Have you forgotten to give attention to your hair amidst your demanding schedules? Or, are you extremely confused about what the right hair care routine should be, among the plethora of options? Then, you’ve landed on the right page.
A good hair care routine ensures that your hair stays nourished, healthy, frizz-free and strong - plus it shouldn't take too long. Keep reading to find the right routine for your hair type.
What Expert Says
“Before choosing any hair care regimen, it is essential to analyze your hair type and identify the causes for hair issues. The results of the analysis will determine the required hair care routine and treatment. Also, one should keep in mind that chemical treatments on hair can be harsh for your hair strands.”
-Dr. Harish Koutam, Chief Dermatologist, SkinKraft
Highlights:
Why Is It Important To Maintain A Hair Care Routine?
Maintaining a good hair care routine is as important as following a skin care regimen - it keeps your hair soft, healthy, free of infections, greasiness and other conditions. How often you wash your hair depends on your scalp type and hair texture.
According to our chief dermatologist, Dr. Harish Koutam, “Before choosing any hair care regimen, it is essential to analyze your hair type and identify the causes for hair issues. The results of the analysis will determine the required hair care routine and treatment. Also, one should keep in mind that chemical treatments on hair can be harsh for your hair strands.”
How To Determine Your Hair Type?
1. Straight Hair
Straight hair does not curl easily and falls flat from the roots, all the way down to the ends. It is usually soft and silky. Women with the hair type tend to have oily scalps that cause the hair to get greasy evenly (1).
2. Wavy Hair
This hair type lies in between straight and curly hair. You may notice soft, big curls as it progresses from the roots towards the ends. This hair type is usually rough in texture. It can hold hairstyles well. So, if you wish to straighten, curl or style your hair in anyway, this hair type is the most convenient and the easiest to experiment with.
3. Curly Hair
This hair type is determined by prominent curls from the roots down. Curly hair tends to be more dry and frizzy as compared to the straight and wavy hair types.
Curly Hair Can Further Be Segregated Into:
- Type 3A (loose curls)
- Type 3B (medium curls)
- Type 3C (tight curls)
4. Coily Hair
Also known as “African American” hair, this hair type is determined by very tight curls and is actually quite fragile. It tends to break easily if not taken care of properly.
Coily Hair Can Further Be Segregated Into:
- Type 4A (soft)
- Type 4B (wiry)
- Type 4C (extremely wiry)
Factors That Affect How Often You Should Wash Your Hair
Washing your hair everyday is not recommended. Shampoos remove the essential oils and moisture that your hair needs to stay hydrated (2). Only if you happen to fall in any of the below categories, you can consider washing your hair with shampoo very often:
1. Grease/Oil
Oily hair tends to attract dirt and pollution. This can result in clogged pores and the development of other conditions like dandruff. Your age, genes, lifestyle and hormonal changes determine how oily your scalp is. You may need to wash your hair almost everyday if your scalp is extra greasy because of any of these factors.
2. Your Hair Type
The straighter your hair, the more greasy it will be. Fine, straight hair needs to be washed more often as compared to textured or curly hair.
3. Dust Or Pollen Grains
If you work outdoors most of the time or indulge in activities like gardening, you may have to wash your hair more often since your scalp is exposed to more dust and pollution.
4. Lifestyle
If you are somebody who travels a lot or exercises regularly, your scalp may feel more sweaty and may need a wash every one or two days.
Note:
If you are experiencing any conditions like dandruff or an extra greasy scalp, you can talk to your doctor and follow his/her recommended regimen.
Recommended Hair Care Routine For Your Hair Type
1. Straight Hair
A lot of us tend to assume that straight hair is easy to manage and does not require much of a regimen. However, straight hair is something that gets greasy easily and needs to be taken care of as much as the other hair types.
How To Wash:
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo that helps you get rid of excess grease and dirt. There are certain products that are specifically tailored to help keep oil and grease on your scalp at bay.
- Washing your hair once in 2-3 days is recommended, unless your scalp is extra greasy due to other reasons.
How To Care:
- Use a light conditioner and avoid using leave-in conditioners. They can weigh your hair down and cause it to feel too heavy.
- You could even pick a conditioner that contains oils like coconut or jojoba oil. This will keep your hair nourished and soft, without weighing it down.
- Apply conditioner only to your shaft and avoid the roots. This will prevent it from falling flat and feeling too greasy as well.
- Using a volumizing mousse will prevent your hair from falling flat at the roots. Apply it to damp hair before you leave it to dry.
2. Wavy Hair
Wavy hair can be experimented with to a large extent, if taken care of. This hair type stands somewhere in between straight and curly hair, making it easy to style.
How To Wash:
- Wavy hair doesn’t need to be washed as often as straight hair, as it tends to be more dry. Wavy hair should be washed once every 3-4 days.
- Using a sulfate-free shampoo specifically designed for wavy hair-types should work for you.
How To Care:
- Nourishing your hair with an oil massage before you wash will keep it healthy and hydrated. You can do this one hour before washing your hair.
- Condition your hair every time you wash it.
- Wavy hair tends to be more dry than straight hair at the ends. You can use an oil to prevent this and keep your hair shaft and ends nourished and hydrated.
- You can even use a leave-in conditioner to scrunch your hair and make those waves prominent. Apply it to your damp hair after you’re out of the shower and bend your hair forward. Scrunch your hair using your fists to give it that bounce and leave it to dry.
3. Curly Hair
Curly hair gives your hair life and adds a sense of fun to your personality. However, it is difficult to maintain and tends to get dry very easily.
How To Wash:
- Wash your hair using a sulfate-free shampoo. Restrict using your shampoo to your scalp as that is what needs cleansing. Shampoos tend to remove essential oils and moisture as well, which can make your hair excessively dry and frizzy, if applied to the shaft.
- Wash your hair just once a week to prevent it from getting too dry.
- Using conditioner on your hair every 3-4 days can help keep it soft and nourished.
How To Care:
- Conditioning your hair is more important than shampooing it. This keeps it nourished and frizz-free. You can even add a few drops of an essential oil to your conditioner to keep your scalp and hair free of dryness.
- Deep-conditioning your hair can be an integral part of your regimen.
- Detangle your hair in the shower when you have applied a conditioner. This is the best way to prevent it from breaking.
- You can use a curl-defining cream to make those loops stand-out!
- Invest in a diffuser-attachment to prevent frizzy hair. These are tools that help your hair dry in a defined pattern to prevent it from getting frizzy.
4. Coily Hair
This hair type is characterized by very tight curls. It also tends to be very dry.
How To Wash:
- Use a mild sulfate-free shampoo to prevent your hair from getting too dry.
- Focus on the roots and avoid the shafts. Shampoos tend to remove natural oils from your hair.
- You can co-wash with a conditioner every 2-3 days in a week.
How To Care:
- Deep-condition your hair at least once a week to provide it with nutrients and hydration. This will help prevent it from getting frizzy and dry.
- You can use a moisturizing spray on your locks every day to keep it soft and hydrated.
- Oil your hair an hour before you wash it off with shampoo and conditioner.
- Detangle your hair when you are in the shower, once you condition it. This will prevent breakage.
General Tips For All Hair Types
1. Oil Massage
Oiling your hair once a week is essential to provide it with nutrients and hydration (3) (4). You can even use essential oils to address your specific hair concerns.
How To Massage:
- Mix an essential oil with a carrier oil of your choice.
- Warm it and apply to your scalp.
- Gently massage the oil into your scalp for 5 minutes and leave on for about an hour.
- Rinse off using shampoo and lukewarm water.
2. Trim Your Hair
No, trimming your hair does not make it grow faster! What it can do for you though, is to make your hair appear healthier, softer and free of split ends. Trimming once in every 2-3 months is recommended.
3. Avoid Tying Your Hair Up Too Often
Tying your hair up can cause breakage and even result in hair loss eventually. This happens because the roots are constantly being pulled that eventually causes them to break.
4. Wear A Hat When You Step Out
The sun is known to damage your skin, but it can also dehydrate and damage your hair! Apart from that, pollution and dirt may accumulate on your scalp causing it to get dirty. This may have you washing your hair too often, which may prove to be harmful in the long run.
5. Wash Your Hair With Cool Or Lukewarm Water
Hot water tends to strip off essential oils and moisture from the scalp. Use cool or lukewarm water to rinse your hair.
6. Avoid Using Products That Produce Too Much Heat
Products that produce heat can damage your hair, causing it to break eventually and appear dry, dull and frizzy. Whenever you use a product like this, make it a point to apply a heat protectant to reduce damage.
Wrapping Up
Maintaining a hair care routine based on your hair type is important to keep it nourished, soft and healthy. This also prevents breakage and hair fall. How often you wash your hair is determined by factors such as your lifestyle, how greasy your hair is, and how often you stay out.
Make it a point to massage your hair using an oil at least once a week, irrespective of your scalp/hair type. This helps to provide nourishment to your follicles and strengthens your hair. If you are experiencing any scalp conditions that require you to use medicated shampoos, stick to following a regimen recommended by your doctor.
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