The Basics of Shampooing, Conditioning & Towel Drying Your Hair

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As simple as this may seem, I've come to learn that many people just do whatever (or worse, what they've seen in the movies) when preparing their hair.  Something as basic as shampooing, conditioning and towel drying your hair effects your style more than you may think.  Equate styling your hair to the method of creating a building.  Before you can start laying your foundation, you have to prepare the ground.  Same goes with your hair.  You need to get your hair prepared properly before you are able to make it look its best.  If you skip a step, or do it half-hearted, then you run the risk of your style falling halfway through the day, just like the building that would fall if you didn't level the ground first.

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Shampooing:

What is there to know?  You wet your hair down, squirt a blob of product in your hand, rub it in and rinse it out.  How could you possibly do it wrong?  Well... knowing how wet your hair should be, how much product to use, how to massage it through your hair and how well to rinse it, are very important factors in determining how well your hair will style for you that day.  The products that you buy in a salon are much more concentrated than the products you would buy in a grocery store or drug store.  If you are using a quarter of a cup of it, you are quite literally washing your money down the drain. 

So how much should you be using?  Well, what about what parts of your hair need washing?  Most of the time, you should only be washing the hair at your scalp.  If you have put a lot of sticky products that have left a residue on the ends of your hair, then you should wash the ends.  If it's just a little sweat, oil or daily dirt, the shampoo will remove that when you rinse the product from your scalp.  For men, when you put the shampoo in your hand, you only need an amount the size of a dime to a nickel to wash your whole head. For women, you should only need an amount the size of a quarter to a half dollar on your palm.  Just rub your hands together to spread it evenly on your palms and that product will be able to cover your entire head.

If you feel like the product is not lathering enough, remember that these products are very concentrated.  All you have to do is quickly dunk your hair under the stream of water, then re-lather it.  The extra water will allow the product to break down and spread through your hair much better.  If you still feel like there isn't enough lather, you can add a little more product at that point, but most times it's not a lack of product that's causing the product to not lather as well.

You also have to keep in mind that the new thing in shampoos is "Sulfate Free".  Sulfates are used to create a rich, foamy lather, but they also have the tendency to open the outer layer of the hair, called the cuticle, and can fade hair color.  If you have a sulfate free shampoo, don't expect a thick lather.  Expect more of a wet foam feel.

That's a lot of information so far and we've only covered the product to be used.  What about application?  Well, the package says lather, then rinse.  Simple, right?  But, how do you get the small amount of shampoo to cover your entire head to really get it clean?  After you've rubbed the product in your hands, smooth your fingers through your scalp on the sides of your head. Then, rub one palm through the top of your head and the other through the crown (the highest part of the back of your head).  Using your finger tips, massage the product on your scalp and through the hair near the root until it creates a lather on your scalp, working your way from the front of your hairline back towards the crown and then down to the base of your neck.  No need to massage the shampoo through more than three inches of your hair as that is the only area of your head that is affected most by your scalp's natural oils.  You also don't want to deprive your ends of those natural oils because they will keep it healthier than any product you can buy.

After you are done lathering the product through your hair, leave it on your scalp for a minute to allow the product to work.  For scalp care products, such as the Nioxin brand and Tea Tree shampoos, allow them a few minutes on the scalp.  Remember that these products work most effectively after your scalp has had a chance to absorb them.  After you've given it the necessary time, you can rinse the product from your hair.  Short hair is fairly easy to rinse, but don't just let the water run over your head and expect that to be enough.  Allow the water to run through your hair while using the same massaging motion you used when shampooing.  With thicker or longer hair, you'll need to move some sections out of your way to allow the water to fully saturate your hair to make sure you rinse all remnants of the product out.  Some flaking issues that most people deal with are just residues from shampoos and conditioners from improper rinsing.

Conditioning:

After you have completely rinsed all of the shampoo out of your hair, squeeze as much of the excess water out of your hair before applying the conditioner.  For those with very dry or overly damaged hair, keep a small towel near the shower and wring the excess moisture from your hair with the towel.  The conditioner is capable of absorbing into the cuticle of the hair much more effectively if there isn't too much water diluting your product or filling up the cortex (the middle layer of hair).  Remember, a damp sponge can absorb a lot more than a sopping wet one.  With longer hair, separate out small sections and work through the tangles.  This will make it easier to detangle your hair once you are out of the shower while also making sure that the product is evenly distributed throughout the entire head.  Also, working the conditioner through the hair will smooth out the cuticle of the hair, reducing frizz while enhancing shine.  A smooth surface reflects light better than a roughened one.  Allow the product to absorb into the hair for a few minutes before rinsing the product out. 

If you are using a scalp care conditioner, like Nioxin or Tea Tree, make sure you massage the product onto your scalp and allow it a few minutes to absorb into your scalp.  When the product has had enough time on the hair or scalp, rinse in the same manner as the shampoo.  Really make sure to remove all remnants of the product.  These conditioners were meant to affect the hair, then be removed, not to be left in.  Conditioners that are made to be left in the hair are packaged and sold as such.  Leaving residue of the product can cause a dulling of the hair, and leave it limp and lifeless.

Towel Drying:

Towel drying your hair seems to be the most simple of things to do, but there are ways to dry your hair to improve the strength and health of your hair.  In the movies, the girl gets out of the shower and flips her hair to one side and starts rubbing the towel back and forth through her hair.  This motion creates a friction and causes the cuticle layer of the hair to stand up on end.  Picture shingles on a roof.  Each layer overlays the next and they alternate so that there is even coverage across the roof.  The cells of the hair lay in the same manner.  They overlap each other the same way as the shingles on a roof.  When you rub the hair with a towel in this motion, you lift the edges of the cuticle cells up causing each hair to not lay smoothly against each other.  This causes frizziness, tangles and dull, shineless hair. Instead, use the towel to just squeeze out the water. This motion will compress the cuticle and leave your hair with less frizz and more shine and managability. Also, for the ladies, after you get out of your shower, wrap your hair in a towel and leave it up while you get dressed and do your makeup. That will allow the towel a chance to absorb extra water and leave you with less work when you are ready to style your hair.

Hopefully this information will allow you to create better styles for your hair with less work.

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