Like riding a bicycle or baking a cake you’ve done for years, washing your hair is something that should be easy. However, there is actually more to it than just jumping in the shower, lathering up a storm with shampoo and conditioner and rinsing it all out. Done the wrong way — and yes there is a wrong way — and your expensive hair color can fade, roots can become greasy, and your hair can go from full to flat. The good news is that getting beautiful hair might just involve tweaking your shower routine and avoiding some common pitfalls.

Why Wait to Wash?
Only you know how often you need to wash your hair — be it every day in the summer or once a week in the winter! Whenever you think you need to, why wait right? Well washing your hair too often may not be good depending on your hair type. Oily hair may need a daily wash and dry shampoo between washes; 2-3 times a week should do the trick for normal hair; and once a week may be enough for dry or damaged hair. Strike a delicate balance.

Before & After
Don’t just comb your hair through after you wash, do it before. Brushing before shampooing breaks up any lingering product and prevents hair from becoming a tangled mess in the shower. Another detangler is not piling your hair on top of your head whilst washing.

Deepen the Rinse
You should rinse your hair thoroughly for at least a minute before you apply shampoo to get rid of residue from the last product you put in your hair.

Shampooing Every Wash?
Experts warn us not to use shampoo every day. If you still want to wash your hair daily, just use conditioner at the end to keep scalp from drying out. On the other hand, don’t go overboard with the conditioner and always condition from the ends and work upwards.

Brush Up the Massage
Don’t just rub the shampoo into your hair, gently work it in with your fingertips in slow, circular movements to let your scalp absorb the product, prevent damage and breakage to your hair, and enjoy that bit of pampering you get at a salon.

Top Down
Usually we apply shampoo to the roots, lather, then apply more to the rest of the hair. However, hair is dirtiest at the roots and ends are drier. So, apply shampoo to the scalp, massage it into a lather, and work it down to the ends. No adding more!

Hot Ain’t Hot
You love a hot shower, your hair not so much! It dries out the scalp and skin. Try rinsing with lukewarm or even cool water (not so easy in winter we know).

Which Shampoo?
Not all shampoo brands are considered equal. Choose one based on your hair type (even if you have highlights or dyed hair), and that complements your texture — be it fine, medium, coarse, frizzy, or ultra-curly. The wrong shampoo, or one that contains harsh chemicals (like synthetic fragrances, ammonia, and bleach), can leave hair dry, frizzy, or hanging like a dead weight.

Routine Reversal
For fine or dry hair (NOT oily hair) that needs moisture but gets weighed down by most conditioners, try conditioning first, then shampooing. It’s a game changer!

Bottom line, it seems that hair washing isn’t so cut and dry after all. However, next time you’ll be able to wash with confidence knowing that fantastic hair is just a shower away!