While washing your hair is something that you don’t think too much about, leading haircare expert Anabel Kingsley has issued some advice on how to do it properly – and warns to never skip hair wash days
The feeling of freshly washed hair is unbeatable – but one haircare expert says it’s likely you’re doing it all wrong.
Not only can a good wash and blowdry make you feel like a million dollars, it can also boost your confidence, so it’s only right you use the correct products. While many people will have their go-to hair heroes, leading haircare expert Anabel Kingsley, Brand President and Lead Consultant at Philip Kingsley, said many people aren’t using products right for their hair type.
According to new research, it seems like women aren’t washing their hair correctly – or enough – and could be causing serious damage to their hair and scalp.
While we are happy to switch up skincare routines to accomodate skin changes such as weather or dryness, it’s also important to consider changing up your haircare needs as well. According to the research conducted by Philip Kingsley, half of those surveyed (49%) don’t use a shampoo tailored to their specific hair texture and 24% have never used a targeted shampoo.
The leading authority experts on hair loss and scalp care said as a rule of thumb, we should be washing our hair for a full 60 seconds, but over two fifths (44%) shampoo their hair for only 30 seconds to one minute and 9% shampoo for less than 30 seconds. So when it comes to concerns over hair loss, more than a third of women (34%) are worried shampooing may increase hair loss which is not true and a fifth (18%) don’t know that shampooing is essential for their scalp health.
It’s crucial that when washing your hair, you should be ‘scalp cleansing’. Anabel said: “If your hair feels limp and unmanageable after washing your hair, you are using the wrong products. Keep conditioner away from the scalp and use on the lengths and ends of your hair only.”
It’s also important to know that shampooing is really only about cleansing the scalp. “Don’t scrub your hair when you shampoo or pile it on top of your head – you will only tangle your hair. Let the suds run down the lengths of your hair as this is enough to remove daily dirt.
“Our scalp is skin after all and is just as important as facial skin. Cleansing and caring for your scalp (shampooing) is just as important as a daily face cleanse, so don’t skip it,” the expert explained.
So for those who are prone to tangled hair, she suggested to brush your hair thorougly before getting in the shower to help detangle it, and start and the ends and gradually work your way up – and never start at the roots.
It’s also important to know that using too much shampoo can result in dull hair, and Anabel said you only need to use a 50p piece size of shampoo and massage gently, adding more water to increase the lather. Rinse and then rinse again, and explained: “If you feel your hair / scalp still feels greasy after washing, you actually need to wash it more regularly.
“Infrequent shampooing can contribute to scalp problems as it leaves excess oils sitting on your scalp. Certain yeasts (called the Malassezia yeasts) thrive in an oily environment – and when these yeasts overgrow, your scalp can become flaky and irritated. Therefore, washing your hair frequently can combat this.”
For those who skip hair wash days, or leave it as long as they can, Anabel said: “There are no pros to NOT washing your hair. I advocate daily hair washing. You wouldn’t leave more than 3 days between washing your face, and you likely wouldn’t wear the same outfit more than a few times before washing it – apply the same thinking to your hair and scalp.”
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