hair care tips

• Brush your hair regularly before going to bed each night.

• Wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Use very little but enough to cover hair completely with lather. Use a conditioner to keep hair manageable.

• Avoid brushing wet hair. This will cause the hair to stretch and finally break. Finger-dry, or use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to gently remove the knots.

• Restrict blow-drying your hair. The process of blow-drying is harsh on hair as it robs it of moisture.

• Avoid dyes. Use mehandi (henna) instead as a conditioner and colouring agent.

• Take a calcium supplement or drink two glasses of milk a day.

• Always hold hair dryer away from your hair. Direct air from the hair dryer down hair shaft and not directly into the roots and keep it moving.

• After a perm, never brush your hair. Instead comb hair gently.

• Trim your hair once in 7 weeks to avoid split ends.

• Avoid pulling back your hair tightly.

• Never use a rubber band on your hair as it can pull and damage hair considerably.

• Never go out in the sun without having your head covered.

• Stimulate circulation by massaging your head with oil to which some vitamin E has been added. This will make hair soft and silky.

• Never wash your hair with very hot or very cold water.

• Learn to relax. Hair loss can happen because of stress. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B, C and E.

• Add iron and minerals in the natural form in your diet.

• If your hair is oily, cut down on fried food and fat. Drink plenty of water.

  General
  A healthy lifestyle will mean healthier hair for you. Excessive stress, smoking, not exercising and not eating nutritiously are not healthy for your hair.

  Get enough sleep.

  Hair Products (Gel, mouse, hair spary...)
  Avoid using hair styling products with alcohol which dries out hair.

  Avoid puting hair styling products directly on your scalp, if you put it on your scalp you'll clog the pores on your head.

  Swimming
  Before entering a pool, wet your hair so your hair will soak up the initial water instead of the chlorinated water.

  When swimming where a cap to protect your hair from chlorinated water, if you choose not to wear a cap make sure you shampoo and condition your hair right after you are done swimming.

  Drying
  Hot air can be damaging to your hair so when using a hair dryer use the cool setting.

  Don't leave the blowdryer in one spot for more than a few seconds, keep it moving and at a good distance away from your hair.

  To speed up the drying process, pat your hair dry with a towell and let the remaining moisture in your hair dry naturally.

  Gently use your fingers or a pick to untangle any knots while your hair is drying.

  Combing/Brushing
  Use a brush whose bristles are made from natural animal hairs, it is softer and more flexible which means less damage will be done to your hair.

  Hair is most fragile when it is wet so avoid brushing or combing when it's wet, or else it will cause breakage, wait until your hair is almost completely dry before brushing it.

  Use brushes/combs with widely spaced bristles/teeth and smooth tips. Sharp tooth combs can damage your hair, cause split ends, and scratch your scalp.

  To keep your brushes and combs clean, wash them weekly using soap or shampoo.

  Comb your hair to remove any tangles before brushing it.

  Begin by combing your hair gently at the ends to get any tangles out and work your way up to the base of your hair.

  Always brush/comb with a downwards stroke.

  Avoid using plastic brushes/combs which create static electricity

  Shampooing and Conditioning
  Buy shampoos & conditioners that match your hair type, trial and error is the best way to find out what specific hair product is best for your hair.

  Shower with warm water, hot water can dry and/or irritate the scalp.

  It is important to wash your hair, shampooing removes dirt, dead skin cells, hair oils, any hair products you may put into your hair.

  When shampooing, rinse your hair out before applying any shampoo to remove any dust, dirt, and any other foreign items, then apply the shampoo onto your scalp and massage it gently with your finger tips and work your way outwards. After you are done make sure that you thouroughly rinse out your hair to remove any shampoo residue that may be left. Shampoo residue may dry your scalp/hair and or attract dirt. It is recommended that you only lather once to avoid drying your hair out, if you have oily hair, lathering again may stimulate your oil glands to create even more oil than normal.

  You should wash your hair as often as you feel necessary to keep it clean, but a general rule is for oily hair you should wash it every day or every other day and for dry hair only wash it 2-3 times a week.

  Try rotating the shampoo and conditioner periodically, your hair responds differently to different products.

  Use a conditioner after shampooing, it'll moisturize your hair, give it extra protection, add shine, reduce static, and makes it easier to untangle.

  Use a leave in conditioner, it'll hydrate and protect your hair. A leave in conditioner on your hair is the equivalent of moisturizer on your face.

  When conditioning your hair, try to spread conditioner evenly through out your hair and leave it in for a couple of minutes before rinsing out your hair.

  Put the conditioner in at about an inch away from the scalp, the roots of your hair contain the most oils and usually don't need the extra conditioning.

  Be gentle when shampooing and conditioning, don't use excessive force rubbing your hair, remember hair is most vunerable when wet.