It's surprising the way some people treat their hair. Instead of giving it the respect it deserves, they tug at it with their hair brush, secure it with plain elastic bands that stick to the hair, lick it, chew it, clean their inky hands with it, stick their pens in it, wipe that excess eye-liner off on it, and while shampooing, rub it, scrub it, pull it and generally bash it around before stuffing it under the full blast of a hair dryer. Phew! It's shameful. Just because they're not going bald in a hurry, they take it for granted. And then they wonder why their hair isn't a shiny, swinging, sexy mane like in the ads, in spite of using the same shampoo! Well, understand the facts of life. Hair is delicate, growing stuff which need to be handled with care. A lot of care.
First, identify your hair type. Is it normal, oily or dry?
So, who's normal? Well, if your hair isn't a constant maze of split ends, doesn't become oily quickly and is fairly well behaved, you could say it is normal. Wash your hair twice a week with a mild shampoo and conditioner for normal hair. Towel dry lightly. Blow dry from at least five inches away, whether your hair is normal, dry or oily.
Stress, hormonal activity (puberty, childbirth), thyroid problems and eating too much fatty food and chocolates are what usually cause oily hair. Oily hair needs to be washed more often but don't scrub too hard while washing. It won't get your hair any cleaner or less oilier. What it will do is further aggravate the already overactive sebaceous glands on your scalp, not to mention cause damage to the delicate follicles. And don't pile hair on the head while shampooing, even though it may look great in the ads. It causes tangling, leading to further breakage. You could add lemon to the final rinse for a great shine. If you don't have time to shampoo every few days or feel lazy and leave it oily, your hair won't just look terrible, but dirt will get lodged under its surface causing breakage and damage not to mention dandruff. This will lead to skin problems such as acne on your chest, back and face. So you need to be careful about washing hair regularly, though you could condition it just twice a month. However, if your hair has been chemically treated, you should condition hair after every wash as chemical strips hair of its natural oils.
Types of hair and their treatment!
oily hair
Opinion is divided about how often to wash oily hair. Some people swear by washing it every day. Others claim that this merely encourages more oil production, thus exacerbating the problem. Whenever you wash your hair, try a tablespoon of cider vinegar to the final rinse to help cut down on the grease.
DRY HAIR
You have to be very careful not to overwash dry hair. It's very easy to strip away the natural oils if you wash it too frequently.
Olive oil can be a wonderful conditioner for dry hair. Warm up half a cup, or more if your hair is very long. Massage it through the hair, especially the ends and middle bits - these are always drier than the hair near your scalp. Wrap your hair in plastic, and then in a warm towel, and leave for 30 minutes. This enables to oil to penetrate the hair shaft. (Read a good book while you are waiting, have a cup of tea, watch television - you are getting back in the shower afterwards so don't try to do too much). Wash out carefully, using a gentle shampoo suited for dry hair.
BLONDE HAIR
Blonde hair can look dull and lifeless, regardless of whether it is straight or curly, dry or oily or normal. Lemon juice is a great brightener of blonde hair. Two or three lemons, squeezed into a liter of warm water, makes a great rinse for clean dry hair. Pour it slowly over your hair, working it into all of your hair from roots to tips with your fingers. After ten minutes, rinse thoroughly with warm water. This adds shine and a lovely smell and brightens the blondeness.
Another brightener for blonde hair uses six chamomile tea bags, steeped in a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. Add half a cup of plain yogurt to the water (discard the teabags), plus five drops of lavender oil. Stir the mixture thoroughly, and when it is properly emulsified, apply the mixture to clean dry hair. Wrap hair in plastic for twenty minutes, then rinse out thoroughly in warm water and shampoo carefully.
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