Picture this scenario: you’re trying to take hair care seriously. You wash your hair with a shampoo and conditioner you love, you avoid sleeping with wet hair, and you use heat protectant before styling. You feel like you’ve been doing everything right, but something still seems to be missing. As you look at your hair in the mirror, you realize it just doesn’t look the way it should. Even after all that work, your locks are still dull and lifeless.
If you’re struggling with transforming your hair at home despite what products and tools you try, it’s probably because you don’t have a proper hair care routine in place that works for your unique hair needs. The perfect hair care routine involves a lot more than just washing and drying your hair. While the way you wash and dry your hair is a crucial part in everyone’s hair care routine, there are so many other factors you should consider to get your hair looking its best! Building a good hair care routine doesn’t mean you need to spend an entire paycheque on different products and tools, but it definitely involves a lot more than just the basics. You can get the hair of your dreams by understanding what works well for your specific hair type, and we’re here to help guide you down the right path!
Step 1: Determine your hair type
This is such a crucial step, and to truly make the most out of your hair, you must start your hair care journey here! Your hair type should be the foundation of your perfect hair care routine. Every step going forward will relate back to your hair type, like determining what products you should be using, so it’s important to not skip this step.
Determining your hair type goes far beyond its texture. To fully understand your hair type, you must look at how well your hair absorbs moisture, and what the structure of each strand is like. To make your life easier (which we love to do), we’ve listed two factors, apart from texture, that will help you better identify your hair type!
POROSITY
Porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb moisture, which can help you determine the products you should be using on your hair, and which ones you should avoid at all costs. Too much or too little moisture can cause breakage, frizz, or buildup.
The easiest way to figure out your hair’s porosity is to grab a single strand of hair from your hair brush and place it into a bowl of water. If the strand sinks to the bottom of the bowl, it has a high porosity, which means it’s absorbing too much of the moisture. If the strand stays below the surface, but floats above the bottom of the bowl, your hair is well-balanced. If your hair floats above the surface of the water, your hair has low porosity, meaning it does not absorb moisture well.
If your hair has high porosity, you should try to avoid heated styling tools, or apply heat protectant when you do use them, and avoid products that could cause frizz, dryness, and breakage. Instead, use leave-in treatments that give you some extra moisture. If you have hair with low porosity, you should be wary of product buildup, which is why we recommend applying products to damp hair so they’re more easily absorbed. If your hair is well-balanced, you typically won’t have an issue using products, but we still recommend you don’t use too many products in your hair that will cause a moisture imbalance.
STRUCTURE
Structure refers to how thick each strand of hair is, which affects how well your hair holds certain hairstyles and how it reacts to certain products. When it comes to structure, your hair is placed into one of three categories: fine, medium, or coarse.
An easy way to determine your hair structure is by taking a strand of hair from your hairbrush and laying it flat on a table. Next, cut a strip of sewing thread and place it next to your strand. If your hair is thinner than the thread, it’s considered fine. If your strand is thicker than the thread, it’s considered coarse. Anything in between is medium.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to identify the structure of your hair by the way it holds a hairstyle. If you find that your hairstyle doesn’t last very long, you may have fine hair. Medium structured hair tends to hold most hairstyles well and is easy to work with. If your hair can hold a curl well, but gets frizzy easily, you may have coarse hair.
Step 2: Gather your essential hair products
Now that you have a better idea of what type of hair you have, you can start buying some products and tools that will benefit the kind of hair you have. Using the wrong hair brush or mousse could negatively affect your gorgeous locks, which we would never want for you. There are many options out there depending on what hair type you have, but here are some must-have items for any routine:
- Shampoo and conditioner based on your hair type
- Microfibre towel – avoid using cotton towels on your hair
- A hair dryer with adjustable heat
- A diffuser for all the curly-haired clients
- Heat protectant
- Hair brushes – we recommend having several, depending on your hair type and how you want to use them. To narrow down your search, read our hair brush guide!
Step 3: Determine when to wash your hair
Figuring out how often to wash our hair is something that haunts us all, and no one ever seems to know the right answer! Washing your hair too frequently can cause product buildup, dryness, and a lack of shine. Not washing your hair enough can lead to oily looking hair, which can really put a damper on your social plans and hairstyles. This step is really hard to figure out, but we’re here to help!
Ideally, you should try washing your hair no more than three times a week but we understand that this could also change depending on your hair type and the type of lifestyle you have. For example, if you love a good daily workout, your hair may get oily more frequently because of your sweat. That’s why we suggest working your hair washing routine into your schedule.
Those of you with thick hair may benefit from washing your hair three times a week if you find your scalp gets oily often. If you have finer hair, washing your hair three times a week may be too much! Try two times a week to avoid drying your hair out. If you need some additional guidance when it comes to washing your hair, read our blog all about common hair-washing mistakes.
Step 4: Drying and styling your hair
Now that you’ve washed your hair, it’s time to dry and style. If you’re planning to air dry your hair, using a microfiber towel will help keep it looking its best after the shower by avoiding breakage. Limiting your hair’s exposure to heat as much as possible will ensure it stays healthy for a longer period of time, which is ultimately our goal when it comes to hair.
If you’re in a rush or just prefer having dry hair right away, feel free to use a hair dryer. Just be sure to apply heat protectant into your damp hair before blasting it with heat. For extra protection, avoid holding your dryer close to your hair, and use your dryer on a low-heat setting. You can use styling products before or after the drying stage, depending on your hair type.
Creating the perfect hair care routine is all about catering to what your hair needs. Everyone has different hair types, so it makes sense that we all have our own unique routine. Find what works best for you and your hair, and stick with it. If you’re having trouble figuring out what products you need to be using based on your hair type, come into the salon for an appointment, and we would love to help you out!
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