Shampoo Carefully
Hairstylists love to say you can reduce the times you shampoo to three times a week. But if you have fine and/or oily hair, you don’t have to walk around looking dirty. Shampoo daily, but “thoroughly drench your hair with water before you lather up,” says New Orleans dermatologist Mary P. Lupo. “Then concentrate on just the hair two inches closest to the scalp, since that’s where sebum collects. And rinse really, really well under the coldest water you can stand.” (Bonus: This will smooth the cuticle so frayed ends are less obvious.)
Lower the Temperature on Your Tools
May the good Lord bless and keep your curling iron, flat iron and blow dryer. They’re the magic wands that transform your ordinary or unruly hair into luscious waves and curls or voluminous, blown-out goodness. But with all that heat comes heat damage—dryness, brittleness and flyaways.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is setting the temperature too high when styling hair with heat. Unless you have super thick or coarse hair, you’ll get the job done with a mid-range temperature-setting on your tools. And skip the heat styling altogether when possible.
Make Up to Your Ends
Hair masks are the special ops of conditioning. They contain high concentrations of reparative and moisturizing ingredients, like vitamins, oils and naturally-sourced elements. They’re also thicker than regular conditioners, so when you apply them to damp hair, they stay put. That gives these formulas time to penetrate more deeply into the hair surface and fill in the gaps and nicks that develop on the surface of damaged hair. Masks keep working even after you rinse them.
Find a mask that’s right for your hair type—for example, color-treated or extra coarse and unruly. Use your hair treatment mask twice a week or more, faithfully. And don’t be in a hurry—the longer you leave it on the more effective it will be.
Looking for the best hair salon in Joplin MO? Visit Cindy Flanders at When Hairy Met Cindy today!