes. Pick a rich conditioner, such as the Evalectric Moisturizing Conditioner, and these effects will be even more noticeable. 

When applying your conditioner, focus it on the lower half of your hair. Your scalp already produces plenty of sebum for the top half, meaning that this area doesn’t require conditioner.

Once your conditioner has been evenly applied, aim to leave it on for about five to seven minutes. Any less than this and the conditioner won’t have enough time to properly penetrate your strands. Likewise, any longer than this will leave you susceptible to residue building up in your hair.

Consider Investing in a Water Filter

If, after following all of the above tips, your hair still feels dry and rough after being washed, the water that you’re using could be the culprit. Shower water often contains chlorine and other chemical substances that not only play havoc on your hair, but can negatively affect your skin too.

Installing a water filter in your shower head prevents this. It will save your hair from coming into contact with all of those synthetic chemicals. The result will be hair that feels stronger, smoother, and so much healthier!

Summary

It’s surprisingly easy to get things wrong when washing hair. However, even the smallest mistake could have devastating consequences on your mane in the long run, leaving it prone to damage, frizz, and more. If your current hair washing methods differ from those detailed above, give our techniques a try. Chances are that you’ll notice your hair taking on a much softer and silkier appearance. Not only will it feel much easier to manage, but it will also look noticeably healthier!

Click here to elevate your hair care routine with more bestselling products from Evalectric.